Long regarded as a print buyer expert and trade writer, Margie Dana launched a new business as a marketing communications strategist with a specialty in printing and print buying. She is as comfortable working in social media as she is in traditional media, and now she’s on a mission to help clients build customer communities through carefully crafted content. Dana was the producer of the annual Print & Media Conference.
Although she has exited the event business, Dana is still publishing her Print Tips newsletter each week. For more details and to sign up for her newsletter and marketing blog, visit www.margiedana.com
Almost exclusively, my clients are in the printing industry. When I ask a new client what makes his or her commercial print company special, I hear “Service” a lot. They say this with conviction. But there’s some bristling when I question them on what exactly they mean. I can’t help it; I hear it all the time.
With an email management provider distributing your e-newsletters, you get access to valuable reports.
Print customer testimonials are valuable. I sure hope most print reps actively ask for them. Maybe this post will convince the naysayers. Third-party recommendations are more persuasive than anything you could say about yourself. Think about how you feel about a press release that’s issued by the featured company or individual — of course it's a glowing review. That's the name of the PR game!
Your online image is crucial, and as time passes, it will become more important. It's easy to spot a printer's site that's been neglected. A few telltale signs pop up, like the following nine examples.
Print customers evaluate printers by something intangible and quite impossible to quantify: the perceived value you provide them.
Some print customers will respond to direct mail pieces that introduce your company to them. And some print customers will not.
