What is prints place in this ever-changing world we’re living in? It’s not that long ago that print ruled the commercial world. Brochures, pamphlets, posters, mail order catalogues – that’s just how we got business done! However, fast forward to today, and it’s a very different landscape. A mixture of digital and print exists, allowing businesses to create multiple touchpoints with each individual target. However, with increasing reports stating print is fast becoming the consumer’s preferred form of marketing, we’re feeling rather smug!
The rise of vinyl and Polaroids started a few years back, and the print revival is in motion! People are looking for tangible items they can keep, something far more meaningful than on a digital screen.
Known officially as offline marketing, Business.com talked recently about how the good old-fashioned print is “one of the most consistent marketing methods”. Whilst digital gives you reach and metrics a button away, print has permanence, nostalgia, and a keepsake property.
Alpha Card has been operating within the below-the-line marketing arena for over ten years, and our passion for print never wavers!
A couple of points, if we may, that set us apart from the competition and let you understand why choosing print is the best option:
Overall, for us, print is meaningful, time-honored, and there’s a high degree of respect for the piece of print in your hand. Its process before reaching you, from the initial idea and design to the creation and formation at print stage –it’s magical, quite frankly!
Our clients love our Alpha card approach for its uniqueness and its ability to get a lot of messaging across in a simple and quick manner. We hear time and time again how our clients have experienced such positive feedback on the cards and how their customer experience has excelled. We ask, could digital do the same?
When creating a brand, it’s important to establish a relationship with your audience. One way to do this is through storytelling. Giving your customers something to relate to helps create a connection with your brand. With the rise of technology and social media, personal interaction between businesses and consumers is slowly declining. The distance created by screens allows print marketing to take over. In this blog, we’ll explore the advantages of choosing print marketing and how it can help tell a story.
One of the main advantages of print marketing is its tangible element. Having a product your customer can hold is far more engaging than an ad on a computer screen. This kind of impact can leave a lasting impression on your brand and create a personal narrative for each individual based on their experience. This makes the interaction even more personal.
As our industry evolves, more and more elements are turning digital, mainly for ease of distribution and to keep costs low. However, over-saturation means these marketing efforts often go to waste, and the viewer isn’t consuming the information as much. Therefore, using print makes your audience more likely to absorb the content as it offers a welcome alternative to staring at a screen. You’re also not competing with other distractions that come with online advertising, such as pop-up notifications, other brands, or the temptation to scroll.
Having a product that represents your brand and its story is a great way to advertise, but it’s essential to ensure this product reflects positively on you. High-quality, professionally finished products can give your brand credibility. You are presented as an expert, well-organized, and trustworthy company, which gives customers confidence when investing in you. Here at Alpha Cards, we use top-of-the-line stocks that are FSC-certified from sustainable forestry sources and vegetable-based ink. This not only helps associate your brand with quality but also with an environmentally conscious one. Reiterating your narrative and what is important to your business in terms of values helps those who align with your ideology resonate with your company and form a deeper connection to the brand.
If your business is looking to build a narrative and connect with its audience, then print marketing is for you. Get in touch with our helpful team to discuss your options and start your marketing journey today.
Z fold cards are a way for businesses to create full-size printed marketing campaigns that easily fit into the pockets of their potential customers. The great thing about z fold cards is that you can combine a large amount of information into a small, compact campaign. You can easily monitor the success of your z fold card campaigns through a QR code, a unique phone number or a unique landing page. Z fold cards have the power to attract target audiences and improve ROI in all industries. We can’t think of an industry that would not benefit from a Z fold card campaign. To show you just how impactful z fold card campaigns are, we have summarized the top three ways clients have used our z fold cards.
The events industry often uses our z fold card as a show guide. The ability to efficiently organise large amounts of information gives viewers easy access to all the event information that may be needed. There is enough room for gorgeous photographs and all the important event information they may need. Your audience will never have to go without knowing the events timetable and they can also keep their z card as a souvenir.
By switching from full-sized prospectuses to z fold card prospectuses, educational sector customers have saved thousands of pounds on time, graphic design, and printing. Z fold card prospectuses look fantastic, and they are very easy to carry for potential students. Switching to pocket sized z fold cards has led to an increase in applications for our educational sector clients. No one likes to carry heavy things which is why the lightweight z fold card lasts a long time and is less likely to be thrown directly into the trash.
Our z fold cards make an excellent pocket map. The tourism industry loves how much information fits on a compact z fold card. Pocket maps can retain all the necessary details without taking up too much space. There’s no need for tourism industry customers to carry around bulky maps if they have all the information, they could possibly need in the form of a pocket map. Pocket maps ensure that customers can always find their way around and they also make great souvenirs to remind them of their experience.
Our team of in-house print and design experts can use their knowledge to help you at every stage of the process.
If you’re interested in our products, you can contact us today and don’t forget to follow us on social media and share our blog.
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Direct mail is a print marketing method that has stood the test of time. It is one of the longest running forms of known marketing methods. It involves sending a physical form of print directly to your target audience and has been used to attract the attention, interest, desire, and action of a target audience way before the internet was invented. Generally, arriving uninvited, it is a form of marketing method businesses can use to reach brand new customers and retarget already interested consumers.
Business to business marketing (B2B) involves any marketing strategy that is targeted towards a business or organisation. Increasing transactions between a business and another business can be a difficult process. It can require a lot of time to build trust with B2B buyers and B2B marketing methods usually don’t provide the same instant gratification that business to consumer marketing can (B2C).
However, B2B sales are often larger and more frequent than B2C sales. Once a B2B sale has been made, customer lifetime value is often higher than that of B2C and the time and effort put into gaining the sale can pay off in the long run.
Direct mail can be extremely beneficial to B2B marketers for several reasons, such as:
There are plenty of creative and engaging print marketing materials to design your direct mail marketing campaign on. Choosing your physical print format first, will enable you to design and layout your campaign effectively. Sophisticated products such as the Z-Card and Infinity Card can take your campaigns to the next level and make them more memorable.
The Z-fold card is compact and retainable which enables you to fit all your content onto one pocket sized card.
The Infinity Card can help you to achieve a higher ROI as the never-ending folding motion keeps users engaged long enough to read your message.
No matter the size, colour, font, or finish of your direct mail campaign, you’re sure to stand out from the online crowd and attract your B2B buyers with an engaging & creative physical print campaign.
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Did you know that print marketing is still the number 1 preferred information resource for tourists according to a survey conducted by Bentley’s Center for Marketing Technology? An incredibly important fact to consider if you’re in the Travel and Tourism Marketing industry.
‘When people book a holiday, usually it’s not a small purchase. Holidays for many people are a substantial purchase that they have even spent time saving for. To successfully market a purchase as big as a holiday you need to use a marketing channel that develops trust with your customers. It should also reflect the quality of the holiday or trip they are about to experience. Print marketing builds that trust and reflects that quality so much more than digital marketing alone could ever do. Plus, if executed properly can provide them with an engaging preview of their upcoming trip.’ Said Kate Shropshall, Marketing Manager, Alpha Card Compact Media.
Travel and Tourism is an industry perfectly placed to utilize print marketing to its fullest potential. Especially when utilizing the features of a Z-Fold Card.
Whether you’re part of the marketing team for a tourist attraction, or you work for a travel agency promoting holiday destinations, or you’re a local holiday park looking to promote yourself differently this year, below are some fantastic ways to use print for Travel and Tourism marketing.
Carry on reading our blog to see how you can enhance your guest’s experience of your hotel, holiday destination or tourist attraction with essential print marketing. Print Marketing has evolved and it’s time to utilise it and reap the benefits!
This is what you usually send to your family or friends when you’re on holiday right? But a perfect way to excite and entice potential visitors is to send them a fun postcard via direct mail too. An incredible marketing tool for Travel and Tourism agencies especially.
It is an ideal time to utilize direct mail marketing too. Now is a fantastic time to get potential visitors excited about holidays and day trips again after restrictions on travel.
Get your business into their hands by sending them direct mail pieces. Infinity Cards make super fun postcard deliveries too, with their endlessly engaging nature.
You could even include a perforated coupon for visitors to use. Either for when they visit or a discount code when booking tickets online.
Today, combining your print marketing with your digital marketing is a fantastic way to optimise all of your marketing channels.
Combining QR codes with a printed map of your location could immerse your visitors into a digital experience on their smartphones. Whilst still having that preferred physical map to help them navigate around holiday destinations or tourist attractions like Zoo’s for instance.
You could transport your visitors with the QR code to treasure hunts around your facility, or increase traffic to your website.
This is a feature that will definitely engage your visitors. It can offer them a souvenir to remember your destination by because of the unique nature of your map too.
Z-Fold Cards are ideal to marry with maps because of the compact and portable nature of the product.
The way brochures are used within the travel industry has certainly evolved over recent years. Brochures used to be the only way of advertising holidays and trips. This meant that a lot of the content was a maze of package deals, price lists and generic info. But now with the availability of all that information on the web this has changed. Brochures can now be used as a source of inspiration and leave out the heavy stuff.
Fantastic photography, testimonials, and focusing the content towards what your guests will experience is more likely to appeal to them. It will make them want to visit you!
A high quality, well designed and engaging brochure can offer your guests an experience in itself. Offering it in a format that is compact and retainable like a Z-Fold Card will offer you an even bigger advantage as your guests will carry it around with them. This in turn will increase the chances of more and more people seeing your brand.
An additional feature you could combine with your leaflet or brochure is perforated vouchers. Or maybe even a pocket on the front of a Z-Fold Card for visitors to store their hotel keys. All the information they need for a great visit in one place with a cover pocket card.
We hope this blog gave you some inspiration for your print marketing this year!
Blog by Content Marketing Agency | Search Buddy – Digital Marketing Agency
Take advantage of our design services if required, but if you’re designing your own Z-Fold card, check out our top tips below. Ensure that your design goes as smoothly as possible and your final product has that ‘wow’ factor you’re looking for. Our Z-Fold card offers endless solutions in different cover and inner sizes. They provide a large inner area that is ideal for maps, campus guides, product and service marketing, brand building, event schedules, and direct mail needs.
Consider what you are using your new Z-Fold cards for. Are you using them for internal company communications? Maybe you’re using it for advertising space to promote a variety of businesses? Whatever you’re using the insert for, size matters. We offer a large range of sizes and some will be more suitable for your application than others.
If there is a lot of content involved in your design, we would recommend a larger Z-Fold inner as opposed to the concertina fold. Each of the standard cover size options, Mini, Credit, Pocket, Jumbo and Handy can have inners ranging from 3 to 13 columns for the Z-Fold, dependent on cover size. A lot of content can be overwhelming and lack clarity but the range and versatility of our cover and inner combinations provide a number of options to choose from.
We are happy to help guide you through the process with our extensive experience and knowledge, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
From the start, it is important to consider how the content flows throughout your Z-Fold card. How many columns and rows you’ll include in your final product will make a big difference to your overall layout. If you’re opting for one row, which is known as the C-Fold, then you may consider using each panel separately. However if you’re using multiple rows, it works well for your design to flow over onto the various panels.
Your content and text may need to be broken up into manageable chunks, you can easily use space to do this and make your design look more visually appealing.
One last thing to consider is that your covers will be on opposite sides if you’re using an odd number of columns. This works well if you have content in two different languages for example, but not so well if, perhaps you want one side to contain a map or event layout and the other advertising or a conference schedule.
Combining print and digital is a great way to increase brand awareness and drive traffic to your online channels. Check out our previous blog for more in-depth information on how to do this, but a few quick methods include; adding your social handles on your print, including QR codes that lead people to specific pages of your website or maybe to your online shop, or including QR codes that lead to engaging videos of your services or products.
Your font size should be set to size 12 or above to be absolutely sure that it is easily readable. Small text in large quantities can be very off-putting to your audience. Larger and well-spaced text will always work better at keeping your audience engaged.
If you’re looking to print your covers in black, we recommend using an overall UV Varnish coating, rather than laminate. This ensures there is no lifting.
Please remember that all images need to be of a high resolution. This will be pointed out to you if there are any issues throughout our proofing process.
We print lithographically using 4 color process (CMYK). However we can print using special, fluorescent or metallic inks if you’re looking to make your Z-Fold card even more eye catching! (Our products are printed in accordance with ISO colour standard 12647-2.)
A gloss or matt laminate or overall UV varnish is applied to the covers as standard. But if, for example, you need the ability to write on a cover then consider a machine seal instead. We have a selection of other finishes that can really make your print stand out and make your design even more engaging. Spot UV varnish, foiling and embossing and Die Cut shaped covers such as bottle hangers, are just a few.
Other options to consider are; tabbing closures, especially useful for magazine tip-ins, flow-wrapping, useful for combining two products or when enclosing with food products, perforated panels on the inner, ideal for driving redemption and particularly applicable to our 2-row format.
Please note before sending us your artwork it needs to be supplied as a PDF file with crop marks and 3mm bleed. No artwork should be in the darker blue shadow areas of the covers on the inserts.
To get your Z-Fold templates, get in touch with us here. Or to order your free sample packet to get further inspiration for your own project, click here.
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Blog by Content Marketing Agency | Search Buddy – Digital Marketing Agency in Leeds
Our last blog post gave you a few tips on how to make your print marketing more engaging, so how do you track the effectiveness of your print? It is pointless to carry out any campaign without analyzing how it worked for your business. The analysis then allows you to adjust your campaigns for next time and gradually over time, tailor your campaigns more and more so they appeal to your target audience!
What is the goal of your print marketing campaign? You and your team need a clear goal to be able to measure the success of your campaign in relation to your goal. Is your goal to generate more traffic to your website to raise brand awareness? Or maybe it’s to increase the conversions on your online shop. Whatever your goal, it’s very important to have one, and your goal will be the main factor that will determine your CTA (Call-to-Action) on your print campaign. So, for instance, if you’re looking to give your online sales a boost, you’d direct your audience to your online shop using your print.
Getting to grips with Google Analytics is so important when you want to analyze your results. It’s not just for digital marketing analysis! You can use it for your print too, you just have to be a bit smart about it!
The most basic way to use Analytics to analyze your print campaign is to mark the start date of your print marketing campaign and monitor the visits to your website once it has been distributed. If you notice your visits go up in this time you can assume that your print campaign has had a part to play in this.
But it’s much wiser to analyze a bit deeper than this. By incorporating digital elements into your print marketing, you can use Analytics to see results such as landing page views, number of users, location of users, and demographics such as age and gender. All of these are key factors in understanding your audience better. Which in turn allows you to tailor your future marketing campaigns to appeal to your target audience more effectively.
Using promotional codes is an easy way of tracking which online orders have been inspired by your print marketing. Tell your audience that if they use a specific code, e.g ‘USE CODE: OFFER10’ they can receive a discount. All you have to do is implement a coupon code box on your website for your customers to pop their discount code into. When you receive orders that have used this unique code, you’ll know instantly that this customer has engaged with your print.
Including QR codes on your print marketing means you can lead your potential customers to just about wherever you like! We mentioned earlier that the goal of your campaign will affect the CTA you place on your print. Your unique QR code could direct your audience to your website, your online shop, or a separate landing page.
Directing your customers to a separate landing page or URL will give you a clearer idea of how many people have followed through on your CTA. Obviously, it’s important to include your web presence on your print marketing. However, if people search your general website this will just show up as Direct Traffic in your Analytics report and this can essentially come from anywhere. Using a vanity URL or landing page you’ll be able to monitor how many times your landing page has been viewed as a result of your print marketing. A separate landing page is also a great way for you to give potential customers a push to sign up to your marketing list, like monthly newsletters or for offering discounts via email.
Our Z-Fold and Infinity Cards are perfect to combine with digital elements for tracking how effective your print campaign has been. The compact, retainable and engaging nature of the products means that your audience will always have your brand at their fingertips.
We would love to hear about your next creative print marketing project. Drop us a message here and chat with us today. Let’s see what we can do!
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Blog by Content Marketing Agency | Search Buddy – Digital Marketing Agency
Don’t underestimate the power of print marketing. Up to 90% of direct mail gets opened as opposed to only 20-30% of emails. It is tempting to shy away from investing in marketing, but don’t! Marketing is what will keep your brand going, it will keep your brand in your customer’s minds. The possibility of more brands spending less money on their marketing is higher right now, stand out and send your customer’s something they will remember.
Direct Mail and Door Drops! Both are marketing techniques that are taking centre stage right now. Print marketing is still a powerful tool when done right. Combined with digital technologies, print can be an incredibly powerful marketing tool and together can make sure your audience is experiencing your brand in its entirety. Print marketing is proven to make a customer feel more valued and appreciated. Think about it, when you see an online ad, you don’t feel like the ad is personally for you, but when you receive post addressed to you, or a Door Drop through your mailbox, it’s so much more personal. This brand has taken the time to research its customers and your location. When you have a customer that feels appreciated and valued, with a fantastic piece of print marketing and an offer or coupon as part of the campaign, it’s a recipe for success!
The options are endless…but here’s a few ideas to get you started.
It’s a chance to not only produce a great campaign but to have fun with it too and when you have fun with a campaign, it shows! Our Infinity Cards are ideal for Door Drops and are sure to immerse your customers into a unique experience of your brand, unlike anything they would have received through the post before! We can even create the design and take care of the mailing for you, all you have to do is get in touch (our contact details are below) and tell us your initial ideas. We’ll take your campaign from there! Check out the job we did for Orlando Health to give you some inspiration. We mailed out the oversized Infinity Card in branded envelopes as part of their campaign.
Take customers straight to your website, QR codes are a fantastic way to increase your conversions and track the success of your campaign. Or alternatively the QR code could take your customers to an animation or video that would inspire your customers to explore your product or organization further. (More about how you can track your direct mail print campaigns in our next blog so keep a lookout on our social channels for our next blog update.)
You can use a discount code for online purchases or even a perforated coupon with the idea to tempt customers to visit you in-store.
When ordering with us you can ask for an Antimicrobial Coating to be added to your final products, which can also be declared on your print. This provides your customers and clients with that extra bit of reassurance that your Door Drop is completely germ-free, something that a lot of people would be grateful for at the moment. This is particularly effective in the food and drink sector and healthcare industry.
Customers that have never done business with you are 15% more likely to respond to a piece of oversized direct mail than a smaller piece of mail! So absolutely take this into account with your design and check out our huge range of Infinity Card sizes!
Get in touch with us, or order your free sample packet to see how our products can create engagement with your audiences from the comfort of their own home!
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Blog by Content Marketing Agency | Search Buddy – Digital Marketing Agency
Are you looking to grow your Social Media presence? You may think that your online and offline presence are separate components in your marketing strategy, but you’d benefit a lot more by learning to combine your print and social media marketing.
Whilst the world is becoming increasingly digitized, but with print still having a huge impact on consumers, it is now more important to bring the two together and use cross media technology to our advantage.
So let’s break it down. You may have already researched how to combine your print and digital strategies. But what methods are there to specifically increase your social following and engagement through using print?
Make sure to include all your correct social media handles on your printed materials. If you’re sending out print marketing to hundreds or even thousands of people, that is great exposure for your social channels. This includes ALL of your print, not just your smaller (in size, not stature!) materials likeZ Fold Cards, Infinity Cards and business cards. But your larger print campaigns too. Think company vehicles and exhibition stands.
One way of doing this is to run a giveaway contest on your social media channels. Post a photo and get your followers to comment to be able to enter the competition. Promote this giveaway in your printed marketing materials instore or through direct mail promotion. Increased engagement on your posts means you are more likely to get seen by complex social algorithms. A brilliant way to use print to your social advantage!
If you tend to gather some of your reviews through social media (which is great!) then there are huge benefits to doing this. 3 in 4 shoppers say that they trust online reviews and nearly 9 out of 10 consumers say that they read reviews before making a purchase. So if you can include some fantastic reviews on your print, then you’re more likely to turn those potential leads into conversions; definitely not a tip to be overlooked!
Make it super easy for your potential customers to view your social media channels quickly. Create QR codes for your social pages and put them on your print. With a quick scan of their camera they can be taken straight to your social media channels. Easy, painless and a great one for YouTube videos!
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