Which is Better Digital or Offset Printing?

As technology continues to improve, the quality of digital prints also improves. Technology advancements have also made it easier for more and more businesses to enter the printing industry. Good digital printers cost a few thousands dollars?good offset printing presses may cost a few million dollars.

For those companies interested in conveying the best possible image at all times, it is important to evaluate which printing process will bring the greatest result.

Let's compare the two processes briefly:

Digital Printing: If you want a sample of digital printing, simply look at a piece that you print from your inkjet printer at your home or office. Digital printing uses a series of dots printed on top of the paper that form an image.

Offset Printing: Offset printing is done on large presses that use plates and ink. As your piece is printed on an offset press, the ink bleeds into the paper and bonds with it.

Because of the plates used, and the way the ink is absorbed by the paper, most people feel that offset printing provides deeper, richer, fuller color saturation than digital printing. While digital printing has certainly improved over the years, most printing experts would agree that it still hasn't reached the quality level of offset printing.

Brett Curry is a Marketing Consultant and Marketing Director for Brochures.com. Brochures.com is the home of top quality, full color brochures, business cards, postcards and more at up to 70% off of retail.http://www.brochures.commarketing@brochures.com

Does Your Brochure Pass the Test - Or is It Headed for the Trash? Part Two

In part one of this article we discussed the importance of the look or appearance of your brochure.

The look or image that your brochure conveys is vastly important. In fact, the appearance will determine how most people form their initial impression of your company. But, the message on your brochure is just as important. Ultimately you need to say something of value in your brochure if you want it to move people closer to the sale. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to ensure that your brochure has the right message.

1.Speak in Terms of Your Prospects Interests. There's an old saying that all people are tuned in to the same radio station ? WIIFM, which means "What's In It For Me?" That is the question that all people will be asking on a conscious or subconscious level as they read your brochure. Only talk in terms of your prospects wants and interests.

2.Focus on Benefits, not Just Features. Features are the technical aspects of your product ? i.e. power sunroof. Benefits are the enjoyment or satisfaction your customer will get from that feature. Remember that people buy the benefit that your product will bring them not the features. For example people don't want to buy a treadmill; they just want to loose weight and look great. They don't want to buy a washing machine; they want clean clothes with no effort and so on. Don't stop at features; make sure you mention all of the benefits that you offer.

3.Brand Your Logo and USP. This falls under image and message. Make sure you put your logo and your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) together. You want to reinforce the fact that your company is different and better than the competition.

4.Have Some Kind of Offer. To get the most out of your brochure have some kind of offer. Offer a discount, a free report, a sample, a free trial, or whatever makes sense for your business. Having some kind of offer will increase the chances that your brochure will generate sales.

Following these 4 tips will greatly increase the likelihood that your brochure will be noticed, and read, and, hopefully it will aid in making a sale. If you don't follow these 4 tips, then you brochure is probably headed for the trash.

Brett Curry is a Marketing Consultant and Marketing Director for Brochures.com. Brochures.com is the home of top quality, full color brochures, business cards, postcards and more at up to 70% off of retail.http://www.brochures.commarketing@brochures.com

Does Your Brochure Pass the Test - Or is It Headed for the Trash? Part One

The decision on whether or not someone will read your brochure is usually decided in the first 5 seconds they look at it. What kind of message are you communicating in that five seconds? Will you make a favorable impression with your prospect? Will you move your prospect closer to the sale?

There are really only two key elements that will determine how well your brochure is received by prospects. These two elements will ultimately make the difference in your brochure being a tool that makes you money, or just something else that costs you money.

What are those two all-important elements: 1. the Image or look 2. the Message

This is part 1 in a two-part article. In part 1 we will discuss what you need to ask for from your printer to make sure that your brochure looks top notch.

Here are 5 things you should keep in mind when you are evaluating your layout and your printer.

1.Choose Offset Printing. Offset printing is a type of printing that causes the ink to become a part of the paper. Offset printing creates a rich, vibrant look that digital printing can't touch. Offset printing isn't all that common because good Offset printing presses cost in the millions of dollars.

2.Choose Thick Paper ? preferably 100# Glossy. If your brochure is too thin or too light-weight it might appear cheap. You don't want that impression to be transferred to your business. The most common paper weights are 70# and 80#. 100# is a little less common which makes it stick out. Plus, 100# feels heavy and high-quality. Glossy paper takes the look of quality up a notch.

3.Add Aqueous Coating. While this isn't the industry standard, aqueous coating adds a layer of style to your brochure. Plus it causes the colors to "jump" off the page so to speak. It makes the whites appear whiter, and so on. Ask your printer if they offer aqueous coating. If it doesn't cost very much to upgrade, it's worth it. There are a few printers out there that offer aqueous coating FREE.

4.Use Full Bleed. Full Bleed is a print term that simply means the colors run to the edge of the page. Some printers charge extra for full bleed, some don't. If your brochure is not full bleed it will leave a border of white around the edges that looks a little amateurish.

5.Ensure a Consistent Look. Your brochure should fit into a well designed marketing campaign. It should have a similar look and message as your postcards, flyers, reports, business cards, etc.

In part 2 of this article we will discuss the all important issue of the message.

Brett Curry is a Marketing Consultant and Marketing Director for Brochures.com. Brochures.com is the home of top quality, full color brochures, business cards, postcards and more at up to 70% off of retail.http://www.brochures.commarketing@brochures.com

6 Must-Have Elements of a Powerful Brochure

Most brochures that businesses put out today end up doing little to impact the sales of that business. By applying the 6 must-have elements listed below you will transform you brochure from trash can lining into a powerful sales tool.

1.A Benefit-Filled Headline. On the cover of most brochures you'll usually find nothing more than the company name, logo, and maybe a quick slogan like "committed to excellence". This isn't horrible, but there is a much better way to enhance your brochure. If you want to turn your brochure into a powerful sales tool you need to grab your prospects attention immediately. You do that through a benefit-loaded headline.

A benefit-loaded headline is a headline that clearly and powerfully communicates a desirable benefit that your product or service offers your customers. For example a benefit-loaded headline for a heating and cooling company would be "How the New XYZ System Can Shave $800 Off Your Utility Bill This Year". This headline is clear, specific, and powerful. If a customer were in the market for a new heating or cooling system this headline would draw the prospect into the brochure.

2.Educational Content. Prospects read brochures because they want to make the best possible buying decision. Usually when someone reads a brochure, they are hungry for knowledge about your product or service. Make sure your brochure is written in such a way that your prospects will know more about your product or service after they read the brochure than they did before.

3.Unique Selling Proposition (USP). A USP is something that separates you from your competition. To be ultimately effective you want your brochure to cause prospects to lean toward your company instead of your competitors. Your USP is a statement that either your competitors can't, or aren't saying. A popular old USP that you'll recognize is "Delivered in 30 Minutes or It's FREE!" This USP was effective because nobody else was saying it.

4.Proof. Anytime you make a statement regarding the benefits that your product will bring, you need to back that statement up with proof. Testimonials, quotes, charts, graphs, pictures, endorsements, and articles are great ways to prove your claims and cause your prospects to believe what you are saying. Remember that most people are skeptical initially, but you can overcome that skepticism with proof.

5.A Low-Risk Offer. After a customer has read your USP, your educational content, and your proof, you need to encourage them to take the next step in the buying process.

The next step could be to make a purchase, to call for more information, to set an appointment, or whatever. Whatever the next logical step is you need to invite your prospect to take it, and make them feel comfortable about taking it. If you want them to make a purchase, mention a money-back guarantee. If you want them to call for more information, reassure them that they won't be pressured. You need to try and remove all of the possible barriers that would prevent a person from taking the next step.

Incorporate as many or these elements as you can to ensure your brochure leads your prospects closer to making a buying decision.

Brett Curry is a Marketing Consultant and Marketing Director for Brochures.com. Brochures.com is the home of top quality, full color brochures, business cards, postcards and more at up to 70% off of retail.http://www.brochures.commarketing@brochures.com

Marketing Lessons I Learned in Chicago this Week...

I was in the fine city of Chicago this week to speak at a marketing conference. And I learned some interesting things:

1 - Traffic in Chicago is much worse than the allegedly bad traffic in Atlanta where I live. We left the hotel downtown at 3 p.m. and were parked on the "highway" a few minutes later.

The Lesson Learned:

I am thankful - as I know many of you are - that I don't have to leave home and fight through this terrible traffic on a daily basis. Life's too short to
suffer like this regularly. The stress level of doing this would take years off my life.

2 - Despite the traffic, I arrived at the airport early enough to rebook my ticket (by paying the $25 fee) on a flight leaving 90 minutes earlier than my original schedule. That was the good news.

The bad news turned out to be that this flight would leave 45 minutes late so I didn't gain very much for my $25.

Obviously, I can afford the $25, but that's not the point.

The Lesson Learned:

It's not about the money. It's about the perception of value received for the money. When I made the deal with the airline to book the earlier flight, I did so with the specific understanding that I was investing $25 to buy 90 minutes.

But, I ended up only getting 1/2 that time - 45 minutes. So, I felt like I'd gotten screwed in the deal.

People - like us and our customers - invest money with us based on the perception of the value they'll receive in exchange. If you don't deliver on your promise, then the customer is not going to be happy with the deal.

If you deliver more, the customer should be ecstatic. That's why you'll usually find extra - unadvertised - bonuses when you purchase my products.

It doesn't matter that I probably would have spent the $25 to get the 45 minutes anyway - that's not the deal I bought.

3 - When I booked my hotel reservation, the website promoted the fine history of the property. When I was standing in the lobby, they had an interesting wall display listing the famous people and many presidents who had stayed there years ago. And they specifically mentioned how they had upgraded the hotel with the latest in electrical, plumbing, etc.

I'm not sure how long ago someone wrote this fiction, but it must be at least 30 years ago - maybe longer. Perhaps the reference to Diamond Jim Brady should have clued me in.

I won't bore you with the sordid details about the sagging mattress and matted down carpet, but it was depressing to enter my room. Especially when I opened the curtains so I could look 15 feet across the air shaft at other rooms.

The Lesson Learned:

Next time I'm booking a reservation in a "historical" hotel, I need to be certain to ask if they've stayed true to their history or entered the new millennium.

Of course, for $39 a night, I might have expected something like I got. But, when I'm paying $120 for the discounted conference special rate, I'm not seeing the value in the deal.

For many products and services - like hotel rooms - we have an understanding of what we think we should get for the money we spend. It doesn't matter whether our preconceived notion is correct - we've got it in our heads already.

As marketers, we have to deal with the public that has these preconceived ideas. When we're not going to fit with them (like charging way too much for a crummy room), we should be fair and make that clear. But we'll obviously want to do this in a fashion that will show why this is a still a fair, if not great, value proposition.

4 - But this story gets even more interesting...

I was chatting with Paul Hartunian (the PR expert who once sold the Brooklyn Bridge - legitimately) and mentioned that I was not happy with my room. He remarked that other people had also voiced similar opinions, but he loved his room.

Turns out he had asked the hotel about upgrade options and, for $20 more, you could get a completely updated room with a wonderful view of the city and Lake Michigan.

Of course, no one volunteers this when you call to make reservations. And it's not mentioned at all on their website.

But I'll bet the people that work in this hotel are wondering why more people don't choose the upgrade option.

The Lesson Learned:

Don't hide your light under a bushel basket!

Think about this...the hotel could have turned many unhappy people into raving fans simply by mentioning the $20 option. Plus, they could have been grabbing an extra $20 a night from dozens of people for doing absolutely nothing.

Sure, we're sitting here in judgment thinking how stupid this is. But...unfortunately, we occasionally make the same kind of silly mistakes and don't make the really fine benefits of our product or service crystal clear.

To sum up:

1 - Don't play in traffic. It's hazardous to your health.

2 - Explain the value in your offers and deliver what you promise (preferably more).

3 - Don't hide your best benefits and offers. Put them right out front so your prospects will become happy customers.

Yours in success,

Shawn Casey

P.S. If you missed the incredible Jeff Paul teleseminar this week - or just want to review it and take some more notes (Jeff talks fast and delivers a lot of info), you can hear the recorded version here:

http://www.ShawnsNews.net/JeffPaulRecording.html

(Scroll down a little when you get there)

Internet Millionaire Shawn Casey's "Mining Gold On the Internet" is one of the best selling Internet books with over 85,000 copies sold. In "Mining Gold", Shawn reveals the same step-by-step strategies he uses to create millions in Internet sales => http://www.ipcgold.com/ad/100/CD3839? Benefit from Shawn's 7 years of Internet experience and learn from someone who has actually made millions online.

In Advertising Bigger isn?t Always Better

If you have been following the recent advertising news you will notice that more and more major advertisers are looking to smaller ad agencies to handle their campaigns.


Is it because they feel bad? Is it because they are cheaper? Or is it because they see the level of creative talent of smaller agencies?

Lets take a quick look at why this is happening and how this is good for the consumers and the advertisers. When I use the term smaller it doesn't mean that it's a one-man show, but that they aren't part of the? "BIG 6". Now with that said lets continue, smaller agencies have a hunger to succeed, they have a need to be customer service oriented, they have a desire to be more creative without the fear of upsetting upper management. Take these points into account and you have an agency that will be tenacious and with the number one goal of showing their clients results.


At New Age Media Concepts, we believe that major advertisers deserve better results from their campaigns, don't get me wrong there have been great campaigns launched but who are going to be the new creative minds to develop the next memorable moment in advertising history?

If advertisers like General Motors, Ford, McDonalds, Taco Bell, Coca-Cola, Pepsico, Microsoft, Burger King, Toyota, Home Depot, Wendy's, ConAgra Foods, Wal-Mart Stores, American Express, Colgate Palmolive, Intel and the many others are looking beyond what agencies they are accustomed to working with and are looking towards connecting with their consumers in a big way, then they have to look beyond the brick and bring in a creative team that can help them do that.

Consumers today aren't ignorant and in this age of reality television and the shock factor mentality, advertisers need to step up to the plate and shed their skin to be able to reach the new age of consumers, the ones that are their core audience, the ones that will have brand loyalty.


By Louis Victor ? New Age Media Concepts, August 31, 2004
info@namct.com

Louis Victor has been involved in the investment, advertising, marketing and public relations indutries for close to two decades. Through various articles he looks to give some insight on various topics as it relates to these industries.

B2B Marketing Health and Elder Care Services

Quality Care Options is an established company advocating for the right of all seniors to receive excellent service and product. The organization recommends Certified Senior Approved Services to its elderly clientele.

Through its highly visible web sites and monthly ezines, Quality Care Options (QCO) attracts both the senior and the businesses that serve the senior population.

Barbara Mascio, Founder of QCO, has been inundated with requests from healthcare businesses for recommendations towards resources that would further promote an elder or healthcare related business.

These requests include; 'Who should I call for the best liability insurance coverage?' 'Who do you recommend as a resource for market analysis?' 'How do I start an elder care business?' and even 'Who can handle our maintenance and lawn care?'

"Every business serving our senior population needs resources towards recruitment, security checks, lead generation and advice on marketing how-to's and so we've provided a very affordable method for businesses offering these products, services and resources to reach our web site visitors", states Barbara.

Not all advertising will be accepted. You must first submit your banner or text by following the guidelines found on http://www.qualityeldercare.com/advertising

Speakers and professional networking groups are offered special low rates of just $10 per month for an ad with a hyperlink to their web. Businesses to Business advertising can be purchased for as little as $20 a month. "We're not trying to make a living from advertising revenue, that's not what this is all about, states Barbara. We simply want to cover the administrative costs and provide our web visitors the resources they need to further grow their business."

For businesses marketing directly to the senior citizen, please see http://www.qualityeldercare.com/providers to review how to apply for Senior Approved Certification as no advertising is accepted for this segment of our business.

Advertising on the Internet can be a crapshoot. You should do your homework before spending any amount of money. Does the web site have enough unique visitors each day interested in the service you offer? One site to check traffic stats on line is http://www.alexa.com Simply enter the url address of any web site to review certified traffic results. Obviously, you want a site to have higher web traffic than your own, or at the very least, equal to your traffic.

Barbara Mascio is the founder of http://www.qualityeldercare.com and of http://www.seniorsapprove.com