Bartleby Press

Bartleby Press

Friday, July 26, 2013

Getting the most from Your Printing Service


The design process. 
In most cases an experienced graphic designer can save you money and time so you can do what you do best—sell your product or service! On the other hand, mapping your message and targeting your brand may require extensive research.

If you do know your audience and have your message there are three approaches; Do it yourself, hire a graphic designer or ask your printing service. Today, most printing services have positioned themselves with designers to help customers who have small budgets to assemble flyers, post cards or a direct mail piece. It may be as simple as sending your document and ideas and a proof will be returned.

Getting price quotes or uploading files are offered 24/7. You can easily manage your project anytime and from anywhere. Whether you want to get brochures printed for your event in another state, or want some thing printed while you are on vacation, with a local printing services, distance is not an issue.

The convenience of printing online is great but a partnership with a print service and verbal communication remains the ultimate confirmation that the job is on track and reduces costs due to miscommunication.

To learn more about how we can help you improve the way you print your marketing material through our Austin printing service visit Bartleby Press or call (we still answer the phone) 512/452-3413

About the Author: Thomas Miner is president of Bartleby Press an Austin printing Service.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Keeping Print in the Mix


As more marketers and businesses turn to alternative media in lieu of print for their business communications needs, they often miss an opportunity to improve the customer experience when they leave print out of the mix.

Integrated marketing uses a number of touch points to get the marketer’s message across in the most effective manner, and print can be effectively used as one of those touch points.

Perhaps the campaign starts with an email that encourages interested recipients to visit a personalized URL. This can go to thousands, even millions, of recipients. When interested recipients visit their personalized URL, the marketer will use an attractive offer to get recipients to provide more information about them. This allows the marketer to update their databases with more information, and more finely tune their communications to specific individuals or groups.

To keep the dialog going, a high-quality versioned postcard can be mailed to these qualified segments with yet another offer or additional information that the recipient will find of value. This way, the business is using the less expensive email medium to narrow the field, and investing in high quality print for those who are likely to become sources of revenue.

Email---website offer to collect information---fine tune content---postcard offer to qualified buyers

Thomas Miner

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

How to stay motivated


Every Tuesday morning I meet with a group of business people for breakfast. It is designed to be a networking group but unlike a lot of the networking groups this one is more than an obligatory referral service. It has become a mentoring session.

Most successful business owners that I have met have confidential mentoring. Usually this is a collection of friends or family that share their knowledgeable on subjects that matter. This morning I was once again reminded how valuable these intimate conversations are…they inspire.

Today one of our colleagues was interested in how we keep our battery charged. Staying motivated is essential to our success not only for us as individuals but also for our employees. The question revolved around the table each from their perspective adding to a list that one could ruminate and visit on a regular basis.

One such suggestion came from a franchise owner that relies on the marketing services to execute a plan that will generate new leads–qualified leads. Having marketing plan and sticking to it takes the work out of sales.  Investing in traditional, proven strategies like direct mail and combining them with social media and IT solutions are practicable in pursuit of new business. We now live in a real-time-need environment and can listen to conversations about your service and knowing when a person is ready to buy is paramount. Establishing metrics to measure growth and ROI go without saying.

And when those leads dry up going back to your loyal customers and visit with them about your service. You might find out how to improve your customer satisfaction and ask for a referral. Meeting with satisfied customers reminds you that you are doing a good job and that in itself can pick up spirits and drive you forward when the leads are slowing down. Fulfilling a customer need is what drives sales.

Another emphasized the need to stay connected to people with involvement with community service and social meetings where a new introduction could be a new customer.

One last and important focus was suggested to be holistic centered. Whatever your livelihood is your personal happiness and well-being is necessary. Having little distractions in our personal lives and removing the negatives inspires us. And everyone likes to do business with a positive, blissful person.

Thomas Miner is President of Bartleby Press