Small business owners always ask us about the best way to use our services for their marketing. They are worried about not knowing how to do it correctly or what they should include. As with any investment in your business, you want to do it right so that it pays off… let’s face it, the goal is to get more business, right? At Johnson Printing we put together a short list of things to consider when marketing your business.
1. Audience
Always identify who you’re talking to. The goal with marketing today is to create conversation, so finding out who your audience is and what makes them talk or react. Don’t go for a spray-and-pray method (posting or mailing everywhere and praying the right people see it). Target your audience!
2. Goal/Purpose
What do you want this piece or post to do? Lead them to a website, be the inspiration for purchase, be a part of the experience? This can help you know what kind of piece you need to create, and how best to reach your audience.
3. Design – things like colors, fonts, graphics and layout.
If you don’t have that designer eye, or aren’t lucky enough to have an in-house designer, now would be a good time to hire one. Johnson Printing has a full-service art department to help you with all your design needs. We do it all- from social media to websites to printed pieces! After all, your piece is the face of your business and should bring about your brand and goals in a design that appeals to your audience. And here you thought that colors and graphics were simple, right? Nope! This is what gets you to stand out. Invest in it.
4. Material (we usually call this a substrate)
Yes, this matters. Do you want it on paper, banner vinyl, acrylic? What weight? What color? While this could fit into the design category, we think it’s so important to have the right substrate for your job, that we wanted to keep it separate. If you don’t know what you want, ask Johnson Printing for samples and suggestions. The success of your print piece is a huge concern for us, too. We want nothing more than your business to succeed!
5. Call to Action
Calls to action are commonly thought of as those cheesy sales-jargon filled one liners at the base of a piece – but it doesn’t have to be that way. This is the incentive for action, the lead-in to the next chapter of the story. The more it compels someone to act, the better the piece. Inspire people with your call to action – and the end result will surely end up in a sale.
Marketing is really pretty straight forward, no tricks or gimmicks, just great ideas! Yeah, you’ll probably need some expert help along the way, and Johnson Printing is ready to offer up suggestions and help, but now that you know what’s ahead, you’re better prepared to make it happen.
“You have to work on the business first before it works for you.”
― Idowu Koyenikan, Wealth for All: Living a Life of Success at the Edge of Your Ability