Despite the fact that chocolate has been around since 1100 B.C. and strawberries had been found growing wild in Italy as early as 234 B.C., it was not until a woman by the name of Lorraine Lorusso combined the two in the 1960’s in her little shop called the Stop N’ Shop in Chicago that Chocolate Covered Strawberries were born.
Tag: Lansdale
Delicious Desserts
Welcome to the most delectable page in all of print!
Check back here every month in 2019 to get our delicious dessert recipe of the month.
We hope you have the opportunity to try some of them, share them with your friends and if you do – feel free to post about it on our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram sites!
Just another way we can bring a smile to our clients’ faces!
Enjoy!
How to Use a Clear Call to Action to Convert Customers
Have you ever wondered how lion tamers keep wild cats nearly three times their size at bay?
While methods have evolved over the years, traditionally lions were subdued by three tools: a whip, a stool, and a handful of tasty snacks. While the whip or snacks make sense, perhaps you wonder why a stool was used (instead of a sword or a flame, for example)?
How can a small piece of furniture intimidate the king of all cats?
The truth is, the lion is not afraid of the chair, he’s confused by the multiple points on its legs. Cats are single-minded creatures, and the bobbing points of the chair legs confuse the lion into a less focused state. When the lion loses its train of thought, it is distracted from the instinct to pounce on a weaker opponent.
Muddled Communication Can Paralyze Your Prospects
Ever try to rush your kids through breakfast and get stuck at the cereal cupboard?
As they browse a shelf of eight boxes, they slump and groan: “There’s nothing to eat!” What started as a hurry-up turns into a traffic jam. You vow that next time, you’ll only offer toast and Cheerios.
When we don’t give customers a simple, singular call to action, they may also fall into decision fatigue.
Does your website or your print materials overwhelm customers with possibilities?
Psychologist Sheena Iyengar, a professor at Columbia Business School, co-authored a study that showed significantly more conversions happened when shoppers had fewer options. In her example, shoppers had to choose from a display with six different flavors of jam versus a display with 24 different flavors of jam. How did they compare? The conversion rate for the six-flavor table was 30%, while the 24-flavor table was only 3%.
Analysis can lead to paralysis!
What about your method for calling prospects to action? Does your advertisement ask them to commit to a 30-day trial AND use a customer discount code DURING a selected 14-day window? Does your podcast ask people to share with a friend, AND subscribe, AND download previous episodes (all in one breath)?
Perhaps you need to take a step back and use these three evaluation tools:
1. Know Your Main Goal
When you ask people to do several tasks at once (like visiting your website and joining your e-mail list), you’ve probably overshadowed your main goal with several smaller goals.
Focus on one main goal for customer conversion, and use customer loyalty programs down the road to call customers to greater steps of engagement or loyalty.
2. Test Action Statements in Advance
If your communication is a mist in the office, it’s probably a fog on the streets. To determine which CTAs are crystal clear, run some A/B tests with sample customers and find out which ones are generating momentum.
3. Pack Some Punch
Start call to action statements with a strong command verb, like buy, shop, order, subscribe, or win. Use concise phrases that build enthusiasm.
Which of these CTA statements excites you more? “Consider many of our 200 exciting destination possibilities,” or “Plan your dream vacation today!”
Keep things sweet, simple, and customer-focused. Once they take the bait you can always present them with more!
Choosing a Local Printer
I was recently asked by a prospective client the value of printing their sales and marketing materials with a local printer vs. going online. The following is a list of five advantages why using a local printer is a wise decision.
Avoid Miscommunication
- Fast Turnaround – Especially Tight Deadlines
Many online services boast nationwide printing and shipping capabilities that help reduce costs. Too many people are concerned only with cost. This is a great sales pitch, and they may be able to produce a good product. However, we often find that processing and shipping times are long, with absolutely no guarantee that your order will arrive in time for your event.
We have also heard of cases in which an order was damaged or destroyed in transit. What a potential nightmare! At PrintWorks we treat every client and project, large or small, with great attention and care. You don’t have to worry about your order arriving on time, or damaged. For local clients, we personally see to the delivery with our in-house delivery service.
- Great Customer Service and Support
Working with a local printer provides the opportunity to sit down with the person handling your work and talk through your ideas. We carefully consider your goals as we discuss the project with you to be certain you get the results you’re hoping for. You’ll have an opportunity to see and touch available papers, to ensure you receive exactly what you want. What’s more, you’ll be able to tap into the years and years of experience that the local source has to offer!
Don’t Pass Up Trade Show Marketing
Like any business, you probably use a wide range of marketing materials in an attempt to spread your message far and wide.
Even though you rely heavily on the print techniques that have worked so well in the past, you’ve probably also branched out into the wonderful world of social media and digital marketing.
But one marketing opportunity remains largely untapped by many businesses.
That opportunity is the trade show, which brings with it a wide range of opportunities you can’t ignore.
There Are Few Better Ways to Engage Than at a Trade Show
One challenge of any marketing campaign is grabbing the attention of your target audience.
In a lot of cases, those who receive your mailers or who see your posts on social media aren’t necessarily looking for your particular product or service at that time, which means you not only have to grab hold of their attention in a meaningful way, but you also need to do whatever it takes to maintain their attention until they are ready to buy.
In contrast, a trade show is essentially the exact opposite situation.
Trade shows, by their very nature, are designed to bring both consumers and businesses together in a venue where interaction is the name of the game.
You don’t have to struggle to grab their attention — they’ve shown they’re already willing to give it to you just by walking through the door.
As a result,
trade shows are excellent opportunities to create lasting impressions.
The 4 Key Steps to Successful Branding
Here’s your marketing truth for the day:
Branding is one of the most powerful weapons you have in your quest to attract the widest possible audience and differentiate yourself from your competitors in a meaningful way.
Though the kind of brand you’re trying to build may change as your company grows and evolves, the steps used create and cultivate that brand won’t.
Here are 4 key steps to successful branding that will be useful today and remain useful for a lifetime.
Keep Your Customers in Mind
Just like you wouldn’t try to offer a service or release a product you know your target audience doesn’t want, don’t brand yourself in a way that wouldn’t appeal to your customers.
To keep your customers in mind, ask yourself these questions and continue to address and re-address them as you move forward in the planning of your marketing and branding strategy.
Do your target customers respond well to direct mail materials?
Are they the type of people who like “larger than life” materials like print billboards?
Keep It Simple
One of the main keys to successful branding is the ability to clearly communicate the company’s core values.
But remember to keep it simple.
Never use ten words when five will suffice.
In some instances, you may not have to use words at all if you are able to communicate the idea behind what your brand stands for in an image.
Take It Slow
Though your brand may naturally evolve as your business changes and grows, you still need to take things slowly.
If all of your marketing materials reflect one version of your brand in Quarter 1 but then a completely different version in Quarter 4, you’re going to end up developing a schizophrenic reputation among your target market.
If you make too many quick changes changes that are too, you risk confusing your brand with itself and creating the idea that you’re actually two different companies.