Put simply, a marketing partnership is an arrangement made between two businesses to join forces in the pursuit of new business, clients and customers. Working together, you and your marketing partner build strategies that increase your exposure, broaden your marketing strategy and expand your knowledge and influence.

Start By Finding the Right Partner

You can’t just form a partnership with anyone. There should be some thought and strategy that goes into choosing the right partner that will be mutually beneficial. For one thing, both parties involved must stand to gain something from the relationship. In the best-case scenario, these benefits are as equal as possible. One common mistake some businesses make is rushing into a partnership just for the sake of forming the alliance without carefully considering how it will benefit them.

Choosing the wrong partner can lead to a loss of resources, time and money. You may find yourself in a situation where you are actually losing by having a partner.

Show Your Value

At the same time you are carefully avoiding the wrong partners, be sure that you are putting your best foot forward to attract the type of marketing partners you do want. You’ll want to be crystal clear with all potential partners in explaining exactly what they stand to gain by becoming your partner.

You can also show your value by being prepared with the work and tasks required to form a partnership when the time comes. Make the process as simple as possible and expect the same from whomever you are working with.

BONUS: Help Your Employees Focus on Your Business Core Values

Commitment is Key

Showing your commitment and hard work is crucial in the success of any marketing partnership. Be willing to do your share and then some in the beginning stages to show your willingness to make this partnership work. This will dispel any skepticism and build trust between you are your partner.

One way to show your commitment and eagerness to make the new partnership work is to have some business ready to go right away. This is sure to get the attention of your partner and demonstrates your seriousness.

Not all marketing partnerships work in the end. Many fall apart due to unrealistic expectations as well as failure to live up to promises. Remember that it takes patience and discipline to make a partnership work. If you are simply looking for some quick business or a one-way referral connection, a marketing partnership is probably not the answer.

The post How You Can Get The Most From Your Marketing Partners appeared first on Printing Solutions.

Business analysts and marketing strategists continue to point to the return of direct mail as a major player in getting our message across to the right people at the right time. However, they are quick to point out that success with direct mail will directly relate to its quality and that there is a much higher expectation.

As email marketing and digital messaging hits an all time high, it is creating quite a vacuum in our mailboxes. This is why so many people believe direct mail will continue to make its comeback faster than we might think. It is important to realize, however, that just having a direct mail campaign will not be enough. The audience is much more demanding now. They will be looking for quality pieces, which will quickly weed out the amateurs.

Businesses that will see the most success with direct mail marketing strategies going forward are the ones that have a very good understanding of who their clients and customers are and exactly what it is they want. They will need to understand the difference between personal and personalized. Just throwing the person’s name in somewhere will not cut it. The target zones will be tighter and the lists shorter because smart direct mail strategies will have a great understanding of who they are after.

Successful direct mail pieces will stand out because of their quality design and printing. It will require some investment in time and money to get the look and messaging right. This will not be your father’s direct mail campaign where any ol’ design will work. Today’s direct mail audience is more sophisticated.

Smart businesses have realized that the personal touch of a quality direct mail piece combined with a savvy online presence is winning them customers like never before.

Printing Solutions has been providing high-quality design and print for years and our clients have seen for themselves how important printed material is in their marketing strategies. We invite you to give us a call at 480-596-6300 to learn more about the future of direct mail and to discuss options that can you put you in the game quickly and effectively.

The post Direct Mail – Why it’s Making a Comeback in a Big Way appeared first on Printing Solutions.

Related: 2015 Trend: Metal Business Cards.

Part of that growth involves paying close attention to what is going on around us and watching for the trends that can so easily make 2015 a great year or a not so great year. We hope to draw your attention to 5 specific design trends we see coming for 2015 and hope it helps you as you move forward with your marketing.

1. Getting Tight With Your Customers

Your customers and clients are providing more information to you than they ever have before. It’s time to take what they are telling you and incorporate it in your message. There is a greater expectation that you will to talk to your customers on a personal level more, meaning more direct messages, specific focus on the products they want, and flexibility to offer choices.

2. Move Away From Templates

The jig is up! Everyone can see right through your template these days. In 2015, marketing design will go away from the slightly altered template and into a much more customized feel. This will include colors, typeset, and grid patterns.

3. Typography

Watch for large type to continue to be used and become more popular in 2015. This will go hand in hand with the shift toward full screen background images or videos that is already hotter than ever. Large fonts enable designers to add personality and style, while making bolder, concise statements.

4. Simplicity is King

Simplifying website design to allow a more user-friendly experience is a big reason why keeping things simple will continue to be a trend in 2015. As companies strive to make their websites mobile-friendly, their print design will follow suit. It’s no secret that simplicity is always a good choice, but it will play a bigger role this year than it has in years past.

Related:Best Colors to Use in Marketing.

5. Flat Design

There is still some debate about who gets credit for the trend of “flat design.” While some say Apple’s iOS 7 really pushed the idea along, others argue that Microsoft had already made a step in the direction long before. Regardless of who wins that debate, flat design is here to stay. Look for the disappearance of shadow, beveled edges, and gradients in 2015.

Of course design trends do change quickly these days and it can be difficult to stay ahead of the curve. These are 5 design trends that we think will be around through the end of 2015 and beyond. They are also the design trends we can help you put to work for you when you are ready. Call Printing Solutions at 480-596-6300 to learn more about how we can help you design marketing material that is consistent for 2015.

The post Five Design Trends to Look Out for in 2015 appeared first on Printing Solutions.

Related: Why Your Print and Material Marketing Need to be Working Together. 

Lead Scoring- With the lead scoring strategy, marketers can grade leads as cold, warm or hot. A lead scoring strategy monitors each lead as they evolve through the program to determine the relative point when they are ready to make a purchase.

Lead Nurturing- Lead Nurturing is a structured process by which conversations are held with new leads about their needs whereby specific content is the focus of the discussion. According to a report by Forrester, companies that excel in lead nurturing generate 50% more sales-ready leads with a 33% lower cost per lead. This significantly improves the ROI of marketing spending.

Follow the Customers- Customers are flocking to digital channels now more than ever before as opposed to visiting the traditional brick-and-mortar location. These digital channels are gateways for e-commerce activities and the majority of companies are funneling some of their resources toward the digital channel.

Become Social- Most customers spend a large amount of time using social media either on their desktop, laptop, mobile device or tablet. The largest platforms have over 1 billion users and many marketing executives are planning to invest in social networks. It is important to note that direct access to the customer can be a blessing and a curse since social media websites can contain disgruntled visitors. This can be an excellent opportunity if managed corrected as negative postings about a company can be resolved immediately.

Maintain Dialogue- Handheld devices have become an extension of the computer creating a huge touch point for consumers. The majority of marketing professionals are planning to invest in the mobile market in the future. Websites and advertisements must now be formatted correctly for the desktop, tablet and mobile device.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)- Search engine optimization is considered a best practice in the digital world. By optimizing the company’s website with keywords that consumers may type into a browser, you are able to rank higher in search engines thus improving visibility and sales. A marketing strategy that identifies and contains the SEO component will be more successful as it attracts users to the website.

Related: 7 Tips for Highly Effective Marketing Material.

Marketers have a regular challenge of lowering their costs and maximizing their ROI. However, when following the aforementioned six strategies, an improvement in the ROI should be evident and new customers will be knocking at the door. Feel free to give us a call at 480-596-6300 anytime to discuss the marketing strategies we can help you with here at Printing Solutions!

The post 6 Marketing Strategies for Maximizing your ROI appeared first on Printing Solutions.

Is it personal networking? Attention to detail? A level and hustle unmatched by no other? No matter what your competitive edge is – I can guarantee there are far more areas related to business that fall outside of this space. “Jack of all trades master of none,” as the saying goes.

As someone who has worked with hundreds of small business owners – and many of those in real estate – it is surprising how many of these other areas of day-to-day business we try to navigate without any previous experience, training or education to support us. More often than not we end up wasting time, money or more often than not, both.

Some examples include managing our social media, writing a press release or doing our own accounting. The worst culprit of these black hole responsibilities is when we self-manage the day-to-day graphic design our business needs from a sales brochure to business cards or a sign for an event. These seemingly small things often become more complicated than the most difficult negotiation.

It is not entirely our fault. For the last 30 years we have been subjected to amazing graphic design from incredible brands. Apple, Starbucks, BMW, the list goes on. When we look to create our own marketing materials we think to ourselves – how hard could it be!?

Then the truth blindsides us with the steps, revisions, questions, calls, emails and bloated invoices that can pop up out of nowhere.

Good news! There is hope. Below are 6 graphic design tips I’ve collected over the last 10 years of being in the industry. Use just a few and you’ll see how your graphic design projects go faster, better and more cost effectively than ever before.

1. Provide the design files to your printers or promotional vendors

One way to minimize complexity when creating printed or promotional materials is to provide your partners the design files yourself. This might seem counter intuitive so let me explain. Most on-staff designers with printers or production vendors are there to manage the files into production for your final product. Stopping that process for creative design slows the process down tremendously.

More often than not, you end up spending more time and money with your printer designing than if you hired an independent designer to complete the files in advance. Design Pickle is a great resource for this because they have unlimited design services for a flat monthly fee. You never have to worry about hourly charges and the printer gets exactly what they need.

Related: Why You Need a Graphic Designer For Your Logo and Marketing Material.

2. Document everything in writing

Yes you’re a fast moving, fast talking machine that lives through texting and phone calls, but rediscover the art of a well written email when making any requests around your graphic design projects. Spend an extra 5 minutes reviewing your email, making sure it is clear and that your request would make sense to someone else.

3. Relax on the critique Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs was known for his almost bipolar nature to his team when it came to design critique. He also built several billion dollar companies. Your strengths are best spent in the areas of your business that drive revenue. Finding the perfect shade of a color for your event invite is very low on that list. If you put your trust into your graphic design team, be confident they are working in your best interest and go with their initial recommendations.

4. Never edit your own work

More errors are made when we fail to let another set of eyes look at what we are creating. This step can literally save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars by stopping and letting someone outside the project read over your files before they are sent to production. Don’t skip this step!

Related: The Importance of Designs.

5. Have some fun!

By nature, realty is a very flat industry when it comes to creative thinking. Mix it up and have some fun in a way that is authentic to your brand. Introducing creativity into your marketing and messaging is only going to help you stand out in a saturated marketplace. Do it with style and class to create a brand around you and your business. Then use that brand in creative ways as a sure fire way to propel your business forward in 2015!

About The Author

Russ Perry is an Arizona native and has spent the last 10 years working with brands such as Apple, LG, Morgan Stanley and the Harlem Globetrotters. In 2014 he founded Design Pickle, a startup that provides unlimited graphic design help for only $195 per month. Russ believes there is a better way to get your day-to-day graphic design done and it doesn’t have to cost you a small fortune or even worse – take up all your time. Learn more about Russ and his startup at DesignPickle.com/print

The post The Realtor’s Guide to Graphic Design: 5 Tips to Save Time, Money and Your Sanity appeared first on Printing Solutions.

We live in the digital age when the focus is on internet marketing and content. In our rush to stay ahead of the curve, we sometimes fail to look back at what is actually working and what is historically proven to work. This includes good marketing material.

Related: Best Colors to Use in Marketing 

However, it’s not enough to just have a brochure highlighting your services or a business card that was designed in the 1980’s. It takes a bit of strategy and ingenuity to successfully use marketing material.

Here are 7 tips for developing highly effective marketing material:

1. Keep it Simple

As excited and proud as you might be about the services and products offered through your business, it is better not to list every single detail. Remember that people have short attention spans and they want to be able to get the gist of the business in a short glance.

2. Stay Consistent

You can’t argue with the hundreds of studies and reports that shows the importance of consistency in your message and branding. All marketing material should have the same general feel and tone. This includes color schemes, language and artwork.

3. Use Printed Material

Yes, your online presence is definitely important, but it should not be the reason for letting your printed collateral grow outdated. Printed material still plays a crucial role in the marketing of your business. Your printed marketing strategy should compliment and work in conjunction with your online marketing strategy, which includes staying consistent (see point 2 above).

4. The Right People for the Right Job

Let designers design and writers write. There is a good reason why they do what they do. Trust their instincts and give them your support. You’ll end up with marketing material that really works.

5. Images are Hot

It is true that pictures speak a thousand words and that doesn’t change when it comes to marketing material. Spend the time to find the right images that convey the right message. People, including your prospective customers, relate to pictures so give them good ones.

6.  Have a Point

Every bit of marketing material should have some sort of call to action or clear next step. Guide your prospect to that action by first, grabbing their attention, second, informing them, and third, inviting them to move forward. They won’t buy if you don’t ask!

7.  Don’t Chase – Attract

No one likes being chased, including you! Be sure to give your prospects something to look at that draws them in naturally. Take the time to develop clever and attractive marketing material that helps to set the tone of your brand.

Related: 3 Tips for Creating a Prefect Brochure 

Creating, producing and printing excellent marketing material is what we do here at Printing

Solutions. If you have more questions about developing a strong marketing material strategy, give us a call at 480-596-6300.

The post 7 Tips for Highly Effective Marketing Material appeared first on Printing Solutions.

One common mistake made by businesses both young and old, is to focus too much on one particular type of marketing without considering other options.  It can be very easy to stick with your traditional marketing tools while turning a blind eye to new tactics.  On the other hand, new businesses may not realize the value of more traditional strategies, choosing to stick exclusively with new technology.

This dilemma has never been more prevalent than when it comes to print and internet marketing.  Believe it or not, there are still some businesses out there that haven’t taken full advantage of marketing through the internet.  They may dabble with it, but they have yet to realize internet marketing’s true potential.  There are also businesses who have lost faith or interest in print marketing, instead putting all of their eggs into the internet marketing basket.

We’re here to tell you that this is a mistake.  There are some very important and crucial reasons why your print and internet marketing need to be working together.

1. Branding

There’s no way to overestimate brand recognition.  Not only does recognizing a brand play a psychological role in the customer’s decision-making process, but it also gives a more uniformed and professional look to your business.  When you have a consistent presence in both print and online, you give your company a stronger, deeper feel.  If your potential clients or customers are only able to see your brand online, you may be missing out on the true benefits of branding.

2. Double Punch

Not everyone is going to hold onto every piece of mail that comes into his or her office, no matter how well designed it is or what the special offer may be.  Similarly, every business has potential customers who may never once visit their website or read an email.  However, a printed mailer might be just memorable enough so that when your customer happens to see a PPC ad soon after, the combined effort turns into a sale.  When print marketing and online advertising compliment each other, the results can be very profitable.

3. Reach

Some businesses are simply losing out on potential growth and sales because they aren’t considering what their reach is.  They might overlook important internet marketing tools such as social media because they don’t believe people who would buy their product or service use social media.  Others refuse to send out mailers thinking they’ll all end up in the trash.  We’re not suggesting that every social media add or mailer will be 100% successful, but you could be missing out by not having them work together.

When it comes to finding the right marketing tools for your business, be sure to talk with the experts at Printing Solutions.  Let’s discuss options that will work for you.

The post Why Your Print and Internet Marketing Need to be Working Together appeared first on Printing Solutions.

Your Booth

You’ll be competing with everyone else at the trade show for visitors’ attention. You’ve got to have an eye-catching display to command attention. We can create for you something as small as a stand-up banner or as big as a whole trade show display that can house your technology and marketing materials. (Call for details)

Marketing Materials

We can help you design the perfect marketing materials that are sure to leave the expo with your visitors. You don’t want something that goes in the trash! Give them something they will hold onto like a plastic business card or an origami postcard!

Related: Why You Should Have Plastic Business Cards

Who Will Be Speaking?

Undoubtedly you’ll have to designate someone to speak at the trade show. As people pass your booth, they’ll be expecting a presentation. Who would make the best face of your company? Who is best at public speaking? Have them practice their spiel and they’ll be sure to knock it out of the park!

Related: Get Yourself Prepared to Speak at the Trade Show

Once you’ve taken the first step in deciding to showcase your company at a trade show or expo, your next step should be to call us here at Printing Solutions. As the leading print company in Scottsdale, we’re the go-to place for all things trade show. Our talented graphic designers can help you have the perfect materials and we can cover everything from banners to plastic business cards.

If you have any questions about our printed products, give us a call at 480-596-6300 or stop by our Scottsdale printing company. We’ll make sure you have the best booth at the event!

The post 5 Tips to Make a Successful Trade Show appeared first on Printing Solutions.