It’s never been more critical for your company to have a competitive advantage. Despite the pandemic, or perhaps because of it, more new businesses started in 2020 than ever before. Finding a unique selling proposition within a crowded space can be a challenge. Competing solely on price can be a losing battle. Instead, a winning strategy is focusing on the customer relationship and delivering a meaningful, personalized relationship.
High-quality commercial printing is an essential part of the customer relationship, providing more opportunities, improving customer retention, and delivering higher revenues. Here are the top five ways that printing benefits businesses of all sizes.
#1 Build Your Brand with High-Quality Printing
There’s a reason why you wouldn’t show up for a client meeting looking like you just rolled out of bed — appearance matters, especially when it comes to securing new customers and keeping current clients happy. You want to look like you mean business and your sales and marketing materials play a huge role in customer perception.
Consistent branding across a wide range of channels makes your brand recognizable — and with the right marketing mix — can make even a small business seem large. Printed materials are an excellent way to share your company’s brand personality and reinforce your brand promise, whether used for prospecting, inspiring action, fulfilling online orders, or at your stores.
The quality of your printing underscores the quality of your brand. If your printed materials are impeccable, people will think the same about your company and its products. But if the color is off on your business card or the folds aren’t quite right on your product brochure, people might wonder if your company’s standards are high enough.
Sometimes the stakes are even higher: If your printed materials are intended to represent the true color of your products, poor color control can result in fewer sales and more returns.
#2 Boost Sales with Materials that Inspire Action
Where would we be without that direct mail piece reminding us it’s time to get the oil changed in your car? Or that brochure of the snazzy product we’re considering buying. And, who doesn’t like a coupon for 20% off our next purchase?
When you provide customers a reminder or incentive to visit or return to your business, everyone benefits! Using printing as part of your COVID-19 business recovery plan can help you attract customers to your reopened business. Coupons and special promotions can increase foot traffic and repeat business, helping you get back to normal more quickly.
Tangible leave-behinds keep your brand top of mind for customers — useful items such as calendars, notepads, and membership cards remain atop counters, on walls, and in wallets all year round. These items reinforce the value of your brand, generate repeat visits and boost sales.
#3 Cut Through The Digital Clutter
Your clients are constantly bombarded with digital marketing messages. Print can help you cut through the clutter simply because it’s different. The truth is that messages in physical mailboxes have much less competition than those in electronic mailboxes. Each week, the average American receives 605 emails but just 16.8 pieces of mail.
So, it’s no wonder why there is such a difference in response rates for direct mail (5.3%) and email (0.6%) digital channels. Direct mail can drastically improve business outcomes and has a median ROI of 29%.
That’s not to downplay the value of email marketing. The more channels you include in your marketing mix, the better. Benefits of combining digital marketing and direct mail include 68% higher website visits and a 39% increase in foot traffic. For large-ticket items, direct mail and other print tactics can be especially powerful as it can take up to eight touches to make a sale.
#4 Increase Engagement with a Personalized Customer Experience
Each of your customers is uniquely valuable to your business. Using the power of personalization, you can underscore your appreciation and show that you know their preferences.
A personalized customer experience starts with your company’s customer service but extends to every brand interaction a person has with your organization. The best practice is an integrated marketing communication plan that delivers a consistent experience across channels — in person, online, or in print.
Are you looking for a distinctive way to scale a personalized experience? Digital printing allows you to cost-effectively alter the messaging and the images for every mail piece so you can deliver precisely the right message to each and every prospect or customer.
Another way to use print to make customers feel special? Consider adding a personalized note during the pick-and-pack process to thank them for the order, offer product suggestions, or provide tips for product use.
#5 Save Time and Money
Of course, printing is not solely the domain of commercial printers. Indeed, you can print hundreds of copies of marketing collateral from your office printer and assemble all the necessary sheets into folders before sending them out to prospects. The quality won’t compare to that of professional printing and kitting, affecting how customers perceive your brand.
But what if you’re on a budget? It turns out that a do-it-yourself approach can cost more than you think. There’s the cost of printer toner — something that’s not cheap — and the value of the time you or your employees spend printing and assembling materials.
Often there is a more cost-effective approach to printing, assembling, and mailing materials to clients and prospects — especially when working with a partner that offers a broad range of services, including digital and offset printing, large format, kitting and fulfillment.
Top Reasons to Choose a Top Commercial Printer
Print is a powerful way to connect with your customers. With the right print partner, businesses of all sizes will discover significant benefits. Contact us to learn how print can be a competitive advantage for your business.
