tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46732806913008199172024-02-20T10:48:46.863-06:00Peter The Printer: Printing + Marketing TipsIdeas, Resources, and Reflections on Custom Printing, Direct Mail and MarketingPeter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.comBlogger216125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-44047140260800942082017-07-06T11:41:00.000-05:002017-07-06T11:41:20.790-05:00Personalization Matters: Why Going the Extra Mile is Always Worth It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When people talk about the decline of "mom and pop" businesses in favor of the giant, national retailers, one of the things they bring up is that it's hard to find a store that you can walk into these days where the person behind the counter actually takes the time to learn your name. You can't walk into a national brand and expect someone to go "Hey, Phil - how did that new garden hose you bought last week work out for you? I've been thinking about you, and I thought you might like this other new product, too."<br />
<br />
But the fact of the matter is that these days are not over - not by a long shot and especially not in the world of marketing. You absolutely can inject this much more intimate, fulfilling level of personalization into your marketing collateral - provided that you're willing to go the extra mile.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<strong>Personalization in Marketing: By the Numbers</strong></h3>
<br />
If you ever wanted a clear cut example of why "going the extra mile" is an investment that pays off in more ways than one, look no further than the following statistics:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/why-consumers-are-increasingly-willing-to-trade-data-for-personalization/#ixzz2g8dgrqko">According to a recent study from Digital Trends</a>, an incredible seventy-three percent of consumers prefer to do business with brands that use personal information to help create more enriching, more relevant shopping experiences.</li>
<li>According to a completely <a href="http://www.infosys.com/newsroom/press-releases/Documents/genome-research-report.pdf">separate study from Infosys</a>, eighty-six percent of consumers said that the level of personalization (or the lack thereof) absolutely plays a role in their purchasing decisions. </li>
<li>If you think that personalization is only a game for digital and internet-centric businesses, <a href="https://thedma.org/marketing-insights/marketing-statistics/direct-mail-statistics/">think again</a>: direct mail success rates are continuing to trend upwards because, you guessed it, people find actual mail that they can hold in their hand much more personal and rewarding than something that is easily ignored like an email. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h3>
<strong>It's About "Walking the Walk"</strong></h3>
<br />
The major benefits of personalization in marketing extend far beyond just statistics like these, however. It all comes back to the values that your brand represents and the promise that you're making to each and every one of your customers. Simply put, it's one thing to say that you care about all of your customers - it's another thing entirely to do the types of things that turn this from catchphrase into irrefutable fact.<br />
<br />
Put yourself in their shoes. If you get two pieces of marketing collateral in the mail - one of which is addressed "Dear Sir or Madame" and another that has your name and maybe even specific information about past purchases that you've made - which one are you going to put more faith in? Which one would you bet cares about you more? Which one would you believe has a vested interest in making your life better?<br />
<br />
Your customers have made their opinion loud and clear - they don't just want you to sell to them. It isn't just enough to have a product or service that is objectively better than anyone else's. They want to be a part of something larger than a single purchase. They want something that they're not going to get anywhere else - a true relationship with the people they give their hard-earned money to. Personalization and going the extra mile are just among the many, many ways that you can now do that in the modern era.<br />
<br />
<b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
Ph: 847.882.4020 Ext: 520<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br />
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Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-69648872643847871222017-06-13T08:16:00.001-05:002017-06-13T08:16:51.376-05:00The “Foot in the Door” Technique<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div>
<br /></div>
Nobody questions the value of getting “a foot in the door.” We all strive at one point or another to get a foot in the door with an employer, an institution of higher learning, or even a romantic relationship.<br /><br />As a marketer, however, your interest in getting a foot in the door is more likely with your customers and a hopeful precursor to a big sale! A salesperson who gets a foot in the door by getting customers to agree to a small initial request will undoubtedly find greater success with larger requests (think major sales $$!) down the line.<div>
<br /><h3>
Freedman and Fraser’s Compliance Experiment</h3>
One of the first studies to scientifically investigate the “foot in the door” phenomenon was the 1966 compliance experiment by Jonathan L. Freedman and Scott C. Fraser. This experiment took place in two independent phases that used different approaches and test subjects. Because these studies were conducted on weekdays during the more conservative 1960s, the vast majority of test subjects were housewives.<br /><br />The first Freedman and Fraser study divided 156 subjects into two basic groups. Both of these groups were telephoned by researchers who pretended to be from the consumer goods industry. One of the groups was contacted only once with a relatively large request. The other group was contacted twice, first with an initial small request and then with the much larger second request. In this case, the small request was to simply answer a few questions about kitchen products while the larger request, which came three days after the small request, was to allow someone to come into the home and catalog the contents of all their cabinets.<br /><br />The second study essentially followed the same template as the first, but used the posting of a small and discrete window sign as its small request and the installation of a large and unattractive yard billboard as its large request.</div>
<div>
<br /><h3>
The Effectiveness of the “Foot in the Door” Technique</h3>
The results of the Freedman and Fraser experiment were quite revealing. In the kitchen products study, subjects who agreed to the small first request were more than twice as likely to comply with the large second request. The results of second study backed up those of the first with significantly more people agreeing to place an eyesore of a billboard in their yard after previously agreeing to place a small sign in the window of their home or automobile. Perhaps most surprising, it did not even seem to matter that the promotional social message of the small sign (keeping California clean) was entirely different from that of the gaudy billboard (driving safely). <br /><h3>
<br /></h3>
<h3>
Modern Marketing Implications</h3>
The use of the phrase “a foot in the door” usually conjures images of the old fashioned door-to-door salesperson who manages to wedge the tip of a shoe against the doorjamb of your entryway after you answer your doorbell. And we all know that after the foot is in the door (or you agree to a small initial request), the salesperson will undoubtedly try to make their way into your house (or get you to agree to a much larger second request).<br /><br />But how does this sales technique work in the modern marketing landscape?<b> In short, it’s all about calls-to-action (CTAs).</b><br /><div>
<h3>
<br /></h3>
<h3>
Call Them into Action</h3>
If you are distributing printed material that ends with a CTA, you may want to consider how far to push your customer base with your initial request. Don’t scare away a potential sale by asking too much too soon.<br /><br />You can wait a bit for that big sale if it means building a comfortable and lasting rapport with your customers. Consider closing your marketing materials with a modest request or CTA and gain compliance for a big future payday!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Best,<br /><br /><b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
Ph: 847.882.4020 Ext: 520<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.</div>
</div>
Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-87312371284559763182017-01-06T09:44:00.001-06:002017-01-06T09:44:04.318-06:00The Symbiosis of Sponsorships: Good for You and Your Beneficiary<br />
Marketers are always on the lookout for new and innovative
opportunities to raise awareness about the brands that they represent.
It isn't simply about getting the word out about a new product or
service; it's also about reminding people that you're there, you're
always going to be there, and that you're the best. In an era where
marketers strive to stretch the value of each dollar as far as it will
go, one often overlooked opportunity may generate the types of results
you're after: sponsorship.<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="thinksponsorship" class="alignnone wp-image-6828 size-medium" data-mce-src="http://www.tradeshowsanddisplays.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ThinkSponsorship-300x193.jpg" height="193" src="http://www.tradeshowsanddisplays.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ThinkSponsorship-300x193.jpg" width="300" /><br />
<h3>
Sponsorship and Brand Awareness: The Stats</h3>
Even
if you don't view sponsorship of charities, non-profits, or other local
organizations as a valuable addition to your marketing arsenal, it's
clear that other marketers do. According to a study conducted by IEG
Sponsorship Report, <em><strong>sponsorship was a $2 billion dollar enterprise in 2016</strong> </em>and is expected to increase by roughly 3.7 percent over the course of the next year.<br />
<br />
A
report generated by the Edelman Trust Barometer indicated that
sponsorship even goes beyond marketing impact. Eighty percent of
consumers around the world agreed that a business has a duty to play a
key role in addressing modern issues.<br />
<br />
It even plays an important
role in your own company culture. Fifty-one percent of employees
surveyed said that they didn't want to work for a company that didn't
have strong societal and environmental commitments, and almost
seventy-five percent said that they liked their jobs more when they were
given an opportunity to make a positive impact, as with sponsorships.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<a href="http://www.tradeshowsanddisplays.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/sponsorship-compass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="sponsorship-compass" border="0" class="alignleft wp-image-6825 size-full" data-mce-src="http://www.tradeshowsanddisplays.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/sponsorship-compass.jpg" height="225" src="http://www.tradeshowsanddisplays.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/sponsorship-compass.jpg" width="225" /></a>Sponsorship Best Practices</h3>
If
you decide to move forward with sponsorship as a new brand and
marketing opportunity, keep in mind a few key things. First, do your
research carefully. Always make sure that you're aligning with an
organization that meshes with your existing culture and values. Do as
much digging as you can, as sponsorship creates a symbiotic relationship
between two entities. A scandal at one will more than likely affect the
other, so you'll want to make sure that there are no skeletons hiding
in the closet before you make a commitment.<br />
<br />
You'll also want to
make an effort to isolate the impact of your sponsorships from the rest
of your marketing activities so that you can ascertain what role it's
playing in your overall campaign. Sadly, MarketStrategies.com says that
only half of marketers actually do this. Even though you're doing
something for a good cause first and recognition second, it still needs
to be measured for maximum effectiveness-- just like anything else.<br />
<br />
Sponsorship
is a valuable branding and marketing opportunity, particularly for
companies operating in the small and medium-sized business space. Not
only does it give you a chance to raise awareness in a powerful way, but
it empowers you for something even more important-- giving back to your
community.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Shout It From the Rooftops</h3>
When you
begin a sponsor/beneficiary relationship, make a big deal about it. The
first and least costly method is to issue a joint press release. Email a
text and a PDF version, along with high-resolution logos and photos, to
local news outlets, trade press, clients, and vendors. Of course you
would update your website to reflect the new relationship, either by
posting the press release, or adding the statement as part of your
header or footer. Set up reciprocal links to both websites. Another fast
and simple action is to add the logo and a statement to the email
footer of all employees: “Proud Sponsor of ABC Company.” You'll have to
decide for yourself what printed materials (letterhead, brochures,
business cards, displays, etc.) should also be updated.<br />
<img alt="sponsorship" class="alignnone wp-image-6829 size-medium" data-mce-src="http://www.tradeshowsanddisplays.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/sponsorship-300x180.jpg" height="180" src="http://www.tradeshowsanddisplays.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/sponsorship-300x180.jpg" width="300" /><br />
<h3>
Give Them a "Promotion"</h3>
Whether
your sponsorship commitment consists of monetary donations or free
products/services, you can also make the most of the relationship by
providing promotional items. As any non-profit, your beneficiary would
love to receive a supply of <a data-mce-href="http://www.promoplace.com/plumgrove" href="http://www.promoplace.com/plumgrove">nice pens</a> featuring its logo; or <a data-mce-href="http://www.promoplace.com/plumgrove" href="http://www.promoplace.com/plumgrove">branded apparel</a>, etc., to give to its volunteers; or necessary print items including <a data-mce-href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/" href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">business cards</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/" href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">letterhead</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/" href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">note cards</a>, etc. <a data-mce-href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com" href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">Plum Grove Printers </a>+ <a data-mce-href="http://www.tradeshowsanddisplays.com/" href="http://www.tradeshowsanddisplays.com/">Tradeshows And Displays</a> offer discounts for non-profits.<br />
<br />
By the way, Plum Grove Printers + Tradeshows And Displays is a longtime sponsor of the <a data-mce-href="http://chicagoama.org/corporate-sponsors/" href="http://chicagoama.org/corporate-sponsors/">American Marketing Association's Chicago Chapter</a>.<br />
<br />
<a data-mce-href="http://chicagoama.org/corporate-sponsors/" href="http://chicagoama.org/corporate-sponsors/"><img alt="chiama_webheader" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6823" data-mce-src="http://www.tradeshowsanddisplays.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/CHIAMA_Webheader.png" height="122" src="http://www.tradeshowsanddisplays.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/CHIAMA_Webheader.png" width="340" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
847.882.4020 Ext: 520<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-9622584564005253782016-11-21T13:53:00.000-06:002016-11-21T14:08:20.745-06:00Warning: Are You Accidentally Shattering Your Brand Continuity?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIg-cb2BlcM8yd9xk7VZzDAW9XQ5eYOYRdYJNLQFwlqWDx_DCy1fq5n_jioc-JPro7qQfd0Bh9HT2PGd2Uxz3ByFR9rNOSSKaZ-6VXaorR7Ks_HaBUCRqAJG9_rn6pqGMq7H9RrdeBZJOw/s1600/PGP_Brand_Continuity.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIg-cb2BlcM8yd9xk7VZzDAW9XQ5eYOYRdYJNLQFwlqWDx_DCy1fq5n_jioc-JPro7qQfd0Bh9HT2PGd2Uxz3ByFR9rNOSSKaZ-6VXaorR7Ks_HaBUCRqAJG9_rn6pqGMq7H9RrdeBZJOw/s400/PGP_Brand_Continuity.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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At its core, <b>brand continuity</b> is the idea that all communication channels between your brand and your customers (live chat, email, phone calls, etc.) should all look and feel like they're coming from the same place. It's the idea that you should strive to <b>give your customers an experience that is as consistent as possible</b>, regardless of how they choose to make contact with you. Successful brand continuity requires you to strike a delicate balance, and if you're not careful, there are a few ways that you can accidentally shatter all that you've worked so hard to build even before you realize you have a problem.<br />
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<h3>
It's All in the Visuals</h3>
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One of the more subtle ways to build and maintain brand continuity is also one of the most important, mainly because it can be the easiest to get wrong. You have to make sure that all of your branding from the version of your company logo to things as seemingly insignificant as the font you use are as consistent as possible, regardless of which element of your online and offline presence you're using. If a version of your company logo is present on your website's "Help Desk" page, it should be the same version of the logo sent out in your latest email or print marketing materials. Don't use professional-looking fonts on your website if you're going to be using Comic Sans MS on your print materials.<br />
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You may initially think that this is incredibly easy to miss and in many respects, you're right. Customers aren't necessarily paying attention to every last visual element on a page versus a flyer versus a billboard. But, think about it this way: the ones that do notice may be put-off or at least find it odd, which is a feeling you do not want to invoke. Those that don't notice will still benefit from your strict brand continuity, even if subconsciously.<br />
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<h3>
Getting Everyone on the Same Page</h3>
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Another way that you can accidentally shatter brand continuity has to do with <b><i>getting everyone on the same page regarding how your business works</i></b>. If your website is very clear about one particular policy but your customer service team isn't, you're immediately confusing customers every time they pick up the phone. This confusion is especially evident regarding promotions. If an email goes out offering a new sale, you'd better make sure that anyone who answers the phones for your business knows about it and knows what it entails. Otherwise, your customers may get a disappointing experience when it feels like the left hand is unaware of what the right hand is doing, so to speak. It gives the impression that the different parts of your business are operating independently of one another, which is something you don't want to communicate to prospective buyers.<br />
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<br />
These are just a couple of ways that you can accidentally harm your brand continuity. Remember, you can never be 100% sure how someone is going to make contact with your business, especially for the first time. So, make sure however they encounter you, it's equally easy, enjoyable, and helpful.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
Ph: 847.882.4020 Ext: 520<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-89294713548802576562016-10-28T13:12:00.002-05:002016-11-01T12:43:30.838-05:00More ROI on Your Mailings: Direct Mail Marketing with Plum Grove<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPOTe6c6iqILzqxMGTJMpUzOcVsimrmOQryB-KePBbTYqWJGIHqOMmkmaYPX27bkgBgUAnOOr8HvpOO6vrrRA9B8CydUSG5iFmMtnusehMmwxTq-4HrY-C1D_rLV6YV_v50BuTLBdVcZF/s1600/mail-914751_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPOTe6c6iqILzqxMGTJMpUzOcVsimrmOQryB-KePBbTYqWJGIHqOMmkmaYPX27bkgBgUAnOOr8HvpOO6vrrRA9B8CydUSG5iFmMtnusehMmwxTq-4HrY-C1D_rLV6YV_v50BuTLBdVcZF/s640/mail-914751_1920.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
As a part of our efforts to continue providing the best services to our customers, we've implemented new software for our Direct Mail Services. Satori's EasyTrack software helps our team accurately determine your mailing's delivery dates, track individual mailing pieces, pinpoint problems that may delay delivery, and improve the return on your investment.<br />
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<h3>
Understanding Direct Mail</h3>
You know that when it comes to direct mail, you're taking a risk. You're paying for multiple services, in hopes of increasing your bottom line: time spent designing the mailing, printing, postage, and delivery. After all of your planning and investing, usually direct mail vendors have no way of tracking your mailings to make sure it has reached your target market.<br />
<br />
When it comes to mail, we know that things can get delayed or become undeliverable. Although not every piece of mail that has gone out reaches its destination, you want to know how well your mail is performing - and that includes the delivery success rate. When we do a mailing at Plum Grove, we use our tracing software to track when and where your mailing is at all times. In addition to that, we can work directly with the Post Office to find out what may be delaying the delivery of your mail, then work to resolve those specific issues. With our tracing and reporting capabilities, we can share these reports directly with you, so you can see exactly what is happening with your marketing investments.<br />
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<h3>
Make the most out of your investment. </h3>
Whether it's First-Class Mail or Standard Mail, working with Plum Grove on your next mailing means that the marketing dollars you spend on letters and flats are increasing your ROI. Plum Grove will give you access to reports that explain when and where your mailing was scanned. Our software gives powerful "piece-level analysis," which allows you to track an individual piece of mail using its one-of-a-kind Intelligent Mail barcode.<br />
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Our customers appreciate the time and effort we put into every direct mail project that comes through our shop. We've done thousands of direct mail projects for our customers, and we invite you to <a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/feature/testimonials/" target="_blank">take a look at what they have to say</a> about our dedication to meeting deadlines and delivering quality services.<br />
<br />
To stay up-to-date on what mailing rates may look like in the future, <a href="http://us5.campaign-archive1.com/?u=531935d91d7be1fadf6571132&id=5039f76011&e=[UNIQID]" target="_blank">click here</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Brandie Nicole Richardson</b><br />
<i>Digital Marketing Specialist</i><br />
<i>Graphic Designer</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
Ph: 847.882.4020 Ext: 536<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-176126901050075482016-07-12T14:49:00.000-05:002016-07-12T15:20:29.130-05:00Psych! Five Ways to Turn Prospects Into Clients Using Psychology<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Marketers say that the key to increasing sales is to use
A/B testing to determine which sales tactic is more successful than another. A/B testing (sometimes called split testing) is
comparing two versions of something to see which one performs better. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br />We think that if we appeal to the rational brain, we
will convince people that our product is the best possible product for their
needs. However, if that were the case, would anyone ever buy Pet Rocks? Nope. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTVT7gk7zFvnAKew0j33cQZFK9UCxlkU2DTFGxftl5AJWLcgcnh_VnSNWeGyXpE9h_2B1ZpdrtyDXray5ZidZDVcVT-Df8KtecF-5NUoYQ9KMOLQGlye69EF_dIN2BVkfAbC6WwwiS1Qv/s1600/AB-Testing.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTVT7gk7zFvnAKew0j33cQZFK9UCxlkU2DTFGxftl5AJWLcgcnh_VnSNWeGyXpE9h_2B1ZpdrtyDXray5ZidZDVcVT-Df8KtecF-5NUoYQ9KMOLQGlye69EF_dIN2BVkfAbC6WwwiS1Qv/s200/AB-Testing.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">The key to turning
prospects into clients is tapping into the deeply embedded emotions inside of them. By identifying these emotions and learning how to trigger
them, you can increase your revenue faster than you can say "Chia Pet." Here are
the top five psychological triggers you can start using immediately to boost your
bottom line.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">1. Pleasure and Pain</span></h3>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br />Avoiding
pain and increasing pleasure are the driving forces of all human activity. This
idea is the most fundamental reason we have a nervous system. If something
hurts, we find a way to stop it. If something feels pleasurable, we do it
more.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1nmyBTY7HEmkfbklnaJ1BULhHE8NHR2CeIx1rM-diQjCdMI2VzE0Af7BrVaTr3_jv-8ySZ_9yhA9GhdMr7UrOKcDOh0vWxIC6hFzLt1592-sIiVB4BxjoDtDcsZOETzpVwR41Fb_H0hq/s1600/pleasure-pain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1nmyBTY7HEmkfbklnaJ1BULhHE8NHR2CeIx1rM-diQjCdMI2VzE0Af7BrVaTr3_jv-8ySZ_9yhA9GhdMr7UrOKcDOh0vWxIC6hFzLt1592-sIiVB4BxjoDtDcsZOETzpVwR41Fb_H0hq/s320/pleasure-pain.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /><br />Translating this into your marketing strategy, you must first
identify what your clients associate with pain and pleasure. Once you've figured
that out, the rest is easy. Draft your marketing message in a way that shows
your customers how your product or service will get them as close as possible to
their pleasure trigger and away from their pain trigger.</span></div>
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<h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8aqCsxY-sRxnO1inDBNb7C9b6QWmnyZVZF1xFGjyVTdUxnMnd9kqhBSSx83ib0r6BdgW9Ywj9NnBfrkmzBaq5DoCy2mbY4CoLG5oxmUiQMjgFyrHiSo9G6PMjXGg_T8iGbmZyElkiAQTR/s1600/simplicity.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8aqCsxY-sRxnO1inDBNb7C9b6QWmnyZVZF1xFGjyVTdUxnMnd9kqhBSSx83ib0r6BdgW9Ywj9NnBfrkmzBaq5DoCy2mbY4CoLG5oxmUiQMjgFyrHiSo9G6PMjXGg_T8iGbmZyElkiAQTR/s200/simplicity.png" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">2. Simplicity</span></h3>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></h3>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br />For most of us, life is complicated-- too complicated. It takes 47
steps to get us from the comfort of our beds and out the door prepared to work.
We don't need another product or service that will add more steps (obstacles) to
our day.<br /><br />Take a good, hard look at what you're selling. Does it add barriers to people's lives </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">or
remove them</span>? If it's not easy and fast to use, consider
making a few tweaks that will take all of the "no's" out of the
equation.</span></div>
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<h3>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">3. Novelty</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EaYyk1Uj-QO4onzt6Kwxho02Ek64AE9jwduL8flUXfmGWccHrdisW0VH2tfcKwqLADwPojjoZLmkPYDdd2x52ivmUPfs1L6QUuKRzK1IR5nUHo-eBldrioYn7eibZpKJw7AWiFyK2HX2/s1600/improved.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EaYyk1Uj-QO4onzt6Kwxho02Ek64AE9jwduL8flUXfmGWccHrdisW0VH2tfcKwqLADwPojjoZLmkPYDdd2x52ivmUPfs1L6QUuKRzK1IR5nUHo-eBldrioYn7eibZpKJw7AWiFyK2HX2/s320/improved.png" width="320" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br />New and shiny are what we love. In
fact, it has been scientifically shown that exposure to something novel
increases the amount of dopamine in the brain, that chemical that makes us all
tingly and excited. <br /><br />If you've ever heard someone complaining about the
lack of significant changes in the latest iPhone, but still stand in line for
hours to get one on release day, you've witnessed the
power of novelty.<br /><br />You can create innovation with your products by
making a few simple changes, which will give your prospects that shot of dopamine
they've been craving. Think Chia Heads.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br />Humans have evolved by telling
stories. It's how we share our experiences. The best storytellers invoke all of
the senses to pull their audience into the action.<br /><br />You can infuse
even the most mundane products with the magic of a good story. Update your
copy to tell a story about your product that transports your prospects. They'll buy just to keep the story
alive.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mjS9m8TJDha99QcEzLOFXiHomkY0AwYGJaxvdTO77EgIlO2D3s1YI7wPqUA_cHk1piJH0sYhTYzZ420ERCL3pb-a4fcdkaCuvCo5bfC1d0M0Fm-lGo7uTWwNwQfU4cc_BBFcAwfkmwaQ/s1600/anticipation-image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mjS9m8TJDha99QcEzLOFXiHomkY0AwYGJaxvdTO77EgIlO2D3s1YI7wPqUA_cHk1piJH0sYhTYzZ420ERCL3pb-a4fcdkaCuvCo5bfC1d0M0Fm-lGo7uTWwNwQfU4cc_BBFcAwfkmwaQ/s320/anticipation-image.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br />We've all turned 16 at some point
in our lives. Remember the anticipation we felt as the day drew nearer and the
prospect of being able to drive around without an adult sat winking at us in the
distance? It made life a little more sparkly, didn't it?<br /><br />If you've got a
new product or service in the works, don't just plunk it down on the counter
when it's all done. Start building some buzz while you're still working on it.
Send out emails to your current customers and prospects. Create a series of
videos giving out little bits of information at a time. Get people in that "I
can't wait" mode and your launch day will be more profitable than you can
imagine.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">NEW EXTENSION:</span> 847.882.4020 <span style="color: red;">Ext: 520</span></b><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>NEW DIRECT NUMBER: 847-230-8520 </b></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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Printing, Marketing, Tradeshow Displays + Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-2668240769356493512016-06-14T08:34:00.001-05:002016-06-14T08:34:05.314-05:00Crafting Your Brand to Communicate Your Unique Sales Proposition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Simply being the best is no longer the key to improving your bottom line. Not only is it a somewhat nebulous concept that isn't easily quantifiable, it's become more the status quo than anything else. Everyone selling something claims to be the best. Have you ever seen someone claim to be "second-best" in their marketing?<br />
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<b>Identifying your unique sales proposition is by far the most effective thing you can do to make your company a success.</b> Creating a memorable image that will grab people's attention and make them feel like they want you to be their best friend goes a lot farther these days than claims at superiority.<br />
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But maybe you already know this and maybe you've already identified how your company is different from the rest of the companies that sell computers/shoes/lamps, etc. Fabulous! One question: Do your customers know what makes you unique? (Cue head scratching and cricket chorus.)<br />
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If your brand doesn't scream, "I'm a unique snowflake" to everyone that sees it, you can do better. You must do better! You owe it to your company to be as unique as you are. So, how do you go about communicating how your company is one of a kind? It's all in the brand!<br />
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One of the best ways to figure out how to craft your brand to communicate your unique sales proposition is to carefully analyze how other companies are doing it. Let's take a look at two companies that have really done the work to make sure their brand conveys their unique sales proposition...<br />
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<b>- Saddleback Leather - </b>This company makes leather bags and accessories, and...so do hundreds of other companies. However, Saddleback has distinguished itself by selling "excessively high-quality leather designs" that are overbuilt and backed by a 100-year warranty. Their logo: a thick, letter tag embossed with their name, with obvious stitching and three big rivets at the top. Their tagline: "They'll fight over it when you're dead." Their ideal customer is someone who works hard and wants their bags and accessories to work harder and last longer.<br />
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<b>- Timbuk2 -</b> Yes, another company that makes bags...but guess what? This one is...wait for it...different! By its' name alone, we know that they are about travel and adventure. If you don't want to wander out into the wild, brave the unknown, or at least have all your stuff clean and dry when you get to wherever you're going, you may not be their target customer. Their current tagline is "Drive the bus" which, let's be honest, doesn't necessarily convey a specific unique sales proposition, but the story behind it is compelling and reinforces their mission: "To inspire urban mobility, enable individuality, & promote responsibility." They do this through their adherence to their values, which include statements like "Be Fearless. Deliver. Be Nimble. Engage. Lighten Up." Timbuk2 is a fantastic example of infusing your company with personality.<br />
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<b>These two companies, while selling many overlapping products, have gone out of their way to distinguish themselves from their competitors.</b> They truly love their products and want their clients to love them too. What's interesting about both of these companies is that they were started by people who couldn't find what they were looking for in the bags of the world, so they set out to make them. In doing this, they were able to:<br />
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<b>1. Put themselves in their customers' shoes</b><br />
<b>2. Understand what motivates their customers' behavior and buying decisions</b><br />
<b>3. Uncover the real reasons customers will buy their product instead of a competitor's</b><br />
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<i>These are three critical factors in identifying your unique sales position.</i> Basically, they were the customers, so it wasn't a big leap to get into their heads and create the experience that would drive consumers to love and buy their products.<br />
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<br />
It's easy to get a little lazy and fall into the trap of "it's good enough for now" and throw something out there, never to be improved upon again. If you love your company, you'll take the time now to make sure your brand conveys exactly what you want it to convey to your ideal client. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
Ph: 847.882.4020 Ext: 133<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-63740082816807434572016-06-07T11:42:00.001-05:002016-06-07T11:42:18.685-05:00Consumer Education as Your New Marketing Goal<div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">In executing your marketing campaign, you don't simply want to get the word out about a product or service. You're also trying to position your company as an authority on a particular
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">An increased emphasis on consumer education brings with it benefits that can't be ignored. For starters, it allows you
to take a deeper level of control over the narrative that you're telling. You're retooling the information that consumers
are seeking in a much more positive way. Instead of making a
declarative statement with your campaign like, "Here are all of the amazing and
incredible features of my product or service," you get to take a less sales-oriented approach and offer advice: "Here are the
problems you have, and here is how my product or
service is the answer."</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Perhaps the biggest
benefit is
that you get to essentially PROVE that your product/service is necessary
and let your audience come to the same conclusion <i>on their own</i>. This helps
to deepen the sense of confidence that consumers get from your company, which
almost always leads to loyalty sooner rather than later. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Transformations</span></h4>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Another element to consider involves the subtle ways
in which you change the relationship between company and customer. With consumer
education, marketing is no longer a passive approach. Instead, it's decidedly
active-- consumers are no longer HEARING about your product or READING about it,
they're LEARNING about it. They're engaging in a whole new
way. It officially transforms the marketing experience into a two-way street by
way of empowerment.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">The more satisfied with the marketing experience a consumer is, the
more confident they ultimately are with how they spend their money. Turning the tide of the conversation in your direction through consumer
education provides a powerful opportunity for you. </span></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
Ph: 847.882.4020 Ext: 133<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-62781377462184564402016-05-24T09:50:00.001-05:002016-05-24T09:52:16.023-05:00Handling Negative Online Reviews Like a Pro<b></b><br />
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzBKHtLd6npRkkEgPV5m0rjiMURLtoCgXK6oxI9KAyZN8aFLbvjEgMSIqpNnXzFbqyU4U10C_QgSNPW8Fg_W6RLHFUZbbcC4FjZ5VrNmFTUWe5qQmr9I_O7NWWvVmZDtzpY44YDMO_aZm/s1600/customer-reviews-pgp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzBKHtLd6npRkkEgPV5m0rjiMURLtoCgXK6oxI9KAyZN8aFLbvjEgMSIqpNnXzFbqyU4U10C_QgSNPW8Fg_W6RLHFUZbbcC4FjZ5VrNmFTUWe5qQmr9I_O7NWWvVmZDtzpY44YDMO_aZm/s640/customer-reviews-pgp.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div>
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<b><br /></b>
<b><b>Online reviews can make or break a business. More and more often, customers are turning to sites like Yelp, Google, and Facebook to get an unbiased view of every business they use. </b></b><br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Negative reviews are pretty much inevitable, regardless of how hard you try. Your responses, or lack thereof, can also have a dramatic effect on how people view your company's credibility and dedication to customer service. Here are a few tips to handle negative online reviews like a pro.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>First and foremost it is important to have a consistent approach to handling both positive and negative feedback. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<h3>
<b>Meet Kelly...</b></h3>
<b>Kelly owns a local hair salon and uses many types of online profiles to represent her business. Since public comments can't be deleted, Kelly has developed a solid approach to protecting her business' online reputation.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<h3>
<b>Set Up Alerts</b></h3>
<b>The first line of defense for Kelly's online business reputation is daily alerts. Setting up alerts through Google, Facebook, and Twitter lets Kelly know when someone has mentioned her business. She gets these alerts sent to her inbox daily.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<h3>
<b>Comment Always</b></h3>
<b>Kelly's policy is to comment on as many pieces of feedback as possible. She leverages the personal touch by interacting with her customers in a timely manner to all forms of feedback. She's also turned her responses into an art form.</b><br />
<h3>
<b><br /></b><b>Positive Feedback</b><b> </b></h3>
<b>Kelly always responds to positive feedback. It doesn't have to be the great American novel, but Kelly makes sure it's genuine and has a personal feel to it. Observe the magic:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>3/24/2015: Jen, this is one of the sweetest, most thorough reviews I have seen. Thank you so much for your kind words about the salon and our wonderful nail artist, Nickie!</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<h3>
<b>Negative Feedback</b><b> </b></h3>
<b>Kelly always acknowledges the client's concerns and states in the public reply that she will contact the person to follow up and resolve the issue. If she doesn't have the client's contact information, she invites the person who posted to contact her directly. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>At this stage, Kelly understands the importance of not engaging in justification, excuse making, claims of innocence, or outright denial. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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<h3>
<b>Here is an example of what NOT to do...</b></h3>
<b><i>Michelle, </i></b><br />
<b><i>I am really surprised by some of the comments in your review. You were 15 minutes late for the appointment. The stylist you were booked with had already packed up to leave and you were marked in our books as a no show (15 minutes late for a 45-minute appointment is pretty late). I tried to convince the stylist to stay and see you because it was Valentine's Day and I didn't want you to go away disappointed. She needed to get to her other job but agreed to do the blowout even if it meant being late for work. I asked you if you minded skipping the complimentary hand massage that we usually do with our blowouts since you were late and she needed to get to her second job. I'm sorry if that made your experience less pleasant. However, she did stay late and do an amazing blowout for you. </i></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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<h3>
<b>What a complete turnoff! If you want to try and win her back and impress others? Try this instead:</b></h3>
<b><i>Hi Jonathan,</i></b><br />
<b><i>Thank you for taking the time to submit a review. We are sincerely sorry that your experience was less than satisfactory on this visit. We would be grateful for the opportunity to make this situation right for you. Please feel free to contact me at XXX-XXX-XXXX and I will assist in reconciling this issue. A private message has also been sent. Again, many thanks for the feedback - it only helps us serve you better! </i></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<h3>
<b>The Clock is Ticking</b></h3>
<b>Kelly promptly follows up on her commitment to reach out. The best person for this job is the business owner or general manager - someone with the clout and authority to fix the issue in one phone call or email. She and her manager put on their best customer service hats and really listen to the client's concern. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<h3>
<b>Follow-Up on the Follow-Up</b></h3>
<b>Once the issue is resolved, and only if it was a positive result, Kelly asks the client to follow up on the posting and comment that the issue was resolved. This can be the most impactful. Kelly always goes back to the original posting personally to briefly talk about how the resolution went down.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b></b><br />
<b>The key to success lies in being genuine, working proactively, and embracing the age-old philosophy, "The customer is always right!" even if you aren't in agreement.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Brandie Nicole Richardson</b><br />
<i>Digital Marketing Specialist</i><br />
<i>Graphic Designer</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
Ph: 847.882.4020 Ext: 133<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/plumgroveprinters" target="_blank"><img alt="Like Plum Grove Printers Facebook Page" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNdCXYHS4sczb7ZdW_fO0jTNarrlA_Sxk7hTUNG6SliD802QMXJfu80GR2ekPE7wbY981rE8TmKRkXCkj3TRCENjSasgjIsQca2Uifu3VH4SwyrKfjVbISYO2LHGevc97DBQkJiJfk6Q/s300/facebook.png" title="" /></a><a href="https://twitter.com/plumgroveprint" target="_blank"><img alt="Follow Plum Grove Printers Twitter" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQDjUJ9ix7b2sA1JObbjcGRFCOv07LEiqLIkkcjki-NXMGUjuw-JSRqxSweTH-GbL2bLbC613p56vaEFbDhEv_AbCR9TzolwyLsKzRSzUSkEkTUuG29hI53YV-BAog1p_bmqIn7bglbg/s300/twitter.png" /></a><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/company/plum-grove-printers" target="_blank"><img alt="Connect with Plum Grove Printers LinkedIn" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0PKt63Vvk2NM6sot1Vf4s7CwmkY5cXcyrp3_c_FyIOgxhvuyjjHmQYKGRaSCLRO-E1dbiSSSyjfeWZDgiWWME7IAsu04PM9JHX7BmuxfzdDUeaabUXkS6ouZwRLxQhKZnnacBOUUKEY8/s300/linkedin.png" /></a><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/103806772297305758788/posts" target="_blank"><img alt="Connect with Plum Grove Printers Google+" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFonewQu30OQzN8Z2N5q4vKm3nXDGKzqFgJkAvFpDY2SkqqnedfLKGax-ae00YofArauaiBxBsQFI3S-O6UxhDZlJe8PQ7fllTazLxzwIKFes3yHYj6zv92UULOHubNkbZ9jH3Bg0gW6lT/h120/googleplus.png" /></a><br />
Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-24112950401351427162016-05-23T12:49:00.000-05:002016-05-23T12:49:52.374-05:00Swag Is Actually Your Brand AmbassadorEdited down from something just seen on <a href="http://www.tsnn.com/news-blogs/maintain-serious-swagger-your-brand-swag" target="_blank">TSNN</a>:<br />
<br />
<article class="clearfix post-5971 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-blog category-expolinc category-giveaways category-pantone category-portable-tradeshow-displays-2 category-promotional-giveaways category-promotions" id="post-5971"><div class="entry-content">
<div id="stcpDiv">
In marketing, swag isn’t just a party favor you give to guests at the
end of the night. It’s your brand ambassador when you’re no longer
there. The role of swag shouldn’t be underestimated. When utilized
correctly, it provides brands with a physical and emotional connection
to their customers before, during, and after an event.<br />
<br />
In other words, swag is a gift that keeps on giving — and that’s why it has become a <a href="http://www.ibisworld.com/industry/default.aspx?indid=1440" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">$21 billion</a> industry. One study found that <a href="https://www.brandwatch.com/2014/06/promotional-products-brand-recognition/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">87 percent</a>
of attendees keep the promotional items they receive for more than a
year, and 79 percent of them say they’d be likely to do business with
that company again.<br />
<br />
The power of swag can open doors for your brand anywhere. In order to
unlock its potential, remember that not all swag is created equal.<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_5973" style="width: 310px;">
<img alt="Smart phone stand" class="wp-image-5973 size-medium" height="205" src="http://www.tradeshowsanddisplays.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/swag-smartphone-holder-300x205.jpg" width="300" /><div class="wp-caption-text">
<em>Smart phone stand</em></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<strong>The Wide World of Swag</strong><br />
<em>Call it swag, promos, giveaways, freebies, tchotchkes…</em> Swag
can be as small as a pen or as big as a VIP trip to a concert. It can be
a tangible item that sits on a desk or an experience that lives inside
the mind. One thing remains consistent, though: The better your swag
strategy is, the more important, valued, and excited your consumers will
feel about your brand.<br />
<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_5974" style="width: 310px;">
<img alt="swag pen" class="wp-image-5974 size-medium" height="116" src="http://www.tradeshowsanddisplays.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/swag-pen-300x116.jpg" width="300" /><div class="wp-caption-text">
<em>High-quality pens</em></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<strong>Match Your Swag to Your Message.</strong><br />
Offer swag that reflects your brand’s message and values. If your
company’s identity revolves around practicality and productivity, don’t
hand out time-wasting junk like yo-yos and rubber balls. Instead, give
your audience something they need, like a branded roll of duct tape or a
Swiss army knife. Remember, this is something your customer plans to
have in his or her home for years to come. Make sure it reflects the
right brand image.<br />
<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_4770" style="width: 160px;">
<img alt="purp-copy" class="wp-image-4770 size-thumbnail" height="150" src="http://www.tradeshowsanddisplays.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/purp-copy-150x150.gif" width="150" /><div class="wp-caption-text">
<em>USB drives</em></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<strong>Solve a Problem.</strong><br />
Even if your brand isn’t all about practicality and productivity,
giving your customers something they can actually use is a smart way to
gain their respect and gratitude. For example, if you’re marketing at an
outdoor event, consider offering branded umbrellas, bottles of water,
sunblock, or towels. Customers are much more likely to remember
brands that help them out.<br />
<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_5975" style="width: 310px;">
<img alt="Multipurpose blanket" class="wp-image-5975 size-medium" height="180" src="http://www.tradeshowsanddisplays.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/swag-blanket-300x180.jpg" width="300" /><div class="wp-caption-text">
<em>Multipurpose blanket</em></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<strong>Don’t Fall Into a Rut.</strong><br />
Customers will eventually forget a brand that relies on the same key
chain for years on end. It’s wise to vary your swag offerings both over
time <em>and</em> depending on the scenario. Pins, badges, and stickers
might be perfect for one event, while personalized putters could be
perfect for another. Change it up to keep the attention of your
audience.<br />
<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_5976" style="width: 160px;">
<img alt="Planting kits" class="wp-image-5976 size-thumbnail" height="150" src="http://www.tradeshowsanddisplays.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/swag-plant-150x150.jpg" width="150" /><div class="wp-caption-text">
<em>Planting kits</em></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<strong>Don’t Be Logo-Happy.</strong><br />
Logos are an easy way to get your brand name into somebody’s home,
but they’re also an easy way to get your swag into somebody’s trash can.
If your swag is actually impressive or useful in its own right, a
small, discreet logo will do the trick. Customers will naturally
remember who gave it to them.<br />
<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_5977" style="width: 310px;">
<img alt="Wall calendar" class="wp-image-5977 size-medium" height="190" src="http://www.tradeshowsanddisplays.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/swag-wal-calendar-300x190.jpg" width="300" /><div class="wp-caption-text">
<em>Wall calendar</em></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<strong>Avoid Playing Favorites. </strong><br />
Creating multiple tiers of swag can be a dangerous strategy because
it suggests that your company values certain customers over others. If
one demographic is handed cheap-looking pens but knows that another
market got bottles of champagne, they’re going to leave your event
feeling jealous and underappreciated. Your best option is to make sure
the swag you offer is of a consistent value, but if you must create
multiple levels of reward, keep it under wraps.<br />
<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_5978" style="width: 310px;">
<img alt="Leather portfolios" class="wp-image-5978 size-medium" height="225" src="http://www.tradeshowsanddisplays.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/swag-portfolios-300x225.jpg" width="300" /><div class="wp-caption-text">
<em>Leather portfolios</em></div>
</div>
<br />
Whether it’s a pad of paper that attendees end up writing their
grocery lists on or an air freshener that dangles from their rearview
mirrors, swag is a great way to provide a useful (and free!) souvenir to
consumers that keeps your name at the top of their minds.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.tsnn.com/news-blogs/maintain-serious-swagger-your-brand-swag#sthash.ZV7Gj8v5.dpuf" target="_blank">See the whole thing! </a><br />
<br />
</div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.promoplace.com/plumgrove" target="_blank">Let us help with your swag!</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.promoplace.com/plumgrove" target="_blank"><img alt="d91b6480-d2c8-40d9-8b5c-08848c84da8d" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5530" height="32" src="http://www.tradeshowsanddisplays.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/d91b6480-d2c8-40d9-8b5c-08848c84da8d.png" width="32" /></a></div>
</div>
</article>
<div id="authorarea">
<i>About Joan Weis</i><br />
<i>
</i><div class="authorinfo">
<i>
Marketing Manager, <a href="http://www.tradeshowsanddisplays.com/">Tradeshows And Displays</a>, a <a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">Plum Grove Company</a></i> </div>
</div>
<br />
<b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
Ph: 847.882.4020 Ext: 133<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-21209910838100665582016-05-17T14:07:00.000-05:002016-05-17T14:07:03.409-05:00Super-Charge Your Sales Force <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="width: 580px;"><tbody>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Converting
prospects into clients is often a difficult and expensive process. Sales reps
can spend weeks, months, even years trying to convert a prospect into a client. So, how do your reps keep the conversation going
and the interest building when they’re away? The answer: put
high-quality, effective print sales collateral in their hot little
hands.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />Your sales reps
can leave a "spokesperson" behind their prospects, one that will subtly sing the praises of your company when your reps leave. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">That advocate for your products and services is the right mix of marketing materials.</span></span><br /><br />Highly effective print sales
collateral doesn’t just mean you leave a brochure and a business card and hope
for the best. To super-charge your sales force, you need well thought-out,
quality-designed materials that will continue to grab the prospect’s attention
and not end up in the recycling bin. Top sales
experts have weighed in with the following best practices.<br /><br /><b>Case
Studies</b><br /><br />The single most effective piece of sales collateral that you can
leave with your prospects is the case study. Including one or two case studies
targeted to the prospect’s needs can do more for your sales than a holiday gift
basket. Your case studies should concisely discuss:<br /></span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What the client’s
greatest challenge was prior to purchasing your product or service</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">How the
client implemented your product or service</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">How the client’s challenge went
away or was reduced by implementing your product or service</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />These three ideas will communicate more to the prospect about how your product or service
works and the value that it can provide to them, than merely listing the things
your company does. If possible, include solid numbers about money and
time savings, as these are the top two complaints companies
have.<br /><br /><b>Testimonials</b><br /><br />Finding three or four clients to rave about you
is also a fantastic way to show your prospects that (1) you have clients, (2)
your product/service is LOVED and (3) why your clients love it. If you can guide your clients in crafting a testimonial that
discusses how your company changed their life for the better, the more effective
the testimonial will be. Including their name, business name, and even a picture
can go a long way in building credibility. Nothing says, “Trust us” like someone
else saying, “Trust them!”<br /><br /><b>The Sales Page</b><br /><br />Sales and Marketing
Strategist Walter Wise notes that successful marketing messages use the
"Marketing Equation of Interrupt, Engage, Educate, and Offer.” Let’s break down
that equation. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Interrupt: your main headline, designed to
interrupt your prospect's attention</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Engage: your sub-headline, crafted to
keep the prospect’s interest and get them to keep reading</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Educate: this is
where you add some valuable information on solving your clients’
problems</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Offer: this should be a low-risk, free report, checklist, white
paper, or e-book that will position your company as a thought leader in the
field.</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />Take the time to provide your “offer” in your sales package. The
longer you can keep that prospect engaging in your company’s materials, the more
likely they will be to buy.<br /><br /><b>Putting It All Together</b><br /><br />All of your materials should be printed on high-quality
paper stock and designed by a professional graphic artist so that the materials
are aesthetically pleasing and project an impeccable image. Too much text and low-quality graphics can be an
instant turn-off regardless of the quality of your product. Remember: These materials speak for you when your reps are not there.</span></span></div>
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</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9zOeVqPTqoSKeQBvcK0BmThIwU_QoW949XyG3UIfDqqyuYKkBC-h2Fd4fr42XmFTefNGi1g5HhMT2XEviA2vJQ7tp1Y_RnybbbTc_-0hm8ha5apzx-ctfAu_aPRB2q5w2nZyHZqYLNyJ/s1600/branding+word+cloud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9zOeVqPTqoSKeQBvcK0BmThIwU_QoW949XyG3UIfDqqyuYKkBC-h2Fd4fr42XmFTefNGi1g5HhMT2XEviA2vJQ7tp1Y_RnybbbTc_-0hm8ha5apzx-ctfAu_aPRB2q5w2nZyHZqYLNyJ/s200/branding+word+cloud.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Founder/CEO</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2160 Stonington Avenue</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hoffman Estates, IL 60169</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ph: 847.882.4020 Ext: 133</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b></span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.</span></span></b>Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-53647237391525916622016-05-13T08:51:00.000-05:002016-05-13T08:51:08.971-05:00Lowered Postal Rates = Time to Try Direct Mail <h4 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></h4>
<div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Most small businesses have something of a love/hate relationship with
the United States Postal Service. USPS is one of those
necessary things to get a wide range of direct </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">mail </span>and print marketing
materials out into the world. With a decade of increasing prices chipping away
at return on investment, it's no wonder many organizations
started to skimp on direct-mail spending in favor of other "cheaper" solutions. Now, however, the tides may be truly changing as postal rates
are on the decline. If you've been waiting to jump
back into the direct mail world, now might be the time to give it a try.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /><b><br />Postal Rates: What is Going On?</b><br />On April
10, 2016, the cost to send a first-class letter in the United States fell by two cents - a rare phenomenon. Additionally, the price of
sending a postcard dropped a penny, and international letters decreased by five cents. These are the
most direct mail and small business-friendly prices to come along since the
beginning of the 2008 recession. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /><br /><b>Direct Mail Doesn't Just Work - It
Works Gangbusters</b><br /><br />Despite all this, some people still refuse to give
direct mail the chance it deserves because they naturally assume that digital
marketing is more effective in our tech-driven world. After
all, with people glued to their cell phones day in and day out, how much of an
impact can direct mail really have?<br /><br />The answer is "BIG."<br /><br />According to a study conducted by Compu-Mail.com, direct mail is
still used heavily in a smart phone-centric world: approximately 43% of
all local retail advertising still falls into this category. Not only that, but
young adults are actually the largest group to respond to direct mail. According to a recent International
Communications Research survey, approximately 73% of consumers actually prefer
direct mail over alternative advertising methods. This is largely due to the
fact that an equal number of respondents said that direct mail marketing was a
much more personable experience than Internet-based materials; from the
millennials' perspective, junk mail happens in their inbox, not their
mailbox.<br /><br />So, if the reasons why you had overlooked direct mail in the
past were because "it was too expensive" and "you didn't think it worked,"
congratulations: those two reasons just evaporated in an instant. <br /><br />Each business is unique, and what works for one might not
work for another.
However, with the recent decline of USPS postal rates, now would be the perfect time to give direct mail a try. Now, is a
terrific chance to really dip your proverbial toe in the water and to see just
how direct mail can benefit your organization. These declining rates won't stick around
forever, so go for it! Create your direct mail campaign
today. Let me know if we can help.</span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYThIXKmNQaN6UxlXEWN7_BpQ_d_AaD-wiIy8X1XiCmWnf6HfOggRRpSG4O_kOk-CPmgQUHG0-5Irw0PChh0ZctO4o9RtKkRyfdBnTf9ksuH8dh11QkTafmA3_dE2zjEgdqIVYya1MZ1KX/s1600/Peter+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYThIXKmNQaN6UxlXEWN7_BpQ_d_AaD-wiIy8X1XiCmWnf6HfOggRRpSG4O_kOk-CPmgQUHG0-5Irw0PChh0ZctO4o9RtKkRyfdBnTf9ksuH8dh11QkTafmA3_dE2zjEgdqIVYya1MZ1KX/s200/Peter+cropped.jpg" width="196" /></a></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
847.882.4020 Ext: 133<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-16872713514168801252016-04-29T11:35:00.003-05:002016-04-29T11:35:43.399-05:00 What's REALLY Going On at the Post Office?<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">You had a tough time during the Great Recession of the last few years, and so did the United States Postal Service. With
computers, email, and other technology, total mail
volume was already on the decline - and then, the most troubling economic times
in decades hit. Mail volume dropped dramatically in a short period
of time. </span><br /><div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br />According to the official USPS website, total mail volume in
2006 was roughly 213.1 billion pieces. The total mail volume in
2015, on the other hand, was 154.2 billion-- a
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">staggering </span>drop in magnitude.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://mailmadesimple.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="http://mailmadesimple.com/" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZbAUUfHR7L33UQHdyfVwYCfYYZUyNTmMmToFZ8Z3-6GuAgHhmr1YZXAxIz7o6NO6Y9fbt1CpzuuMyGkSJsxGSPDymqb8ITIOWkuiL1cIv6mYGGHUH7A9_ac1ue0ndmyc4PnSsODIqGQD/s1600/postal+trucks.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /><br /><b>What is an Exigent
Rate?</b><br /><br />Because of this situation, the USPS asked for something called an
Exigent Rate Case. That meant that due to demanding circumstances, the Postal
Service was allowed to "raise market-dominant prices above the CPI-U (consumer
price index) price cap" for a limited time. After an approval process that
required a submitted proposal and a hearing conducted on the record with an
opportunity for public comment, the increase was granted.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /><br /><b>So Why Did Rates
Just Drop?</b><br /><br />Exigent Rate Cases are not permanent – they have a limited
lifespan as, theoretically, the special circumstances that required them in the
first place will resolve themselves eventually. This is exactly what happened. When the emergency rate expired on April 10, 2016, most of us
experienced the first postal rate drop in our lifetime. With the price of a
first-class stamp dropping to 47 cents, it represents the first decrease in
nearly 100 years.<br /><br />The good news is that mail volumes have actually
recovered pretty significantly. This is especially true in terms of packages, as
more people than ever before are choosing to buy online at
retailers like Amazon.com. The news may be great for consumers and marketers,
but it is doing little to actually relieve the problems that the Post Office is
still going through. <br /><br />Megan J. Brennan, the current Postmaster General,
said that multi-year revenue declines are still a very real concern and were in
excess of $7 billion in 2009 alone. She would go on to say that
"Removing the surcharge and reducing our prices is an irrational outcome
considering the Postal Service's precarious financial condition." </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /><br /><b>Looking Ahead for the Post Office and Marketers</b></span></div>
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Not to worry,
though. The United States Postal Service isn't going anywhere anytime soon. However, exactly what these rate decreases will do to their bottom line remains
to be seen. One thing is for sure, <b><i>there has never been a
better opportunity to truly experiment with the benefits that direct mail has in
terms of your overall marketing efforts</i>. </b>If you've moved more in a digital
direction due to increased mailing and shipping rates over the last few years,
this rate drop is the perfect incentive to dip your toe back in these proverbial
waters. Give it a try! </span></span></h2>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://mailmadesimple.com/" target="_blank"><b style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxBY20_6O3Ll7sTgmbCpHH-xdApg_0SqQ3LNPsrTTeke1fJdbotA5eb69X94ehZIbPFhMPYnCQ04LCWcOECOwOYfdTxob-w4aZd-USPcB5Q77WrVKgG8bijrwJbtzIW-jTDh57FOvkUiy/s200/Peter+cropped.jpg" width="196" /></b></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
Ph: 847.882.4020 Ext: 133<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-17183744989457506902016-03-29T08:30:00.000-05:002016-03-29T08:30:25.946-05:00Pull Back the Curtain: Providing a Backstage Glimpse of Your Company<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHS1NcZZHYw3h6XJLU3yvw0qlawP0RUg3adxmiVoALFVZpFxeJr4i7dfbG6lhhPR8WUHnoOHaQIDEIzP4TBpsUq4uUr_KEIyOGqQqoONXERroN1P8r6kXb8vH9mmMEU71aGYkRzo270Q2k/s1600/PeekBehindTheCurtain.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHS1NcZZHYw3h6XJLU3yvw0qlawP0RUg3adxmiVoALFVZpFxeJr4i7dfbG6lhhPR8WUHnoOHaQIDEIzP4TBpsUq4uUr_KEIyOGqQqoONXERroN1P8r6kXb8vH9mmMEU71aGYkRzo270Q2k/s320/PeekBehindTheCurtain.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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One of the primary objectives of any marketing campaign you run has nothing to do with selling your product or service. While these will always be important, equally necessary is your ability to sell yourself as a company. People want to know more about the people who work in your business and the values and ideals that you have. They want to be able to look at you as an authority. Pulling back the curtain and providing a "backstage" glimpse into your product or service is one of the single, best ways to accomplish both of these things at the same time.<br />
<h3>
<b>The Benefits of the Backstage Approach</b></h3>
<b>One of the major benefits of this type of "backstage" approach is that it helps position you as a true authority on a particular topic.</b> It's one thing for you to SAY that a product performs X, Y, and Z functions - it's another thing entirely to prove it by providing an unprecedented look into the design and development process. You can shed insight on your decision-making process, for example, helping them to not only SEE what your product does but WHY.<br />
<br />
<b>Taking a "backstage" approach to marketing also helps to strengthen the intimate, organic connection you're able to create with your target audience - thus helping to build brand loyalty.</b> Think about it from the perspective of the entertainment industry, as celebrities, in particular, are masters at this. DVDs are filled with hours of special features outlining how a scene was shot, how a script was written, how a special effect was pulled off and more. This instantly makes something that cost hundreds of millions of dollars to make seem smaller and more intimate, while letting audiences take their experience to a whole new level at the same time. Providing a similar look into your own operation will have the same effect for you, too.<br />
<h3>
<b>Pulling Back the Curtain</b></h3>
Unless you're launching a product that is shrouded in complete secrecy, you can start pulling back the curtain pretty much right away. Even if it's something as simple as updating a weekly blog post with sketches, schematics, and other materials from the research and development phase, this will go a long way towards increasing transparency across the board. Have employees talk about the specific work they're doing on a daily basis and how even though they're all working separately, they're all contributing to a larger whole.<br />
<br />
This startlingly simple approach helps to close the gap in between business and customer, making a customer actually feel like they're a natural part of the process. When you combine this with all of your other marketing techniques, you're looking at a striking amount of loyalty built just from publicizing activities that were already going on behind closed doors anyway.<br />
<br />
<br />
These are just a few of the many reasons why providing a "backstage" glimpse can help bring your product or service to life. Not only does it help provide a valuable context to the particular product or service that you're trying to sell, but it also helps build a strong, positive impression of your company. People will stop seeing you as a faceless entity and will start looking at you more like the living, breathing, hardworking people that you really are. This will only deepen the connection that you have with your target audience and make interaction more meaningful in the future.<br />
<br />
<b>And if you want a glimpse backstage at Plum Grove – a tour of our manufacturing plant to see printing, mailing, signage all in production, just call me at 847.882.4020, and we’ll give you a peek behind our curtain.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
Ph: 847.882.4020 Ext: 133<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-46821725893511494022016-03-24T13:26:00.000-05:002016-03-24T13:26:08.124-05:00Make Your Marketing Content Flexible
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Too
many marketers look at the content they're creating as "one and done." You spend
all this time and money creating the right print mailer, send it to your targeted list, and then put it in your sample folder, right?
Wrong.<br /><br />The content of that mailer is still </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">
relevant; it hasn't been diminished </span>because you sent it out into the world once. Don't write off good content so quickly, especially when you can use a few
simple techniques to increase your return on that investment (ROI) of time, money, and creativity. Heed these tips to get maximum mileage out of your marketing content.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><i><span style="color: #20124d;"><b>Repurpose Whatever You
Can</b></span></i><br /><br />Creating a piece of high-quality, original content from scratch is expensive and time-consuming, but it's worth it. You don't need to make every last piece of information wholly original from the top down. Sometimes repurposing a piece of good content is a great way to stretch that content, and it can also help fill gaps
in your editorial strategy, among other things.<br /><br />For example, say you hosted a
webinar that went off without a hitch. Those ideas and audience questions don't have to die the minute
the last viewer logs off. Here are four ways to stretch the content:</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">1. Take the notes from the webinar and turn them into
a <u>slide-show</u> for your website.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">2. <u>Video</u> stream/record the webinar and post it to your YouTube page; send out links to it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">3. Use the slides as the basis for a <u>direct-mail</u> flyer for a mailer or a leave-behind piece. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">4. Turn the notes into a <u>white paper</u> that can be downloaded from your website.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">You get the benefit of building upon something
instead of creating from scratch, plus you increase the ROI of that
original content at the same time.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQB596afs4UD4U5BmoGEz-6UIkL5uojZQ8OajcTdxPgMlLRpmwWoDTGsOcOG8lcpw5dzowVtFTP9syHFrrzBTxZ9MMqJZoz7LuOtoR2hyphenhyphenqzfvU1soOPbZoP5eWqyB59_lg9RM1G8En4O7K/s1600/transformation.thumbnail.337x280f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="101" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQB596afs4UD4U5BmoGEz-6UIkL5uojZQ8OajcTdxPgMlLRpmwWoDTGsOcOG8lcpw5dzowVtFTP9syHFrrzBTxZ9MMqJZoz7LuOtoR2hyphenhyphenqzfvU1soOPbZoP5eWqyB59_lg9RM1G8En4O7K/s320/transformation.thumbnail.337x280f.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /><b><br /><i><span style="color: #351c75;">Redistribution:
Using Changes to Your Advantage</span></i></b><br /><br />When using existing content, consider how things may have changed since that original piece went out into the world. Maybe you designed a post for Facebook that
was hugely successful but now you learn a new target audience is big on Twitter. A few key adjustments could make the Facebook piece ready for a brand
new audience.<br /><br />The same can be said of taking something from the print
world and bringing it into the digital realm, and vice versa. Take that
informative print flyer you sent out a few weeks ago and use it as the framework
for a blog post. You get the benefit of increasing the longevity (and the
ROI) of that original content, and you get it in front of a whole new crop of
people at the same time.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /><br />While many people think of content marketing as
"disposable," it does not have to be that way. A good piece of
content is a good piece of content - period. By carefully practicing techniques
like redistribution and repurposing, you can stretch the value of that content and improve your marketing ROI.</span></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
Ph: 847.882.4020 Ext: 133<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-59077191669485139792016-03-08T10:20:00.001-06:002016-03-08T10:20:19.932-06:00Anticipation is Your Friend: The Art of Teasing a Product or Service Before a Proper Launch <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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All of your print marketing materials should be designed to evoke an emotional response. Most of the time when you're marketing a product or service, your goal is to convince people to spend money on what it is that you have to offer AFTER the fact. This is time consuming and isn't always successful, especially in a crowded sea of competitors. But what if there was a way for you to start your print marketing momentum well in advance of the actual product or service's release? What if there was a way to build so much momentum leading up to that day that all of the hard work from a marketing perspective had already been done for you?<br />
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Luckily, there is a way to accomplish all of this and more. By spending your marketing dollars pre-emptively and teasing the launch of your product or service well in advance, you can build the type of hype that will continue to pay dividends for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
<b><u>The Most Efficient Marketing Engine on the Planet - Disney</u></b><br />
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Perhaps the most powerful marketing machine in existence belongs to The Walt Disney Company - and this isn't just because they seem to have unlimited financial resources at their disposal. Consider the masterful way that they built anticipation for "Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens." Starting a full year out from the premiere of the movie, a teaser trailer was released to build anticipation. Since that opening salvo, we were bombarded with a steady stream of marketing content, from tie-in comic books to a toy launch event that was treated as a national holiday, and more. Anticipation for a new "Star Wars" film could not have been higher going into its release, but what did all of that marketing really tell us about the film itself?<br />
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The answer is "not much." People knew what it was called, knew who was in it, knew it had the words "Star Wars" in the title and very little else. So, why was the hype going into the release of the film so massive if people actually knew next to nothing about it, let alone whether or not it would be good? Because of the power of "anticipation" in action.<br />
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<b><u>Little By Little</u></b><br />
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When building anticipation for a product or service ahead of its release, the key is to understand just how powerful saying very little can actually be. You don't want a print marketing material to literally say "this is what this does and this is why you want it." Doing so removes the air of mystery from the proceedings, which is one of the key ingredients when building anticipation. You need to focus on core images or small facts that only hint at a much larger whole. You want people to say to themselves "I NEED to know more about what this is," because at that point you've got their attention. Once you have their attention, the actual product or service itself can help make sure that you never let go.<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>Focus On the Problem, Not the Solution</u></b><br />
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Say you had a product or service that made it easier for stay-at-home moms to get the kids off to school in the morning. If you wanted to build anticipation in your print marketing materials, you might focus on that particular problem above all else. The different waves of your campaign would be devoted to essentially confirming what they already know - "kids tend to not be cooperative in the morning, if only you had more hours in a day, it's difficult to manage your own schedule and theirs at the same time, etc." Then, you might tease with a bold statement like, "We're about to change all that. Stay tuned for more information," and continue to hit them with additional marketing materials in the run-up to the actual launch.<br />
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Not only have you appealed to their sentiments and hinted at how you're about to change their lives in an emotional way, but you've also begun to build anticipation at the same time. The great thing about anticipation is that it tends to snowball - if you can get a customer excited today, your focus can then become on KEEPING them excited, which is significantly easier and less time consuming than getting their attention in the first place.<br />
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Anticipation is one of the single best assets that you have in your quest to connect with your target audience in new and meaningful ways. If you can play the "anticipation game" in the right way, you won't have to worry about convincing people to engage with your product or service when it launches. They'll come directly to you - they practically won't be able to help themselves.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
Ph: 847.882.4020 Ext: 133<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-91354048294362721942016-03-07T09:53:00.001-06:002016-03-07T09:53:12.260-06:00Brand Awareness: Becoming Another Kleenex<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrCoj3K1RJsLktsUmUt6tmt6s25CH3N-_5TbrC1H8fogM9pwcojm-3uivZyudZIxV0gAUTsB0l07vxZ8E3NB5iTXrNeMllj9JWizwjiCFQxcsG8PVBaPm8nGu7DnHnOYZofcJn55dyeOE/s1600/pgp-blog-brand-awareness.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrCoj3K1RJsLktsUmUt6tmt6s25CH3N-_5TbrC1H8fogM9pwcojm-3uivZyudZIxV0gAUTsB0l07vxZ8E3NB5iTXrNeMllj9JWizwjiCFQxcsG8PVBaPm8nGu7DnHnOYZofcJn55dyeOE/s400/pgp-blog-brand-awareness.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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In today's world of marketing, if you are not marketing online, you are missing a very big boat. Marketing is now a science with logistics and parameters that were largely unheard of just a few years ago. However, that is not the case with the notion of brand awareness. The auto industry was probably the biggest contributor to the idea that brand loyalty could be utilized to sell more products. That industry is over 120 years old, and brand awareness became a fashionable tool in marketing automobiles by the early 1900s.</div>
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Brand awareness, of course, is the extent to which a name, label, logo, catch phrase, jingle, or another identifier that is associated with a brand, a specific product, or a company is easily recognized by customers. Brand awareness may be old news, but the Internet has taken the concept to new heights, becoming far more measurable and quantifiable as part of an overall marketing strategy. </div>
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There are many examples of successful brand awareness implementation. It has always been primarily produced by effective advertising. The most dramatically successful advertising campaign is the one where your product becomes synonymous with the product category. <b>For many years now, a facial tissue has been called a Kleenex regardless of what actual brand was used.</b> This is the same result we see when some people refer to any sport-utility vehicle as a Jeep and any cola drink as a Coke.</div>
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The objective in advertising or any brand awareness marketing endeavor is not simply to get your product name or image in front of the consumer. <b>It is to get the <u>image</u> into the mind of that consumer</b>, so when the buying customer wants a product, he or she wants your product before that of any competitors. Repetitious advertising creates a memory trace that remains and is reinforced with every additional occurrence. Think of mayonnaise, hot dogs, ketchup, beer, and coffee. The odds are pretty good that in each case you thought of a specific brand. It is no coincidence that the biggest selling brands are also among those most heavily advertised in various media.</div>
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While a successful advertising campaign can create solid brand awareness, a limiting or cessation of advertising can erase the gains in a remarkably short time. Forty years ago, a steel wool soap pad was known as a Brillo Pad. Today, SOS brand is the big seller. Brillo sometimes doesn't even get any shelf space, and we must ask when was the last time you saw an ad for Brillo scouring pads? The manufacturer failed to maintain the brand awareness level they had established. A massive advertising campaign by the manufacturers of SOS soap pads was the driving force that changed the landscape.</div>
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<b>Advertising remains key to this process</b>, and today the most critical medium for reaching the customer is the Internet. No other medium offers such widespread advantages in both reach and monitoring capacity. With the Internet, you can track how many times your ad has been viewed and how many times it has been clicked on. </div>
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Furthermore, social media and blogging have opened up new avenues for tracking your brand's impact. Programs exist that can tell you how many times your brand has been searched for by a search engine. Others can reveal how many times it has been mentioned in a blog anywhere on the World Wide Web. These "mentions" can be even more critical to brand awareness than page views or clicks because each one may represent an impartial testimony to your product. Even negative discussion tends to reinforce brand awareness. <b>The old saying applies: There is no such thing as bad publicity. </b></div>
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Establish it, reinforce it, and nurture it. Brand awareness can make the difference for you in becoming another brand like Kleenex.</div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
Ph: 847.882.4020 Ext: 133<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-2331206229554160142016-01-04T14:50:00.004-06:002016-01-04T14:50:57.565-06:00Are You Diluting Your Own Marketing Message?<h4 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></h4>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Regarding the marketing materials that you're putting out into the world, the most important aspect is your
message. The flashiest, best-looking print mailer, banner, booth, etc., doesn't mean a thing without a clear, concise message to back it up. Take a step back and examine whether or not you are, in fact, diluting your
own message in your marketing materials. Ask yourself these simple questions.<br /><b><br /><i>Are You Overloading the Audience?</i></b><br /><br />Graphics,
interesting font choices, and other elements can all be great tools to help get your
message across-- but they should be complimentary to your message.
Every element that you use in your materials that is not contributing to your
message is taking away from it. If your materials have "a lot of style, very little substance" (i.e., tons of bright colors, flashy logos, images, etc.), you could actually be sabotaging your own efforts. Start designing your materials with your
message in mind and <i>then </i>lay everything else around it. Don't start with a cool design and then try to make your message fit into it. <br /><br /><b><i>How Long Does it Take to Discover Your
Message?</i></b><br /><br />In order to achieve maximum effectiveness, your
message needs to be as simple as possible. "This company is the one you can
trust." "This product can solve your problems." "This service will make your life easier." These are overly simplified examples of marketing messages that can be identified and absorbed quickly and
easily. If it takes longer than 30 seconds for your target audience to realize
what you're trying to say, you've probably already lost them. <br /><br /><i><b>Do You Have Enough White
Space?</b></i><br />White space can be a graphic designer's best friend. People don't want
to read a wall of text to find out what you're trying to say-- they want to be
spoken to directly and succinctly. If brevity is the soul of wit, white space is
the soul of a marketing message. Whatever you're trying to say, you can probably say it more concisely than you initially want to.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br />Anything
that isn't directly contributing to your marketing message is actually taking attention away from it. People shouldn't have to work to figure out what you're
trying to say-- it should be immediately clear. Keep these simple, yet effective tips
in mind, and you'll be in a better position to make a connection with
your target audience.</span></div>
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Founder/CEO</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2160 Stonington Avenue</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hoffman Estates, IL 60169</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">847.882.4020 Ext: 133</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Printing, Marketing, Tradeshow Displays & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.</span></span>Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-5844562908630441012015-12-18T14:27:00.000-06:002015-12-18T14:45:20.415-06:00Four Simple Rules In Designing Graphics for Trade ShowsNot all graphic design is created equal. For example, the same rules don't apply to both brochures and print ads. Each of these marketing tools has a different purpose and is aimed at an audience with different levels of interest. The ad has to hook the audience quickly, while the brochure audience has a higher stake in your product or service.<br />
<br />
The same is true for expo designs. Your booth has to stand out among hundreds of others on a crowded trade show floor. Therefore, you have to attract attention quickly and try to hold that attention. Think billboard, not brochure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHWFNtsm0u5QUvuqDbwG6ukfejop_K_FdNLZ8BHtw8tFL3Z6Lv-aVIFAmlOXHKpDPINOp7VwxwRQMFSbg4CZ8ntka5F4luCLJRYxAiQdAS2NLl8OJ9bc8QHgdnc07hfDPIA7ttm_ijTeU/s1600/bgcolors1536-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHWFNtsm0u5QUvuqDbwG6ukfejop_K_FdNLZ8BHtw8tFL3Z6Lv-aVIFAmlOXHKpDPINOp7VwxwRQMFSbg4CZ8ntka5F4luCLJRYxAiQdAS2NLl8OJ9bc8QHgdnc07hfDPIA7ttm_ijTeU/s200/bgcolors1536-6.jpg" width="195" /></a>Color Forms</h2>
It can be argued that color is the most important detail of trade show display
graphics. Colors have a wonderful way of establishing
the mood of a particular space. Vivid and lively colors can inspire
verse and song, while drab and dull colors can dampen even the highest
of spirits. Attendees at a trade show will make subconscious assumptions
about a booth based on color. Your color scheme should reflect your brand, but
you also want it to be inviting. Use colors and color combinations to make
the biggest visual impact while maintaining a professional appearance. Incorporate a color <u>not</u> used by your competitors. <br />
<br />
<h2>
Word Up</h2>
When designing text in with your graphics, we stand by three simple rules. 1) Select a font that is easy to read. 2) Use a color that helps your copy stand out from the background. 3) keep the copy to a minimum. i.e., think billboard, not brochure. Your objective is to get attention, not tell your entire company story.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-7MT3CvtpnHqL5rebaSYTrVneQhX5NZ58kZ69BjlCmm3BBpk7GGuhQb3ovhvujl1paAC8Oqw5HrJCZtySKGvDjlmIIF217ibfDnqGS5OseSH13IgCKtpj80UOTufGvd3estxzD7eCzi6/s1600/square-wheels1-460x246.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-7MT3CvtpnHqL5rebaSYTrVneQhX5NZ58kZ69BjlCmm3BBpk7GGuhQb3ovhvujl1paAC8Oqw5HrJCZtySKGvDjlmIIF217ibfDnqGS5OseSH13IgCKtpj80UOTufGvd3estxzD7eCzi6/s320/square-wheels1-460x246.png" width="320" /></a>Form Follows Function</div>
</h2>
As with all graphic design, when
laying out your trade show displays, consider balance and proportion of the overall composition. Consider where
you want visitors' eyes to go when they view your display. Graphics tell a story, so help people follow a flow that enables them to experience the full impact of the design. Also, remember the scale of the finished product. A photo that looks great on your website or in your brochure may not be large enough to use for an eight-foot display.<br />
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<h2>
Let There Be Light</h2>
You
want your graphics to be seen by as many people as possible right? Make
sure your graphics are well-lit with quality display lighting
that enhances the imagery and messaging of your graphics. In fact, lighting and color are extremely similar because they both
have an impact on mood, draw attention to your space and-- if they are
poorly executed-- they will convey the wrong message to attendees.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
Ph: 847.882.4020 Ext: 133<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-1698782927753764572015-12-08T11:22:00.000-06:002015-12-08T11:23:15.099-06:00The Quest for Quality Content in eMarketing <br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In maintaining your Internet presence, most businesses are perpetually in
search of relevant, high-quality content. Good content accomplishes a number of different goals. It
allows you to maintain an active presence on the web, to engage with your
target audience, and to establish yourself as a thought leader in your
industry. It also happens to be integral to your strategy
as time goes on. Here's how.</span></div>
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</span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Google of it All</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
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One of the major reasons why high-quality content is so important to your
website, your blog, and your social media presence has to do with Google. Currently, Google
is the preeminent way of getting recognized by
your target audience in the digital age. If your blog appears at or near the top of
the search results for relevant keywords, you can expect a huge boost in
visitors (and hopefully revenue) as a result. Therefore, quality
content is important for one simple reason: Google thinks it is. </span></div>
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</span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How
High-Quality Content Ultimately Benefits You</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
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Even going beyond website traffic, the quest for quality content is
one that ultimately benefits your business in several ways.
For starters, it forces you to stop thinking of your website visitors as "users"
and to start thinking of them as <b>real people</b>. This is a great approach,
as it puts you in a better position to connect with them in a meaningful way
and to form a meaningful, loyal bond in return.<br />
<br />
Secondly, striving to generate quality content online is a great
approach for the offline world, too. If you use the same
practices when generating offline content that you do for your online content-- <u>an emphasis on readable, relevant, and interesting materials</u>-- you can form
the same meaningful connection with those you're targeting via direct mail and
other materials as you do with Internet users (who are real people).<br />
<br />
Ultimately, however, the quest for high-quality content means one thing:
everybody wins. You aren't "faking your way" into the position of a
thought leader in your industry. You aren't "tricking" your customers
into thinking you know more than you really do. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You ARE a thought leader in the industry and you ARE a voice to be listened to.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEbYkCcbxCJNZXCSuwGyKHsgqht48i75EKce52asFtUXcYx6fcqoH8NUW0KHQINmjj9yABLUf0R1tc9cm2RzqZhMVh9ARBuOLYkmZFxXp32mxodWQ1oz-BgBQHMPn7JNW7GA6w7QDBfY_/s1600/ContentGoogle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEbYkCcbxCJNZXCSuwGyKHsgqht48i75EKce52asFtUXcYx6fcqoH8NUW0KHQINmjj9yABLUf0R1tc9cm2RzqZhMVh9ARBuOLYkmZFxXp32mxodWQ1oz-BgBQHMPn7JNW7GA6w7QDBfY_/s320/ContentGoogle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Google and others in the online community that emphasize high-quality content are
essentially performing the biggest magic trick of all-- they're slowly forcing
businesses in all industries to become better at what they do on a daily basis. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
Ph: 847.882.4020 Ext: 133<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-729216287875309632015-12-02T10:33:00.002-06:002015-12-02T10:33:49.691-06:00Buyer Personas: What They Are and Why You Need Them<br /><div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">In
marketing, one must focus in order to run a successful campaign. You can't please everyone, so focus on creating the right message and using the right delivery
channels. <i><b>Buyer personas </b></i>allow you to do just
that in many beneficial ways.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /><br /><b>What is a Buyer Persona?</b><br /><br />In marketing
terminology, a <i><b>buyer persona </b></i>is essentially a person that doesn't exist. It's a fictional representation of the type of person who is most likely to buy your
product or service. Buyer personas are
created using as much actionable information about your ideal customer as
possible: How old are they? Where do they live? What types of products have they purchased in the past?
What do they like? What do they dislike?<br /><br />If you knew all of these answers about a real person, you'd have a pretty
vivid picture about his/her personality and how that person acts. You'd surely have an easier time talking to that person and relating to him or her
- which is what buyer personas are all about.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /><br /><b>Why Are
Buyer Personas Important?</b><br /><br />By creating a fictional representation of the
person who makes up your ideal customer, you always have something to refer to
when crafting your marketing materials. Say your business' buyer persona is Jane, a 35-year-old mother of two with a combined household income of
$150,000. Instead of "throwing everything at the wall and seeing
what sticks," you have something with which to compare
your </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">marketing campaigns</span>. How does your product or service fit into Jane's life? How
does it solve a problem that she has? How does it align with past purchases
she's made? The answers to these questions will drive your marketing decisions
moving forward. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /><br /><b>Crafting Buyer Personas</b><br />Creating a buyer persona
requires you to be both detailed and accurate. When you've
been in business for a long time, you have access to data from market research, current customers, and even your past customers. To a certain degree, this data should dictate the
buyer personas you create, which in turn, should dictate the direction of your
marketing. Are a significantly large number of your past satisfied customers men
between the ages of 18 and 34 who have no kids? Congratulations - you have the
basic framework to begin building a buyer persona. Any marketing technique that
isn't directly appealing to that specific type of person is one that you now
need to re-think.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdf8G6N_33BFAUD9Vxl2hyphenhyphenv13t_ZUOBVKLmaSuTkJDPj9aQGc7AwOKAWU9IPJCumby5fVhRz333BFLIoGzR-QtNVW88fQ6oa6eqa7rC5KFetuy1cnyV3D32CNDScoJh1yykCjUF9v5Yvk/s1600/focus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdf8G6N_33BFAUD9Vxl2hyphenhyphenv13t_ZUOBVKLmaSuTkJDPj9aQGc7AwOKAWU9IPJCumby5fVhRz333BFLIoGzR-QtNVW88fQ6oa6eqa7rC5KFetuy1cnyV3D32CNDScoJh1yykCjUF9v5Yvk/s320/focus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br />It's important</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">, however,</span> to not go "too far" when creating buyer
personas. If buyer personas are all about focus, having too many personas is a great way to instantly undo all of the benefits
that you've just worked so hard to build. Focus on a few core types
of customers and craft buyer personas for each; then compare every marketing
move that you make against the information you've compiled for guidance on what
to do next.</span></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
Ph: 847.882.4020 Ext: 133<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-58063420286528268582015-11-17T13:58:00.002-06:002015-11-17T13:58:57.924-06:00Millennials: How to Use Print to Captivate the Technology-Driven Generation<h4 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Officially,
a person is a millennial if they reached young adulthood sometime around the
year 2000. Also commonly referred to as Generation Y, these are people who are
just now becoming the age where they matter most -- at least as far as marketing
demographics are concerned. They're starting to break out on their own, live
their own lives, and spend money. Historically, they've also
been the most difficult to market to for one simple reason:
technology.<br /><br />Chances are, if you see someone who can't be
bothered to look up from their smartphone or tablet, you're looking at a millennial -- or at least a
stereotypical one. In reality, it's actually pretty straightforward to market to
millennials, as long as you go about it in the right way. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Be Relevant</span></strong><br /><br />The best way to market to millennials is the same way you market
to anyone -- by being as relevant as possible. Go out of your way to understand
Gen Y. Discover how they think and -- more importantly -- what they're
looking for. You can try all the flashy gimmicks you want or sink a huge amount
of time and effort into social networking and similar bits of technology in an
attempt to gain a foothold in this ever-important market, but none of it will
mean a thing if your message is completely irrelevant to the people you're
after.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIQdcfZ0LW1Y2O5DDFA6TvbnQhxiJLRKYNmhP6zI-ztegZFluSnNYybipuMgOq0khHHGXan7VJMn2yR-v3TpJqkC0GH9yN-_xZGbdIxXC_8QPgkvcRc8aPLGYMDPhJXOw_WsFQcTjcwiBC/s1600/direct-Mail-services.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIQdcfZ0LW1Y2O5DDFA6TvbnQhxiJLRKYNmhP6zI-ztegZFluSnNYybipuMgOq0khHHGXan7VJMn2yR-v3TpJqkC0GH9yN-_xZGbdIxXC_8QPgkvcRc8aPLGYMDPhJXOw_WsFQcTjcwiBC/s200/direct-Mail-services.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It's
Print's Time to Thrive</span></strong><br /><br />Print marketing is actually one of
the most powerful techniques you can use to attract the attention of the
millennial generation for a very simple reason: it's difficult to ignore.
Whereas baby boomers have decades of experience sifting through direct mail and
advertisements in general, it's still something unique to the younger
generation. This makes it more impactful, giving you a competitive advantage
over those who forgo this route.<br /><br />You can also make your print and digital
campaigns work together. Use a QR code on your direct mailers, for example, to
give millennials the opportunity to begin the conversation in print and finish
it online where they feel most comfortable. <br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Personality
Talks</span></strong><br /><br />Each new generation tends to be a little more
informal than the one before it, but not necessarily in the way you might think.
What this trend really means is that each new generation embraces a true sense
of personality more than the one before it. Millennials are after a sense of fun
and a company that represents a hipper image that they want to be part of. While
injecting as much personality as possible into your mailers might not work for
that 50-year-old housewife, it will absolutely capture the attention of a
millennial. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwVqyTKp7AM_z9w1lCDISyrg7Jlxmo_XR8aKVLOgOjdUSjficgcTUuVrK6tKt5sS6YYmb9hFWlHt9C3lYqrUIQWh7Ivmcx91zPiLLf44guNWRiQ8yS6GIKjrjBz3H8bIowWCK-8DnGXlt/s1600/_EBA1935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwVqyTKp7AM_z9w1lCDISyrg7Jlxmo_XR8aKVLOgOjdUSjficgcTUuVrK6tKt5sS6YYmb9hFWlHt9C3lYqrUIQWh7Ivmcx91zPiLLf44guNWRiQ8yS6GIKjrjBz3H8bIowWCK-8DnGXlt/s320/_EBA1935.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /><br />With each passing year, the millennial generation becomes
more and more important. They're already poised to overtake the baby boomer
generation in spending, sooner rather than later. By going after the millennial generation
now, you'll begin to amass an army of loyal followers ready to spend money on
your products or services for decades to come.</span></div>
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</div>
<b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
Ph: 847.882.4020 Ext: 133<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-3986606930350224412015-11-13T11:34:00.000-06:002015-11-13T11:34:08.471-06:00Rebranding and You<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Even
the strongest brands eventually go through some type of identity crisis.
Maybe the audience you've been targeting all these years no longer needs the
product or service you offer. Maybe you suffered a bit of a setback from a
public relations perspective and are looking for a way to start fresh.
Rebranding involves a whole lot more than just a fresh coat of paint-- it's about <u>getting rid</u> of the old to make way for the new
in the freshest and most impressive ways possible. If you're in the process of
rebranding or are even considering it, your marketing materials will play
an important role.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyF13DlG32ZHDEJuMEqwq1tK2DnGKi_LHCqX2TME90Ik9s7Xbr6ZfJx4F_s9VwgeXaeAMogsa62HQ8CgnRm8Hw3gourRivuGu_53oGbmJzj-6-ytYMXK4JvKqynw_AdNABWvRoF2xY1q6/s1600/rebranding.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyF13DlG32ZHDEJuMEqwq1tK2DnGKi_LHCqX2TME90Ik9s7Xbr6ZfJx4F_s9VwgeXaeAMogsa62HQ8CgnRm8Hw3gourRivuGu_53oGbmJzj-6-ytYMXK4JvKqynw_AdNABWvRoF2xY1q6/s1600/rebranding.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What is
Rebranding?</span></strong><br /><br />At its core, rebranding involves starting out
with a new marketing strategy that differentiates your current company identity
(or the one you hope to have) from the one you had in the past. A brand new
symbol, design, visual aesthetic, and even name can all be employed to help
accomplish this goal. <br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">How Can I
Rebrand?</span></strong><br /><br />To begin with, you must
first answer the question, "why are we doing this in the first place?" Once
you've come up with a concrete answer, you need to always keep that in mind as a
goal you hope to achieve. Your answer will dictate every decision you make from
here on out.<br /><br />Are you rebranding in an attempt to appeal to a wider
audience? Your marketing materials, the logo you're using, and your design
need to reflect that. Remember that your marketing materials were originally
created with your brand in mind -- every element, right down to the font being
used in direct mailers, was picked because it accurately reflected the brand you
were trying to present to the world at that given moment. If your brand is in
the process of changing, there is no element of your marketing too small that
won't need to change along with it.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeTSpfCBdLA_HTgoS7zsASr1AasuMfRxfsd_s67w2eiaH0zgq6E_iPhVqlaIxBgEzJF6gm4BFh_RvMDm2Vzlktsc5QWdFJCIUPAT9k82e_3yMpJ0dlo60jcTsnAaCrFxru_THzLs9NPh9/s1600/rebrand.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeTSpfCBdLA_HTgoS7zsASr1AasuMfRxfsd_s67w2eiaH0zgq6E_iPhVqlaIxBgEzJF6gm4BFh_RvMDm2Vzlktsc5QWdFJCIUPAT9k82e_3yMpJ0dlo60jcTsnAaCrFxru_THzLs9NPh9/s320/rebrand.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What Can Branding Do For
You?</span></strong><br /><br />If you want an example of exactly what a successful
rebranding campaign can do for your business, look no further than one of the
biggest companies on the face of the Earth: Apple. It's hard to remember a time
when Apple as a corporation was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. That period
wasn't too long ago, however, and Apple was indeed in dire straits as recently
as 1997. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjc3mN9Hf278h3O_eYcpuND6UM2MdmkeJr00zyDQ0q7195uPXCHG4gnRXP_W0EcdkJxBCivaOcHr5ASWowzRWDzWOltXmVxTcTeYUHWRLgLVp3ZoS6HjRPkNtqZx8TCg0xB5Jju1kHhdC/s1600/apple_logo_evolution.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjc3mN9Hf278h3O_eYcpuND6UM2MdmkeJr00zyDQ0q7195uPXCHG4gnRXP_W0EcdkJxBCivaOcHr5ASWowzRWDzWOltXmVxTcTeYUHWRLgLVp3ZoS6HjRPkNtqZx8TCg0xB5Jju1kHhdC/s640/apple_logo_evolution.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br />Their successful rebranding took the world by storm when they
went from "just another electronics company" that put out products many people
considered overpriced, to the hippest, most forward-thinking tech company
around. Apple's rebranding campaign got rid of all the complicated terminology
in favor of a simplistic campaign that reflected the products themselves. They
focused on rebranding themselves as a company that put out reliable and
endlessly classy products that "just worked" and have benefited handsomely from
that decision ever since.<br /><br />Look at rebranding for what it is: an
opportunity to start fresh. There's nothing wrong with rebranding -- it is not
an admission of failure or defeat. It's a true chance to reaffirm your corporate
identity with your goals and take the world by storm in a way more meaningful
and more impactful than ever before.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
847.882.4020 Ext: 133<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-90913887500143216192015-11-05T11:58:00.002-06:002015-11-05T11:58:35.894-06:00Do You Want to Drive James Bond's Car?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">From
the famous Aston Martin to the Bentley of <em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Casino Royale</span></em> to the Jaguar of <i>Spectre</i>, the cars of
James Bond are famous enough to warrant their own Wikipedia page. Many fans who
flock to the James Bond movies love salivating over these gorgeous cars and the
incredible gadgets they contain. Like everything else about James Bond, people love the cars for
their association with class, bravery, heroism, and the mysterious yet luxurious
life of the world's most famous (fictional) MI6 agent. <br /><br />Of course, the cars chosen for the James Bond
movies-- just like the conveniently placed Coca-Cola, Subway sandwich, or Apple
computer in your favorite movies and shows-- were not chosen by accident. It's
all a part of something called <i>product placement</i>, and brands will pay a
considerable amount of money to get their products featured in popular movies and
television time slots. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhteB2v-rKgAg6sA-f-Pu3fPolcXSm_z-l6PdGJ8ZmkiT6RL_OVAQG2DJO_8DsgEKOX7qsgcomYzQMat1tVqYXC0mdQmqM6ypwaWqSCj7Lysv3vtfiwNBIaIngUzwVB-WyyNKBtLp5cLptE/s1600/Spectre-Movie-Cars-Frankfurt-2015-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhteB2v-rKgAg6sA-f-Pu3fPolcXSm_z-l6PdGJ8ZmkiT6RL_OVAQG2DJO_8DsgEKOX7qsgcomYzQMat1tVqYXC0mdQmqM6ypwaWqSCj7Lysv3vtfiwNBIaIngUzwVB-WyyNKBtLp5cLptE/s320/Spectre-Movie-Cars-Frankfurt-2015-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Why Does Product Placement
Matter?</span></strong><br /><br />It's all a part of tapping into the consumer's
head in a process known as <i>the bandwagon effect</i>. According to the bandwagon
effect, when we see people we admire or members of a group we're a part of (or
want to be a part of) using a particular product, we want to use it, too. In
other words, when we see people on our favorite sitcom sitting down to enjoy a
Subway sandwich with an ice cold Coke, we want to do it too.
<br /><br />Tapping into this powerful phenomenon isn't reserved just for major
brands with seemingly limitless marketing budgets. Even smaller companies can
implement and reap the benefits of the bandwagon effect in their advertising.
Here are some great ways to get started:<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Reality Check</span></strong><br /><br />People enjoy feeling like part of a group. When
you use images of real customers using your products, along with some reviews
that use names (instead of just being anonymous), you help to build this type of
group-- <i>your </i>group. <br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Build a
Strong Social Network</span></strong><br /><br />People use social media to connect
with their friends and family members as well as the brands they enjoy. Building
a strong social network around a particular brand can help attract more people
to your business. As people participate in your conversations and 'like' your
products on Facebook, for instance, those activities will start to show up in
their friends' newsfeeds, introducing them to your brand. Similarly, if people
retweet you on Twitter or otherwise interact with your brand, they'll be
spreading your company's message. With the bandwagon effect, people will be
naturally drawn to the brands and interests of their friends.
<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Encourage Others
to Share </span></strong><br /><br />Encourage
people to share their experiences with your brand, particularly through social
media. Hold contests, and invite people to submit pictures of themselves using
your products or telling stories about their use of a service you provide. Such
interactions naturally help to promote positive experiences with your brand and
show the number of people who appreciate your company.<br /><br />Movies and
television are excellent platforms for brands looking to take advantage of the
bandwagon effect through product placement. If you want to see how well this
psychological phenomenon can work for you, consider using some of the above
techniques. Building a strong following around your brand is an excellent way to
grow any business.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB7PWz9IJ0TJIXEC3H3VC2mLDaYBAElJoA-KZqOuJaeuUMYApRNN9hDvfpXgWempExwGJMoNpmsRreOUg2occZxEZ9pw1SRDTM4jJ8en1RH76GmTAIyL4B09YLk_UCYobtHQQRKjUsiXr1/s1600/SITE-copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB7PWz9IJ0TJIXEC3H3VC2mLDaYBAElJoA-KZqOuJaeuUMYApRNN9hDvfpXgWempExwGJMoNpmsRreOUg2occZxEZ9pw1SRDTM4jJ8en1RH76GmTAIyL4B09YLk_UCYobtHQQRKjUsiXr1/s320/SITE-copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
Ph: 847.882.4020 Ext: 133<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.<br />
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Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4673280691300819917.post-58390606617227735692015-10-29T11:23:00.001-05:002015-10-29T11:23:07.543-05:00Integrating Social Media and Print: Leveraging the Best of Both Worlds to Your Advantage<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">It's no secret that social media is increasingly becoming one of the single
most important tools to connect with your target audience. After all, sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more have
hundreds of millions of unique users who are actively engaged in social
activities on a daily basis. It would be a shame to let such a valuable resource
go to waste.<br /><br />At the same time, you certainly don't want to neglect your
print campaign. It's still one of the most effective marketing weapons in your
arsenal-- and always will be. So how do you ensure you're paying proper attention
to both print and social media?</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Integrate social
media into your print campaign and leverage the benefits of both.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEima-vbz-jzfti13XpollO9pgqfHJZ6D7w0AnoEb4AXLkCLysZUHx-Tn8VAb-i3UkmWh5A5pejjZ4I98OVNTIpx1bzYa1-ZbnSQPj6YFluSjQe8J-fbAG7Auu0HP7Qr0hGuGLfPmavTt9uK/s1600/CallCardPic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEima-vbz-jzfti13XpollO9pgqfHJZ6D7w0AnoEb4AXLkCLysZUHx-Tn8VAb-i3UkmWh5A5pejjZ4I98OVNTIpx1bzYa1-ZbnSQPj6YFluSjQe8J-fbAG7Auu0HP7Qr0hGuGLfPmavTt9uK/s200/CallCardPic.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Grab
Attention and Refuse to Let it Go</span></strong><br /><br />In today's crowded
marketplace, the goal of any campaign is to grab the attention of prospective
customers. You aren't just trying to sell a product or service -- you're trying
to quickly show why your product or service is leaps and bounds ahead of the
rest.<br /><br />Integrating social media elements into your print campaigns is one
of the best ways to accomplish that. It allows you to get your message in front
of more people in the places they're most comfortable holding that
conversation.<br /><br />For example, consider the
hashtag. People use hashtags for everything from highlighting key words and
phrases in a post to finding trends, joining ongoing conversations, and adding a
definitive statement at the end of a sentence. By including a hashtag at the end
of your print mailer, you're giving your customers multiple options regarding
how they can join the conversation and communicate with your brand. If they'd
like to continue to learn more about your product or service via the hashtag,
they can always do so. If not, they can continue their exposure by way of the
print materials the same way they always have.<br /><br />In essence, you're giving
them interesting choices.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rg94mzl5Hu3Eex40onZXZR2SEcOlMwxaEYVhp13C5T124NvuJ4MYBwXwXP9VGE9XriSD2GEiRYRBSeAan_bdIDyb7uBWSC6J4fXfLhlHCwF4XBC6-T63Q5GWB-WTF1j2nQozAW7pcfEq/s1600/il_570xN.631069711_79vs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rg94mzl5Hu3Eex40onZXZR2SEcOlMwxaEYVhp13C5T124NvuJ4MYBwXwXP9VGE9XriSD2GEiRYRBSeAan_bdIDyb7uBWSC6J4fXfLhlHCwF4XBC6-T63Q5GWB-WTF1j2nQozAW7pcfEq/s200/il_570xN.631069711_79vs.jpg" width="159" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Tracking
Success</span></strong><br /><br />Integrating social media and print is also a
great, easy way to track the success of a particular campaign over a long-term
basis. Consider putting a unique hashtag on the end of each print piece you
mail. If messages with that hashtag are then re-tweeted 200,000 times on Twitter,
you know your message is being received loud and clear and that your target
audience is more than willing to continue the conversation
online.<br /><br />Digital and print marketing don't have to be independent of one
another. Anyone who tells you it's a "one or the other" proposition is wrong.
Print and digital are both great at accomplishing their own things, or even the
same things in different ways. By integrating social media and print together,
you're combining the benefits of both platforms into one environment and are
truly creating a "best of both worlds" scenario.</span></div>
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<b>Peter "The Printer" Lineal</b><br />
<i>Founder/CEO</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">Plum Grove</span></b><br />
2160 Stonington Avenue<br />
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169<br />
Ph: 847.882.4020 Ext: 133<br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.plumgroveprinters.com/">www.PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="mailto:peterl@plumgroveprinters.com?subject=Blog">PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com</a></span></b><br />
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Printing, Marketing, Promotional Products, and Tradeshow Displays with Powerful Execution.Peter "The Printer" Linealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159483031943904180noreply@blogger.com0