If there is anything we can learn from the marketing trends of 2014 and 2015 is that print marketing is making a huge comeback. Once written off as a thing of the past, print and direct mail marketing is now being rediscovered as businesses look for new ways to build relationships.

A direct mail postcard is powerful tool used by businesses both small and large to engage customers and clients. Here are just some of the ways a postcard can work for you:

•      Reactivate or reconnect with inactive customers
•      Promote a new product or service
•      Upsell your existing customers
•      Drive traffic to your website
•      Personal thank you for business
•      Invitation to upcoming webinar or seminar
•      Appointment reminders
•      Announce a special offer or sale

What Does an Effective Postcard Look Like?

Postcards can be one of the most valuable promotional tools you use to boost your sales and generate new customers. The trick is in the design. To be effective, a postcard should be visually appealing and convey the right information with brevity.

Effective postcards use bold and bright colors to stand out among in the piles of mail they will be surrounded by. Use easy to read fonts that are clear and to the point. Avoid over-crowding your postcard with frivolous and tedious information that detracts from the main message.

It’s important that before you begin to design your postcard, you have a clear idea of what your message will be. What you want to avoid is a card that contains so much information that it is overwhelming and easily tossed in the trash. Decide on what the clear message of your postcard is and then begin the design process.

Printing Matters

Here’s one thing more…if you’re going to go through the trouble to create and design an effective postcard that is eye-catching and conveys your message clearly, be sure to have it printed by someone who knows what they are doing! The last thing you want is to lose all the momentum of your postcard by choosing to skimp on the printing costs.

Talk to us first and let us give you some tips and ideas to focus on for your specific postcard strategy. Not only can we provide high quality printing, but also design and content help as well.

BONUS: 2015 Print Trends

Call Printing Solutions for help on your next direct-mail postcard campaign at 480-596-6300.

The post Leverage Postcards To Build Business Relationships appeared first on Printing Solutions.

Postcards can be used as more than just a means of communication. Just ask Andrea Rees of Toronto, Canada, the woman behind South Africa’s new empowerment project. Rees is a professional photographer and  the creator of The Heart of a Woman Project, a mobile photography initiative designed to provide a source of economic relief and encouragement to women in poverty. After traveling to Makhaza, Khayelitsha, and connecting with the artwork created by the local women there, Rees decide she had to help.

Specifically, Rees created a two-week boot camp training session on photography and social networking for a select number of women in that area. Today, seven of these women are putting what Rees taught them to use, and making a living out of it. Equipped with iPhones, the women take to the streets to capture whatever they find beautiful or interesting. Then, they sell their pictures as postcards. Money from the sale of these postcards help the women provide for their families. It is both art and income.

While you may not have the photography skills of these women, you can still create one-of-a-kind postcards of your very own. Challenge yourself to create a unique design or employ our local design team to do it for you. Let The HeART of a Woman Project inspire you both on an artistic level and a social level. Who knows what kind of wonderful things you’ll end up creating!

The post Postcards With a Social Edge appeared first on Printing Solutions.

1. Full-color postcards have a low cost to produce including design, printing and mailing services.
2. They are versatile enough to use to solicit repeat business or to generate new sales during the same campaign.
3. Their small size allows them to be easily carried in customers’ pocketbooks, day planners or even displayed on a refrigerator or bulletin board.
4. Since no envelopes are required for their distribution, a great design makes it easier to grab the audience attention.
5. Results can be tracked more efficiently by enticing customers to present the postcards for prizes or discounts.

Before you begin your postcard advertising campaign, you will need to think about several things so that you can maximize the effectiveness of your project. First and foremost, you will need to determine who you will target for your mailing.

– Will it be your own mailing list of prospects and customers?
– Customers of non-competing businesses with similar demographics.
– A purchased list of prospects that are interested in the services you offer.
– Or simply those that live in a geographic area that you’d like to sell to.

Once your target audience is determined, there are a couple of different approaches that you can follow when designing the postcard itself. Some experts recommend a postcard that looks like a personal card from a friend is the best way to get the recipients’ interest. A friendly message will produce a positive emotional reaction instead of the negative one that many people feel regarding advertising in general. Others suggest thinking of your postcard as a mini-billboard that grabs attention and would even be saved and stuck on a bulletin board or fridge is the ideal method. Some prospects will follow up right away, while others may hang onto the card for a while and call when they need your product or service. In either scenario, using an obvious, easy to follow “Call to Action” is essential.

Since postcards have limited space, it’s best to highlight your strongest selling points. Get right to the point quickly. If the message is brief and concise, it is more likely to be read at a glance. It is best not to provide a detailed sales pitch, but rather give an overview of the benefits of doing business with you instead. Once you have their attention, then use the remainder of the card to provide motivation for the reader to get more information – for example your website or business phone number. This will encourage inquiries from interested recipients who will want more information on your business. Make sure your message can be seen and read quickly – you have a limited time to engage the reader as they flip through their mail.

The post Postcards For All Mankind appeared first on Printing Solutions.

Market & Build Your Brand

Marketing and building your business brand are key components to any company’s success. Whether you’re just introducing a new business or continuing an established one, it is imperative that your ads, promotions and company presence are displayed properly and for the right price. They need to reach the desired target market and provide the high-impact that will make customers choose you instead of the competition. The key is to find out what kind of marketing works best for your target audience. There are many advertising options available in today’s increasingly paperless world. The internet has made life easier and more accessible for marketers and advertisers.

One great way to save some money and get more bang for your buck is to look for value based specials on some of the print products you would normally purchase anyway. Timing is key to finding those deals. That’s why Printing Solutions is offering several such specials to help make your decision just a little easier. For the month of January we are combining some of our top products. These products include custom business cards, full color postcards, dynamic brochures and the always popular door hangers. Get $25 off packages when purchased together. These packages represent a great way for you to rejuvenate your branding efforts early in the year and maximize your potential to capitalize on the market.

Keep Up With Marketing & Design Trends

Another big factor in achieving company success is keeping up with market trends. It’s true that business cards, postcards and door hangers may represent the “tried and true” methods of print marketing. Many experts are now predicting that “Print is dead”. This is due to the rise of other tech savvy ways of spreading your message. At Printing Solutions, we would like to assure you that this is absolutely not the case. While it’s true that mobile marketing is on the rise and it has become a necessity to have a Facebook, Twitter and web presence. The most important facet of communication still remains the one that ultimately connects with the customer.

We believe that a printed brochure with a great design that actually says something relevant and helps to create a customized, personal interaction can be just as effective as social media. In other words it’s the content of the message that is most important, not the medium in which it is displayed. Remember, the simple business card is still one of the most powerful marketing tools. Therefore, your budget for 2014 should allow for a reprint of your business cards to make a subtle change to the appearance or feel of your card. It just may be exactly what the doctor ordered to make that perfect first impression.

Include Print & Referrals

Be sure to include a variety of traditional printed materials into your spending plan. You will gain the ability to promote your business on many levels. One should never underestimate the power of a well designed, custom door hanger, a full-color postcard or a dynamic, silk laminated business card. In fact, many companies focusing their marketing online. In addition to including online marketing in your advertising budget, you should also allocate a significant amount for print advertising as well. We offer many high quality products that will fit nicely into any budget. We also have the know-how to help you achieve your goal to ensure that your name reaches the market quickly and efficiently.

Word of mouth is always going to be your best advertising tool. Don’t be afraid to invest in some amazing design. That will get people to notice, remember and talk your company. And then tell them where you found that design. Every business loves a referral.

Need Help Achieving Success?

The combination of design and product will help you create a brand for your company. This is a crucial step to constructing the credibility, value, and personality associated with your business. The team at Printing Solutions can offer all of the above and more. From our great printing packages to valuable marketing advice and creative design skills.

The post Planning For Success With Printing appeared first on Printing Solutions.

The full version of this blog post can be found on the AbsolutePetCareAz blog

The Holidays can be an amazing time of year. Many people have their own holiday traditions which can be fun for everyone. It can also be a very busy time of year. People are usually coming and going. Holiday shopping, grocery shopping for Holiday meals, getting together with friends, booking travel arrangements to visit friends and family … Sometimes it may seem like your head spins until mid-January.

However, one thing we don’t want to take for granted or neglect, is our pets. One of the most important things in your life. People can easily become preoccupied with so many things during the holidays, making it easy to forget the daily responsibility of our most dependent family members, our pets.

One of the most important things for our pets is their daily routine. Dogs are creatures of habit. Most like to have their routine; regular scheduled times for feeding, walking, cuddling, playing, etc. Increased activity and visitors can easily upset your pet’s routine, so try to keep their schedule as consistent as possible. This can be a very trying time for them as well, so it’s important to give that extra love when you have a minute.

Not to dwell on the negative, but I will list a few of the dangers regarding your pets and the holidays. What is the saying? ”An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” I’m not sure that pertains to this subject, but we can never be too careful when it comes to our pets.

Your pets diet:

Your pet’s diet is extremely important to their health. Yes, we all enjoy the delicious food during the holidays. But please, don’t offer it to your pets. Our bodies can barely handle what we’re putting into them, and their little bodies aren’t made to digest all of the rich turkey, stuffing, and the seasonings commonly found in holiday foods. So please, DON’T. Especially refrain from giving the dogs bones. Poultry bones splinter easily. No one wants an emergency trip to the vet. Also, it’s important to communicate to everyone that your pet is not allowed to have any of the human food. While cooking, you may need to designate your pets to another area of the house to make sure they don’t find any dropped food.

Traveling with your pets:

Yes, our pets are dear family members, but not everyone welcomes them like we do. Traveling can add serious stress to their little bodies. Make sure that if you are traveling for the holidays, have a reputable pet sitter who will be caring for your pets and home while you are away. This is the busiest time of year for professional pet sitters, so please make sure you register and book your reservations as early as possible.

Plants:

Many plants associated with the holidays may be toxic to pets. I’ll just run through a list here:
– Ivy
– Holly
– Mistletoe
– Balsam
– Juniper
– Pine
– Fir
– Cedar
– Poinsettias

Holiday Dangers:

Tree ornaments should have metal hooks replaced with tightly knotted ribbons, yarn or twine.

Yes, bows and ribbons may look cute when tied around a pet’s neck, but please refrain from doing so. Pets can choke or even hang themselves if the ribbon is caught on an object.

Keep your pets from drinking tree water. If possible, immediately build a barrier using wrapped gifts in order to prevent your pets from drinking up the tree water.

Hang your tree ornaments higher to avoid being attracted by pets. Avoid tinsel. It isn’t toxic, but can become a problem if ingested by cats or kittens.

I hope this information is helpful. Please feel free to add anything else I may have forgotten to mention.

The Holidays are one of my favorite times of year. I know the importance of making it safe for each and every pet, while ensuring we all have a great time.

Happy Holidays to you, your families, and of course – your pets!

Tim Heise
– Certified Pet Care Specialist
Absolute Pet Care LLC

The post The Holidays and Your Pets appeared first on Printing Solutions.

Are you often cranky, lethargic, irritable and unhappy? Do you have consistent headaches, neck pain, tense shoulders and tired back muscles? If this describes your normal disposition then you more than likely are feeling the effects of living an all-too-common stressed-out lifestyle. If you don’t start taking steps to break down the stress in your life soon, then it can ultimately lead to breaking you down both mentally and physically.

Physical Stress Cramps Your Body

One of the most popular places for stress to set up camp is in the neck and back areas. Kym Northey, massage therapist at Elements Glendale, identifies that one of the biggest culprits for physical stress is constantly sitting in front of the computer and plugging in to electronic devices.

“Whether it’s for our jobs or not, we are horribly addicted to sitting in front of the computer for long periods of time,” Northey says. “I tell my clients to keep a timer by their desk and set it for the top of the hour. When the timer goes off, get up, walk around and take a much-needed break.”

By sitting too long with your neck and shoulders hunched toward a screen, stress solidifies in your neck and back muscles leading to headaches, pains and strains. Physical stress from sitting and staring at a computer also can show itself in your body in the short term by affecting your lower back, legs, feet and eyes. When ignored or prolonged, physical soreness and stiffness in these areas can lead to arthritis, loss of motion and muscle fatigue.

“You have to get blood flowing and moving throughout your body, but especially through your legs and feet if you sit all day for your job,” Northey advises.

After a long day of working in the office or the home, Northey also suggests relieving daily muscle strain and tension by incorporating the following at-home stress remedies to close out your day.

– Rub a frozen water bottle along the bottom of your feet. Releasing pressure points in your feet is a good way to help release stress.
– Massage the top and back of your legs to get circulation moving when you have your legs propped up to watch your favorite television show.
– Rub a tennis ball along your neck, shoulder blades and spine before bed to help loosen common tight and tense muscles due to stress.

Mental Stress Messes with your Mood and Body

Heated discussions with family or co-workers, long to-do lists and an overscheduled lifestyle might be business as usual in your daily life, but all of the individual pressures you face each day can quickly pile up into a huge heap of mental stress. Mental stress tends to show itself in your attitude toward yourself and others, as well as the way you communicate and interact with the people around you. It also can affect your body physically by flaring up muscle tension in your neck, shoulder blades and at the temples of your forehead. In the long term, mental stress can lead to insomnia, ulcers, internal organ issues, depression and anxiety.

“A lot of people depending on their lifestyle and job have a high-strung personality and their body can show it,” Northey says. “If you live a stressful lifestyle for a long time, your body will use up every natural resource it can until eventually you end up with severe internal issues.”

Healthy Lifestyles Stress the Importance of Taking Care of Yourself

Ultimately, it is up to you whether you are going to be a victim of stress or if you are going to take the proper steps to break its vicious cycle. The first step to winning the fight is to take responsibility for the stress in your life and become accountable for minimizing it. The simple act of taking time out for yourself on a regular basis can lead to making big strides toward living a healthy and stress-free lifestyle. By taking a break on a regular basis, you are making it a point to step away from your hectic life, even if it’s just for a few minutes, to relax and release built-up tension.

“Everybody is horrible at making time for themselves, even me,” shares Northey. “I have kids and I understand how you are busy taking care of everyone else. It’s important, though, for people to make time for themselves.”

Northey suggests implementing the following regular habits into your lifestyle to begin the process of taking care of and time out for yourself.

Get out and walk around the block each morning or night to move the muscles in your body and get away from the world. Turn off your phone and just tune into taking time for yourself both mentally and physically.
Leave stress from your job at the office by not bringing work home. At the end of each day, write a list of everything you want to focus on for the following day and leave it on your desk. This can help minimize worrying about work situations during your off hours.
Schedule regular massage therapy sessions to heal and repair your body by relaxing your muscles and mind. When the body is massaged, it stimulates the release of chemicals in the brain that can help reduce stress and anxiety.

Get on a path to a healthier, happy lifestyle by breaking the pattern of a stressed-out existence. Replace the people and things that are stressing you out with activities and habits that support taking time out for yourself and regularly releasing the tension that builds up throughout your day.

The post The Long and Short of How Stress Affects Your Health appeared first on Printing Solutions.

Local businesses are constantly trying to find ways to increase their web presence. The internet is the number one lead generating tool that’s ever been created, and business owners are becoming focused on getting in on that action.

Blogging has always been something that most people know they should do, but don’t do. Whether it’s because they don’t know how, don’t like to do it, or feel like they can’t provide quality content all the time… it’s not being done as it should to get the amount of business that most people don’t even know they’re missing out on! So, let’s answer the question: Should Local Businesses Blog? – Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How:

“WHO” SHOULD WRITE A BLOG

If you’re a local business that provides a product or service (especially a service), blogging can be very beneficial. This goes for dentists, chiropractors, massage therapists, carpet cleaners, hair salons, caterers, landscapers, attorneys, doctors, web designers, printers, etc. The list really does go on and on.

“WHAT” SHOULD I BLOG ABOUT?

What is your expertise? You need to ask yourself “If I was in the same room with 10 other people that do what I do, would I be able to have an intelligent conversation about my industry and the changes that occur within it?” If the answer is yes, then what information can you share with me (someone that doesn’t do what you do) to teach me what you know a little at a time? When you sell yourself on the phone, in person, on the website, in print ads, social media, etc., what are some of the selling points you use to position your company as the best around? Use those points in a blog to demonstrate how important they are.

For example: If you’re a carpet cleaner that uses green products that are low moisture and dry in an hour, that’s a good selling point. In your blog, don’t write about how YOU do it. Write about the benefits of choosing a company that cleans this way, or the benefits of attempting to clean this way if you’re going to try it yourself (don’t worry, most won’t try it themselves). Include tricks on how to get wine stains out of carpet, or how to make the carpet smell fresher. You can even write another blog about best ways to keep the stains from coming back or the top 5 reasons carpets get dirty in the first place and how you can prevent that from happening. If you take a few minutes to think, you’ll always find something great to write about. Most business owners can’t shut up about all the information they know about their industry when at a barbeque, party or get together. Just do that… in writing!

“WHERE” SHOULD I WRITE A BLOG?

The best and most popular blogging platforms to use are WordPress.com, Blogger.com, and Weebly.com. I personally prefer WordPress. I like it the best and I own all the content on it, as it’s stored on my hosting. It’s clean and there are a ton of great plugins to make your blog even better! Your website should have an icon or button that’s very visible and links to your blog (and visa versa). If your website is in WordPress, then your web designer can even make it interactive with your site. Every time you write a blog, you should share it with the appropriate audience. Maybe some blogs are good for your customers/clients. Some may be good for prospects, affiliates or partners. And some are great for anybody and everybody! If that’s the case, send a mass email with a short intro to the blog, with an enticing and relevant subject line.

Also, use those wonderful social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, etc) that you’ve attracted so many people to. Post the link to your blog in groups within social media platforms like Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn or add hash tags through Twitter. LinkedIn Groups is supposedly the most productive place. It’s also good to submit your blog to sites like Digg, Reddit, Tumblr, Best of the Web Blogs, Technorati and Blog Catalog to name a few.

“WHEN” SHOULD I BLOG?

Most local businesses write 1 blog per month. I’m here to tell you that’s not often enough. Set a goal of at least once per week. If you can do it that way for a few weeks, try bumping it up to twice a week and so on. The more often the better. If you have enough great content and material to write about every business day, even better!

“HOW” SHOULD I BLOG?

Make your content useful to the readers that you’ve attracted. Almost all of my readers are local business owners. My goal is to find relevant content that can help them improve and grow their business through the internet (my expertise). You should try use keywords throughout the content that Google Users may search to find your article. You’ll notice the word “blog” and the questions that most people may ask about blogging are spread throughout this page strategically, while making sense to the reader. Use hyperlinks to help readers find answers to questions that your content may create. Don’t worry about writing a ton. I know in this “Should Local Businesses Blog” article, I have a ton of content ,but if your information only needs a paragraph or two, that’s fine.

“WHY” SHOULD I BLOG?

Simple – to get more customers. Blogging allows you to add fresh content to your company brand on the internet (where most people spend a good portion of their day). The more content you produce, the more Google sees you as an expert and a good resource to their users. Blogging helps your current customers stay in touch with you, while their perspective of you is a leader in your industry and the go-to place. This is great when hoping to generate repeat business and referrals. Blogging gives you something great to mass email and post on social media platforms.

Building your mass email list, fans and followers is great, but doing something productive with them is even better. Blogging also increases website traffic. It’s interesting content that we draw ourselves to. They’ll spend a good amount of time on the page and probably go to another. Amount of traffic, time spent on site, and pages per vist are all variables in the Google Algorithm when Google determines who should be ranked highest for their industry/market.

So, when asking “Should Local Businesses Blog”. The answer is yes. Blogging is important to the growth of a local business. I highly encourage you get on board with it, or hire a company that can help you with this.

The post Should Local Businesses Blog? appeared first on Printing Solutions.

Team building is essential if you want better team relations, because it is all about the most important asset of your business – your employees.

In these tough economic times, you might think that a whole day away from the office for yourself and staff is unthinkable. It might seem like a lavish expense and one that you can do without. However, a team that does not get on and one that does not work together could cost your business.

When tasks are done within your company, perhaps they are carried out by individuals working alone – so don’t require much team work. However, it is important that you understand that whatever your company and no matter how big or small, your business will be more productive when your team is happy.

A company that has good team work means that there is better communication and it will strive better. If people in your team don’t get on and there are many frictions this can create an atmosphere that is hard to work in. It will ultimately mean that your staff members won’t be working to their potential. That’s why team building activities are aimed to improve communication and collaboration between those working together.

There are many indoor and outdoor team building activities to choose from – including cookery classes, music events and trips to adventure parks. Whatever your company and no matter the ages of your team, you will be able to find an activity that suits your company.

During a team building day teams will be forged for a specific purpose of achieving goals that are bigger than an individual could take on alone.

Individual personalities

Most of your time is spent at work, but because you and your team work so hard it can be hard to get to know your staff and hard to know what they are really like.

At a team building event you will learn more about your team and you will also get a chance to see what members of your team have leadership skills.

It will also give you a chance to find out their strengths and weaknesses. This could be useful information, particularly when promotion time comes around.

Getting to know each other

Team building allows those who may not work together on a daily basis to communicate and interact with one another. They will enjoy the interaction and will get to know their colleagues more. The bond will be different (better) when they return to the office.

Those who previously may not have got on in the past will forget their differences and will work together in order to reach the goal.

Fun and motivation

Not only does team building do all of the above, it all also allows your team to take some time out of the office and from behind their desk; allowing them to tackle something different.

Being stuck indoors and sometimes doing the same thing can being monotonous, so to boost work productivity take them on a team building day. Team building doesn’t have to be something you do every month, but aim for once a year; giving your staff something to look forward to.

To view this article in it’s entirety as part of the Endless Entertainment blog – click here!!

The post Why Team Building Is Important appeared first on Printing Solutions.

This guest post was provided by Josh MacDonald, OTR/L – and provides some timely help to parenting just in time for the kids to return to school. We have reprinted it here with permission of AZPOT and hope you find the advice helpful.

Increasing expectations in pre-school and kindergarten can mean children are learning to write much earlier than before. This has the potential to create multiple issues with your child’s handwriting. Gripping the pencil tightly, wrapping the thumb completely around the pencil, the hand becoming tired out easily, or letters appearing choppy without any smooth lines can all indicate your child has fine-motor coordination delay or weakness.

‘Fine motor’ refers to the development of small muscle movements of the hands which develop as your child’s whole body gains mobility, stability, cognitive, and emotional/social development. Unfortunately, the hands of 3 to 5 year old kids are often not developed enough to manage the accurate fine motor requirements of handwriting without specific warm-up and training. The in-hand manipulation skills required to make the small, smooth circles and straight lines are often more challenging than many kids are ready for at this stage. Nevertheless, schools have increased writing in the curriculum resulting in many kids who are struggling to keep pace.

There are solutions that can be effective for many of these kids. If the challenges are minimal and the child is motivated, some of the following suggestions may bridge the gap and improve their performance:

Play with Play-Doh!

Improving overall hand strength, including the smaller muscles in the hand, will help prevent fatigue and increase muscular endurance. Have your child play with Play-Doh or 3 to 4 containers of silly putty at the same time. Making large and small balls, rolling out snakes, and using tools to ‘work’ the Play-Doh will all help strengthen the hands.

Count Your Pennies

Coordination of the fingers plays a big part in handwriting. The ability to manipulate objects with coordination and accuracy will greatly improve the accuracy of letter formation. Try playing with pennies and nickels, picking them up from the table and transferring them from the palm to the finger within the hand. Using a small coin bank with a slim slot will encourage the use of finger tips for accuracy of placement.

Arts and Crafts

Cutting small items, beading or working to glue small items will all help to develop awareness and coordination of the hands and fingers. Whether it is cutting out shapes from paper plates, or coloring in small spaces, craft time is a great way to help kids with hand skills.

Tools Make a Difference

Minor equipment changes can also help with handwriting. Using crayons broken into 3 smaller pieces or very small pencils prevents ‘over gripping,’ and will encourage use of fingertips and result in more accuracy. You can also try one of the many different pencil grips available on the market. There is no one magical grip that works for everyone. Try several of them and stick with one of it makes a noticeable difference. You don’t want your child becoming dependent on this grip, so limit it to either only homework time, or only school time.

Each of these is offered as suggestions and may not, independently solve the problem. Your child may need more involved help. If this is the case, occupational therapy may be necessary.

If you are concerned with the overall development of your child, contact Kid’s Place for a Complimentary Developmental Assessment. Our complimentary developmental assessment is a 15 – 30 minute exam performed by a licensed physical, occupational, or speech therapist. They will assess developmental concerns with respect to gross motor, fine motor, or speech. Based on these results, our therapists will make recommendations for your next steps. This may include following up with a medical doctor. Additionally, they may show you simple exercises for the home to improve physical development.

To schedule a Complimentary Injury and Performance Screen or for more information, simply call (623) 229-7808. Appointments are a requirement.

You can view the complete article as well as many others with helpful advice by visiting the AZOPT blog

The post Concerned about Your Child’s Handwriting? Try These Helpful Tips appeared first on Printing Solutions.

Including your tagline in all of your marketing and sales materials is as essential as including your logo. It must be a part of every interaction you have and should be present anywhere your logo and business name appear to help differentiate your business from the competition. Whenever you hand someone a business card or brochure, or reach out to potential customers with a postcard, door hangers or flyer, it’s a chance to get your message and your company’s promise to customers across in a simple phrase. So be sure to give it thought and creativity that it deserves.

The objective of your tagline is to let people know what is distinctive about your business with a simple, memorable phrase that is easily repeated. If you are a carpet cleaner, why should they choose you? Are you the quickest? Available 24/7? Do you have the most advanced cleaning methods? Is your customer service outstanding? What would make your customers want to have you in their home as opposed to you competition?

Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind when developing a tagline for your company.

Short & Sweet Is Best

Try to keep your slogan under ten words at the very most. Anything more than that may cause people to stop reading and miss the point. Additionally, the longer phrase the more difficult it becomes to easily incorporate it onto a business card or other printed material. BMW and their slogan ‘The Ultimate Driving Machine’ is a great example.

Try To Paint A Picture

We all know the old cliche, a picture is worth a 1000 words. Your tagline should work the same way. An effective catchphrase can help conjure an image that people can use to identify your business or product more easily. A good example of this is ‘Let your fingers do the walking’. That phrase clearly identifies an action representative of what the Yellow Pages are all about.

Be Expressive With Identifying Characteristics

A tagline that describes the attribute that makes the product unique can be a huge success. This is sometimes tricky to do with only a few words; however it is a very important thing to keep in mind. The Kentucky Fried Chicken tagline is an excellent example, because people know exactly what ‘Finger-lickin good!’ means.

Trial & Error Is Important

For every good tagline that you hear, there are several more that are not good. Bad taglines are typically vague, confusing, negative or ambiguous – and may communicate an unintended message. Does ‘Why fool around with anyone else?’ really make you think of FedEx? Fortunately, that tagline was retired and replaced with one that works much better – ‘Absolutely, positively overnight’. This is a perfect illustration of why you should ask the opinion of several people before unveiling your final choice.

The importance of an effective tagline to your business’s success cannot be overstated enough. At Printing Solutions, we produce the high quality, full color custom business cards, printed brochures, door hangers and letterhead that can prominently display your tagline and more. When you are ready to update your marketing materials, let us know and we can incorporate your message into the design of all of your printed products, creating maximum impact with every interaction.

The post Your Business Tagline Makes A Difference on Printed Materials appeared first on Printing Solutions.