Whether you’re starting a small business, running a nonprofit organization or simply trying to increase your profit margins, sticking to a low marketing budget is a challenge. Putting your marketing dollars towards print marketing can make your money go further than any other marketing channel, and help you increase your bottom line.
Print marketing is a tried and true method of gaining new business, achieving customer retention and increasing overall sales or donations. By pairing some old fashioned shoe leather with taking advantage of low cost direct mail options, print marketing can have a higher return on investment than all other marketing channels combined.
To help you make the most of your marketing dollars we have assembled a list of six products that can be used on a shoestring budget to generate extraordinary results.
Business cards are the single most powerful marketing tool you can harness to help grow your business. Even a small investment in quality business cards can go a long way. No matter what your organization's purpose is, at some point or another you’ll be asked “can I have your card?” If your answer is “I don’t have one,” you’re missing out on a big opportunity.
In order for people to get in touch with your business, you need to make your contact information readily available. The easiest way to do so is to hand out as many business cards as possible.
The best part about business cards is that they are incredibly inexpensive. For as low as $20 you can get 250 of the most essential marketing item money can buy. One of the first purchases your business should make is business cards and keeping them in stock should remain a priority. Make sure that when someone asks if you have a card, you’re answer is always yes!
Like business cards, rack cards, commonly referred to as hand cards, are a very useful networking tool that can give people more information about your products, services or cause. Perfect for informing potential and returning customers, rack cards can provide key points about your organization and how they can benefit from choosing to work with you.
Like business cards, rack cards are also very inexpensive, so any business can afford to buy them in large quantities and distribute them liberally.
Brochures and flyers are another basic yet cost effective marketing tool that can help inform your customers about your business in more detail than a rack card. You have more room to explain specific products or services.
A great example of a flyer or brochure is a pricing sheet. Customers like to know how much your products and services cost, or if you’re a nonprofit, what you’ll be doing with their donation. With brochures and flyers you can give detailed product and pricing information so your customers understand exactly what their money is going towards. Flyers and brochures are perfect marketing solutions because they are portable and extremely cost effective.
Since they require no glue, and are printed flat, quick-ship pocket folders are a cost effective solution for businesses that need to present their clients with a collection of important documents. Placing documents like contracts, forms and invoices in one place will help ensure that they do not get lost.
Quick ship pocket folders increase your company's professionalism and help establish legitimacy with your clients. With quick ship pocket folders you can get all the benefits of the standard pocket folder at a fraction of the cost.
Using a branded quick ship pocket folder will, as opposed to a standard manila folder, let your customers know exactly what is inside. Conquest Graphics designed these folders specifically for businesses and nonprofits on a budget who need custom printed folders quickly.
Sometimes, the best way to generate business is by pounding the pavement and burning some shoe leather. But, no matter how effective your canvassing team is, they are going to run into businesses that are closed or homes that are vacant. The door hanger is one of the most effective tools to leave behind and let occupants know that you were in the neighborhood.
Door hangers are essentially rack cards cards with a hole and hook at the top that make it possible to hang them from doorknobs or handles. More than any other marketing material, door hangers are guaranteed to reach their intended audience since they are placed somewhere consumers can’t ignore.
The simple design and included contact information are crucial to making the recipient pay attention to your message. You can include things like coupons and a map to your location in your door hangers design to make them more attractive, informative and eye catching.
Door hangers are another very inexpensive marketing material that even businesses with the smallest marketing budget can afford. Although it might take some hard work to get them out there, door hangers work, just ask anyone who has used them.
Get the word out about your business to the people that matter the most in your market. Direct mail is a very powerful marketing strategy and can be implemented with even a small investment. EDDM is perfect for smaller businesses looking to increase their visibility in specific geographic locations.
What is EDDM you ask? EDDM is a bulk mailing option offered by the United States Postal Service that allows your business to reach potential customers without knowing their address. Simply choose the mailing routes you feel would benefit your business and your mail pieces will be delivered to every active address on your designated route.
One of the most effective uses of EDDM is to reach a location without the use of a mailing list. If you have identified an area you feel could benefit from your products or services, but has little or no exposure to your business, EDDM is an ideal solution for reaching those potential customers.
Newsletters and Promotional Postcards are popular EDDM pieces that can help grow your business exponentially. Both can boost traffic to your business by providing customers with useful information or giving potential and returning customers an incentive to visit your store.
Since you or your EDDM provider do all the mail sorting and packaging for the USPS, costs are cut considerably compared to other bulk mailing options. Even if you already have a mailing list picked out, it could be more cost effective to use EDDM.
No matter how small your business, even a small investment in print marketing materials can help you get your name out there, increasing the visibility of your brand and letting potential customers know who to call when the time comes. By taking advantage of these inexpenseve marketing materials you will see high returns on investment and increase your bottom line.
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