Every business should consider the importance of investing in printed marketing materials. Printed products act as a tangible marketing tool that if created effectively, can present your products and services in a professional manner. There are several types of printed materials you could invest in, including letterhead, brochures, newsletters, flyers, and more. The more platforms you have for reaching your target audience, the better your chances are of securing new business on a regular basis.
Doing it Right the First Time
First impressions are pertinent to a company’s reputation. Printed marketing materials act as a physical piece of information for consumers to learn more about your company, products, and/or services. Creating mediocre promotional pieces gives off the impression that your company’s products or services are also… well, mediocre.
Conducting market research prior to completing your designs for your printed materials is necessary. Your research should include an analysis of which promotional products will work best for your target audience. The idea is to reach the mass majority and thus create literature that appeals to their needs is essential. You will also want to research marketing materials used by competitors. See what works and what doesn’t work so that you can create marketing pieces that are unique and a step above the rest.
Designating a Team
With updates to new software, businesses can actually create their own designs, schemes, or concepts for their printed marketing materials. Unless you’re going to complete the design on your own, it is beneficial to enlist a few key members from your company to help in the planning and design process. When putting together a team, remember to select employees that are familiar with utilizing the appropriate software. You should also request the assistance of employees that have a creative eye (if you have an in house marketing team, they are probably your best bet for a team).
Graphic Design Basics
In order to make your printed materials stand out, you’re going to need to incorporate professional graphic design techniques. You can check social media sites such as Pinterest to find ideas and concepts for designs. Some fundamentals to keep in mind when selecting your designs are:
- Keep your designs professional
- Make sure any graphics use relate in some way to your company
- Leave some white space to make it easy on the eyes
- Don’t load too much information
- Be sure to clearly print your company’s contact information
Invest in Quality Photos
Want to add images to your printed marketing materials? Maybe you want to add a photo of your office building, or you want your employees to add their photos to their business cards? Whatever types of images you intend to use be sure that the photos are of high quality. In order for your printed materials to come out crisp and professional, you need pictures that are not blurry, distorted, or hard to make out. This confuses the reader and essentially gives off a negative first impression.
Getting Your Materials Printed
Once your team has come up with a concept that you like, you’ll need to locate a printing service to produce the materials. When printing in large numbers, it is recommended that you don’t utilize your own printers. There are plenty of online printing services that will allow you to upload your designs and receive your marketing materials in the mail. Finding companies that offer cheap custom brochure printing online will require you to do a bit of homework.
- Check out customer reviews
- Find out how long they’ve been in business
- Ask to see their portfolio or samples of print jobs they’ve completed
- Ask about confidentiality
- Ask about turnaround time (you don’t want to have to wait forever for your marketing materials)
Once you’ve received your materials, be sure to go over them with a fine tooth comb to ensure that they are of the best quality. Also check to see that the information printed on them is accurate before you begin handing them out. After inspecting them you can begin promoting your products or services wherever you go. Whether you’re going to a conference, trade show, or local community event, you’ll have the means to spread the word to those in need.
Photo credit: Behance
