Marketing Photo Know-How
Marketing materials look better with photos. Period. “A photo is worth a thousand words.” From the beginning of the first printed photograph in the 1820s, people have known the value of a good photo. But with megapixels, color and photo effect jargon floating around everywhere on the Internet and in photo studios, how do you know when you have a good photo? It all depends on the lighting, the megapixels and the photographer.
When you create a brochure or flyer that has an intriguing message and a blurry photo, people are only going to remember that blurry photo. “What was in that photo? Was it supposed to be like that?” A photo can make or break your marketing materials. And the most important factor of the blurry photo is the number of pixels.
Pixels – The Building Blocks of Photos
To have a clear photo, you need to take the picture with a digital camera that has a decent amount of pixels. A decent amount means at least 2MP (more about MP in a minute). Anymore, it’s hard to find a low-end digital camera with 2MP – most start at 3MP or more. This is good news for you that digital cameras are getting more affordable.
What is a Pixel?
A pixel is a dot of information, a dot of color, in your photo. Photos today are made up of millions of these dots, or pixels. Mega means “million” so whenever you talk in megapixels (MP) you mean X million pixels. So, a 2MP camera will provide 2 million pixels when a photo is printed from that camera. That may sound like a lot, but really 2 million pixels will only get you as far as a clear 4×6 photo.
If you are printing a poster and need to take a photo, you’ll want to take the photo with a camera that can produce a print size of 12×16 or maybe even 18×24. The bigger the MP of the camera, the more expensive it is. A 12×16 print, to be printed clearly, needs to be taken with a 10MP camera. An 18×24 print, to be printed clearly, needs to be taken with a 14MP camera.
Now, with a 10MP camera, you can make photo sizes up to 12×16 clearly. Anything smaller will come out equally as clear.
Camera Quality
Most amateur digital cameras on the market today, the ones you can get at Target or Best Buy, range from 5MP to 8MP. The largest clear photo you can print with a 5MP camera is 8×12. With an 8MP camera you can get up to 11×14. This is good enough for most people and most small businesses as well.
If you print photos larger than the maximum sizes given here, you’ll end up with a blurry, pixilated photo. So check out the MP size of camera before you buy, keeping in mind what you’ll use the photos for. If your photos will just be for regular-size flyers, brochures and postcards, you can get a great 5MP digital camera for an affordable price, between $100 and $300.
Printing Tips for In-House Marketing Projects
1. Use colors wisely. Colors emanate a feeling – blue can mean calm, black is associated with dread or sadness, and red is associated with love. If you are designing your own marketing materials, be sure to use the right colors that evoke the kind of mood or feeling you want customers to feel when they see your marketing piece. Be sure to look up the color wheel so you know which colors complement each other, and which should not be used together under any circumstances! Complementary colors help each other stand out; non-complementary colors will help each color fade into the background. Choose wisely.
2. Use white space liberally. Eyes get tired. If you fill every square inch of your brochure or flyer with text or graphics, readers’ eyes will get tired. Once the eyes get tired, the brain doesn’t want to read anymore. That’s bad news for business. Be sure to include plenty of white space, or empty space, in your design to give people’s eyes a rest. Think that’s boring? Look at the most popular search engine’s Web site – Google – plenty of white space and it’s still going strong after 10 years.
3. Start with a template. If you aren’t a designer, starting from a template is your best bet for a professional-looking brochure or catalog. There’s nothing wrong with getting a little design help. You can find templates at Microsoft Office Online, HP’s Business Templates and Images Web page, or StockLayouts.com. You can find basic templates for free, which you simply download from the Web site, or you can pay for a more complex template. You can expect to pay about $100 per template.
4. Match the paper to your printer. Inkjet printers need to print on inkjet paper. Laser printers need to print on laser paper. Each type of paper is specially formulated for each type of printer. Laser printers use a fuser to dry toner particles on the paper; this requires intense heat. Laser paper is made of this type of heat.
Inkjet paper is created to absorb ink because inkjet printers spray liquid ink onto a page to create an image. Using a laser paper, which doesn’t absorb ink, on an inkjet printer would result in smearing or streaking.
5. Match the paper to your purpose. If you’re creating a brochure, you’ll want a heavier, more opaque (not see-through) paper than if you were creating a flyer. Your paper needs to match your purpose. Sales letters are generally printed on lighter weight paper, about 20 to 24 lbs. Greeting cards are generally printed on heavier paper, about 60 to 79 lbs.
You also need to refer to the brightness of the paper. A brighter paper will help your images and text look clearer because more light is bouncing off the paper.
You can also choose the type of paper finish you want: matte, glossy or something in between. Colored photos look better on glossy finishes and black-and-white photos look better on matte.
6. Ask someone to proof your work. Your work might look perfect to you, but it never hurts and always helps to get a second pair of eyes on it. Ask a colleague (or two or three) to look over your marketing piece. Ask the person if the colors look right, to make sure there are no typos, to suggest a different layout and to make sure you have enough white space. Another set of eyes can make the difference between an amateur-looking brochure or a professional-looking brochure.
Booklet Printing Page Ideas
Booklet printing and design can be tricky because of the amount of written words and information often involved. Most companies cannot avoid booklets, though, because they are needed in almost any industry. Your company may need instruction manuals, company reports, catalogs, or magazines, all of which are types of booklets. The tone, images, and layout are all determined by the purpose. For instance, it may include graphs or charts if a manual or report, while a catalog will contain photographs of products.
You may already have some page ideas for your booklet printing, or maybe you don’t even know where to start. Both problems have a solution. You might want try first perusing similar booklet designs for some ideas, but if you still run into a block, maybe the list of booklet pages below will help.
1. Introduction, Preface, or Foreward - Each of these terms refer to a different type of introductory page. An “introduction” includes company background, goals, or objectives. The “preface” would contain a summary of the booklet itself along with the main highlights. The “foreward” is any written piece by an expert in the field, often with references to the booklet.
2. Dedication - When you need to thank those who have contributed or inspired your booklet, put these on the dedication page. You can also include a “Dedicated to” list.
3. Table of Contents - Sometimes booklet printing needs to include a table of contents in the front so that readers can easily flip to the information they need. This page is especially important when your booklet contains chapters or long sections.
4. Appendix, Glossary, or Index - All of these pages are included at the back of the booklet. The “appendix” is any extra reference information needed, for instance a list of stores that donated the information or products. A “glossary” is a list of terms and definitions contained within the booklet. An “index” often replaces the table of contents because it contains a list of terms and the page numbers on which they can be found.
5. Interesting, Fun, or Educational Information - You may want to include a page filled with tips, hints, facts, or anything else that would interest the reader. Customer reviews or testimonials are an excellent selling tool as buyers trust the satisfaction of other consumers. This page should be advertised either on the cover or in the beginning pages to encourage readers to flip through the booklet.
If you are still stumped on page designs, incorporate the help of a professional. Often, you can find more cost-effective designers provided by your booklet printing company, so check with them before searching for an actual graphic designer or design company.
The Key to Brand Differentiation
It’s hard to stand out in the marketing arena. Many marketers do basically the same things: advertise on TV, Internet, radio, magazines, newspapers, etc. Many attend trade shows, create sales presentations and hand out sales brochures. You see Coke and Pepsi commercials in the same time slots on TV. You see their magazine ads in similar magazines, or maybe even in the same magazine.
Everyone is telling consumers that their brand is better than their competitors. So what makes some marketers different from others? Why are some marketers more successful than others?
It’s strategic differentiation. This relies on the consumer’s perception of the brand. It’s easy for marketers to forget that the brand is not what they make it; it’s how the consumer’s perceive the brand to be.
Consumer Perception
Let’s look at an example. If someone is thirsty, they’ll stop at the convenience store and get a drink. Everything from water to Coke to Pepsi to milk to Gatorade to coffee can fulfill this need of eliminating thirst. But perceptions of each type of drink’s brand goes through the person’s head quickly. If the person is an athlete and needs a drink because he just exercised, he might pick water or Gatorade. Gatorade is especially connected to athletes. Water is also, to a lesser degree. Water is the ultimate thirst quencher and it has no calories or sugar, so someone on a diet might grab water. People tend to like Coke or Pepsi, not both, so the person’s brand perception of each type of soda will dictate which he picks. If the person is worried about not getting enough calcium, he’ll pick the milk.
This example shows how an everyday, seemingly simple decision can be affected by strategic differentiation. Each brand brings something different to the table. They all bring it in the same ways, i.e. commercials, advertisements, but each differentiates itself from the competition.
So it’s the message that is at the core of strategic differentiation. The more focused that message, the better. The key to focusing your marketing message across all channels is to identify your unique selling proposition (USP).
USP Defined
The term and concept was introduced by Rosser Reeves of Ted Bates & Company in the 1940s. Reeves explains in his book Reality in Advertising that a USP: (1) tells the customer a specific benefit gained from using the product (as Reeves puts it: the copy is “not just product puffery”; (2) the proposition must be one that the competition cannot or does not offer; (3) the proposition must be strong enough to move millions of people to act.
Two examples of good USPs: Head & Shoulders: “You get rid of dandruff.” M&Ms: “The milk chocolate melts in your mouth, not in your hands.” (Although, I beg to differ! Especially on a hot summer day.)
The point is that these brands were the first to offer these USPs. Other shampoos now get rid of dandruff, but Head & Shoulders was the first to make the claim. The unfortunate thing about a good USP is that it doesn’t usually last long. What I mean is that your competitors will copy you or at least try to copy you. The good thing is that consumers will remember that you brought the USP to the market first.
7 Design Tips for Better Print Marketing
1. The headline: Use words that catch readers’ attention in the headline and that will pull them into the rest of the copy. Words like “free,” “save” and “secret” work well to intrigue people into finding out more about what your print marketing has to say.
On average, the headline is read five times more than the body copy. That means people have read the headline and it wasn’t good enough to motivate people to read on. Don’t become part of that statistic! Include a clear benefit to the reader in the headline and you’ll draw them in. If you can pair a benefit with an eye-catching word like “free,” your headline will have real stopping power.
2. Use white space. Any space in your design that isn’t filled with text or graphics, or is in other words blank, is considered “white space.” Don’t feel like you have to fill every square inch of your print marketing materials. Whether it’s a flyer, postcard or brochure, a simple, uncluttered design will look much better and will draw people into your marketing piece than a cluttered design.
3. Limit yourself to two fonts. Any more than two fonts will make your design look cluttered. Unless you have a huge poster or a big marketing piece that can handle the extra fonts, stick with two. You should use a sans-serif font for your headlines and subheads (sans-serif means “without feet” in French; examples are Arial and Century Gothic) because sans-serif fonts are harder to read when they font size is small. Use a serif font for all of your body copy, or your smaller size copy. Serif fonts have “feet,” which make them easier to read. Examples of serif fonts are Times New Roman and Garamond.
4. Address your audience. Make sure you talk directly to your audience – say “Attention CEOs” or blatantly ask “Are you a stay at home Mom?” By talking directly to your audience there will be no mistake who your message is for.
5. Use before and after ads when possible. People have an above average understanding of before and after ads, and I think many women like them because they are like makeovers. When you can give proof in a photo format that your product works, there is no contesting it.
6. Use photos instead of line drawings when possible. Photos are more believable than line drawings. Photos are better at drawing people’s eyes in because the colors are generally more saturated than in a graphic.
7. Test your ads again and again. Readership increases with repetition. Keep testing new ads against old ones to see which ones are more effective. There comes a time when repetition gets boring, so be sure to switch up your design to keep consumers interested.
Things to Consider In Printing Newsletters
The purpose of your newsletter may be to keep members of a club updated on current events, to promote your company and keep up a connection with customers, or to generate sales. Whatever your goals, there are a few things that you need to consider before designing and printing newsletters. Deciding on layout format beforehand will save you from timely setbacks that can cause you to miss your deadline.
1. Some newsletters are printed in black-and-white to cut costs. While considering cost is necessary, you need to weigh money saved against the quality lost. Full color newsletters are much more appealing. Don’t be fooled by the term “full color,” though. This term refers to commercial printing, which involves using the four color (CMYK) method of printing. A stunning newsletter uses color in concentrated, select areas rather than scattering small bits of color throughout.
2. Choose the type of fold for your newsletter. Generally, most newsletters use only one of two fold types: the French fold or the double parallel fold.
French Fold
The French fold involves folding the paper in half, then in half again perpendicular to the first fold. Often, the purpose of the second fold is to merely make it less bulky for mailing. Therefore, the layout is set according to the standards of a half fold. This creates a newspaper feel.
Double Parallel Fold
Double parallel folding also provides a “news” feel because the layout can also be based on the first fold only so that the second fold is to provide for easier mailing.
Of course, you may decide that you want to lay out the newsletter according to the full folding technique. Play around with the folding by sketching a layout on a piece of paper to help you decide what works best for your newsletter image.
3. The type of paper used in newsletter printing can help to reduce costs. Most newsletters use a lighter, uncoated paper, such as #70 text, which costs less than a heavy gloss paper. Although a heavier paper is not necessary since the idea is to copy the image of a newspaper, you might decide that yours needs the durability of a heavy, coated paper text.
4. The size of the paper refers to the final size when the newsletter is opened flat. Avoid delays in printing by designing your newsletter for the appropriate size. If you want an 11×17 tabloid size but design the layout based on an 8.5×11 letter size, then your final product will either have margins that are too large or its also possible that valuable information will get trimmed because of the size error.
5. When you are ordering newsletters from a commercial printer, you may not be able to find a template specifically for newsletters. If this is the case, simply choose a template from the flyer list, or brochure list if flyers are not offered. Both of these provide folding and paper options needed for newsletters.
How to Integrate Print Marketing with Online Marketing
It’s no secret that many marketing venues are online that were once exclusively offline. Everything from television to brochures are online now. But does that mean that print marketing is dead? Hardly. It might not be as big as it once was because people now have multiple outlets, but that just means print marketing has to share the spotlight with its online counterparts.
People typically do their initial research about products online by checking out forums, review sites and the product manufacturer’s Web site. Some people do all their research online, but many still request brochures, catalogs and other printed materials from the manufacturer. People like to be able to relax on the couch without a hot laptop on their lap and just look through a catalog. The glare from looking at a computer screen all day is not appealing.
All of this means that you must integrate your print marketing strategy with your online marketing strategy.
Here are a few ideas on how to do that:
Use your print marketing to direct people to your online marketing. If you use postcards to draw people’s attention to your product and then direct them to your Web site for more information, you’ve just drawn people in with the information that would have been on a brochure for the price of a postcard. Since Web site hosting is cheap, you can put as much info on your site as you want and not have to worry about paying for an extra four pages of content like you would a brochure.
You can also cut back on catalog printing costs. Send out a 40-page catalog with your best products instead of your usual 56-page catalog and direct people to your Web site for more catalog selections. You save money on printing and people can still see all of your products on your Web site. You can focus your catalog on your best moneymakers and feature the not-so-popular items on your Web site only.
Create an e-newsletter. Include info that your customers crave, like how to save money on products in your industry and info on the best products on the market. If you already have a print newsletter, include a link in the newsletter for consumers to sign up on your Web site to receive the e-newsletter. You can build your email database this way and also keep in touch with consumers in the way that they prefer. Older consumers prefer to get their news in print while younger consumers would rather get their news online.
Include an interactive copy of your brochure or catalog online. Make it searchable so people can browse to exactly what they want online. Many people will note what they want from your print catalog and then get on your Web site to make their purchases. Make it easy for them by including a search box for the online catalog and making it easy for people to find what they’re looking for.
Picking Poster Printing Paper
Posters connect as an advertising tool where many other advertising mediums cannot. No matter how or where your posters are working for you, there is an ideal paper choice which can serve to protect and enhance your posters.
Card stock
The strongest paper type, poster printing on card stock is ideal when your poster may need to stand on its own without any support. Images typically are vibrant and rich. Card stock is excellent for poster printing when you expect to display your posters outside or plan to keep your posters on display for long periods.
Satin paper
Satin paper is still considered a heavyweight paper, but is the lightest duty that you would want to use for posters. Pictures and graphics are typically stunning. Satin paper is fine for indoor use and is a great value for your dollar.
Matte paper
Not quite as strong as card stock, matte paper is known for being ultra UV-resistant. In some cases, matte paper is said to be able to resist fading for over 100 years! Poster printing on matte paper will produce images of fair quality and your costs will be middle of the road for poster paper.
Glossy paper
Of the same thickness as matte paper, glossy paper has a shinier surface. Glossy paper also has incredible UV-resistant attributes. While slightly more expensive than matte paper, images look much more brilliant and vivid. Glossy paper is one of the most expensive poster printing paper choices you can make but also the most appealing.
Watercolor paper
For a more artistic approach, watercolor paper blends the best of card stock and matte paper. While still not quite as thick as card stock, watercolor paper has the same UV-resistant appeal of Matte paper with the strength of card stock. Images are fair quality, not as good as satin or glossy papers. Watercolor paper is typically one of the more expensive poster printing options, but allows for indoor and outdoor use.
Designing Brochures
Brochures are the paper ambassadors of your business. They represent your company, your products, and your brand on your behalf. With that in mind, the design and layout you choose for your brochures becomes essential.
There are a few fool-proof methods for designing brochures that you can use to your benefit. The father of modern print design, David Ogilvy, put as much emphasis on research as he did the artist side of layout. His tried and true methods can serve as a blueprint as you design your brochure.
Pictures
The first thing that people look at when they pick up your brochure is the pictures. As Ogilvy notes, the eye finds the graphic elements the most interesting and typically goes there first. You can use this to your advantage by doing two things: use pictures and print in color. Just because you do not have a picture on your brochure does not mean that a customer will not look at it, but using pictures will only help. Knowing that this will be the first place customers look will aid in selecting pictures that guide the customer through the rest of your presentation.
Captions
After the pictures, the customer will look at your captions of the pictures. Captions can be omitted, but using captions to highlight features of products or to emphasize key points of the brochure will only help to drive your ideas home. Keep captions short and to the point. Make sure they also are relevant not only to the images but also to the brochure as a whole.
Headlines
The next place that Ogilvy states the customer’s eye will go is to the headline and sub-heading. Headlines should always be included any time there is more than a few sentences of copy or content. This helps the customer decide whether or not they want to read the “fine print” or details of the brochure. Headlines should highlight the main point of the following copy in a few words. Sub-headings give you the opportunity to expand on the headline and divide the content into smaller pieces.
Copy
The last thing a customer will read is the copy. This is not to say that the actual descriptive text is unimportant. Unless the other elements of the brochure (pictures, captions, headlines) guide the customer to the copy, then the customer may never get to the point where they actually read what you have to say.
Steer Clear of a Calendar Campaign Catastrophe
If you are looking for a marketing method that puts your brand in front of your customer day after day, then look no further than a calendar. Calendars are useful giveaways that you can use to promote your company. Not too many promotions will garner a “Thank You” from a potential customer! When you give your customer something they will use daily and that will keep your corporate identity in front of them year-round, it is win-win for everyone.
Not all calendars are created equally, and that’s not a reference to the leap year. You can waste a valuable opportunity to reinforce your brand if you do not carefully consider the elements of a successful calendar: the right size, the right look, and the right branding method. Besides missing a golden opportunity, you will be wasting money on a marketing tool that is ultimately ineffective. The key to a successful calendar campaign is to understand your customer, and the following ideas illustrate several elements that will ensure you give your customer a calendar that they will actually use.
The Right Size
Calendars come in all shapes and sizes, but what does your customer need? Would a full-size desk calendar be the most helpful, or would a miniature calendar with a magnet that can be affixed to the fridge in the break room be better? Calendars can also be designed to be put on the wall of the office or cubicle. Maybe you need multiple sizes so your customer can make their own choice. Whatever size or sizes of calendar you choose to print, keep your customer’s needs in mind.
The Right Look
The calendar has to have an appropriate look and feel. If your customers work in a professional office, make sure the photos and the content you use are appropriate for this environment. Peaceful scenes and landscapes are standard fare. If you have customers that work in an industrial environment, high energy posters may be better. Think about using sports scenes with figures in motion. Your customer wants something inspiring that will complement their environment. So, give them what they want and you will have a customer advertising on your behalf.
The Right Branding Method
It is easy to get greedy at this stage. Of course, the natural temptation is to put your logo or other branding tools all over the posters. But keep in mind that your brand influences the look and feel of the calendar. Nobody wants to feel like they are promoting for another company. Be careful with how you integrate your brand into the calendar. Subtlety goes a long way. Consider a simple logo in the bottom right-hand corner of the picture or even along the bottom of the dates. Do not compromise the calendar by plastering your logo all over it as the result will more often than not be that the customer simply will not use it.
It is easy to ruin a good calendar campaign. Keep your customer’s needs in mind and design calendars that are the right size, the right look, and are branded carefully.
