7 Business Card Mistakes To Avoid

When you’re ready to promote your business, there’s probably a great chance that you’re going to hand a potential client or customer a business card. Since this card should be more than just your name and contact information, you have to realise that many clients may judge your business on the business card alone. While some people just want your information and don’t care what the card looks like, you may find some people laughing if it looks like your two year old daughter drew it up.

If you’re thinking about creating some new business cards, here are seven mistakes you should avoid making:

1. No Branding
You don’t want to create a card that doesn’t have any branding. Think about this one for a second. If you think of larger brands such as McDonald’s, IBM, and Google, you can instantly picture their brand and colors, right? Well, you’re going to want to do the same thing with your business! Make sure that your business card has your colours, your logo and establish a brand.

2. Avoid the Photo
Adding a photo to your business card can often look tacky. Most people just want your card for your information and to see what your business is all about. They don’t want to take a look at your face that takes up more than 30% of the card. While many people do this, you have to realize that you should save this precious space for the business name, contact information and some white space to avoid that cluttered look.

3. Avoiding the Typical Business Card Size
Some people try to be cute with their business cards but what many people find that it can truly backfire. These business cards are a certain size for a reason. You have to remember that many people will scan these items at home and if the size doesn’t fit, you may be ticking some people off.

4. The Contact Information is Lacking
Your business card is all about the contact information. While you don’t have to have 20 point size font, you have to make sure that it sticks out.
Generally, people will want to know specific information such as your address, phone number, email and even a fax number. If you have a website, don’t forget to add that too. Take the preferred contact method and try to make it as large as possible. You will have to add other pieces of information on the card, so don’t make it too cluttered.

5. Not Keeping Them Around
When you get the fresh box of business cards on your doorstep, don’t just throw them in a drawer! Make sure that you’re always carrying them around in your wallet and purse. You never know if there’s going to be that time when you run into someone that is interested in your business.

6. Consider the Glossy Paper Again
While a glossy shine can look fantastic on your card, you sometimes have to realize that some people like to jot things down on your card when they do receive them. If you plan on writing on the business cards yourself or you’re thinking that other people are going to do the same thing, you may want to stick with the traditional paper and add gloss to just one side.

7. Where’s the Social Media?
In today’s day and age, don’t forget about adding your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles. You will only want to consider this, though, if you’re an active user. If you do decide to add your social media profiles, just make sure it doesn’t take up a lot of space.

OceanPrint.co.uk has up to 50% OFF business cards this month – see prices here.

To your success,

Jason Gill
01202 680743
jason@oceanprint.co.uk

COFFEE BREAK WORKSHOP: CREATING A CUSTOMER FEEDBACK SCHEME

When would you rather you found out you’ve lost a customer?

In a years time when they’ve built a relationship with your competitor or as soon as you’ve upset them? There’s no use delaying bad news. If you’ve annoyed them, best to find out sooner so you can put it right.

One of the best ways to get quick feedback is to run a feedback scheme. If it’s something you know you should be doing but haven’t got round to it yet, follow these 5 steps and have your scheme set up in no time.

1. What do you want to know? Sounds simple, but what do you want customers to rate you on? I’d suggest picking between 5 and 10 aspects of your product or service that you think are important.

2. How should they answer? It’s usual to give people a few tick box options to choose from like “great” or “poor”. Always have at least one question where they can write comments which they may not be able to fit into one of your questions.

3. Should I offer an incentive? Possibly. You may encourage people to fill your cards in if you offer a prize or discount. Think about whether once a month you give someone a free haircut or a free meal, picked out of the cards you’ve had returned.

4. How should it look? Keep it clean and simple an A6 postcard size is usually big enough. The Oceanprint.co.uk team can help design a comment card to match your branding.

5. Where to put the cards? If you run a cafe or restaurant, put cards on your tables. Run a hotel or guest house? Leave cards in your rooms. Manufacturer or distributor? Put cards in your boxes. Accountant or architect? Send cards with your invoices.

Call to discuss Comment Card ideas on 0845 077 9020 or Email support@oceanprint.co.uk

To your success, Jason Gill

Calendar Advertising

What a Personalised Calendar Can Do for Your Advertising

Advertising a business may require various strategies and products that should grab the attention of potential customers. With this move to win over clients, it is important to know what items would be the right choice for your promotional plans.

You might notice that there are so many tools being used nowadays that could be expensive or cheap depending on the materials used and how it’s done. Still, you must be wise in planning your own advertising set if you want to earn customers and savings at the same time.

If you’re wondering what item could fit these choices and can also market your brand all year long, then take a look at calendars. These tools can help you build the image that you want for your brand plus they cost less than other conventional marketing methods.

Here are calendar option we produce for savvy clients at this time of year:

Desk Calendars, Bookmark Calendars, Desk Pad Calendars, Wallplanners, A6, A5 & A4 Calendar Cards, Diaries…

If you haven’t figured out what calendar advertising can do for you, here are quick ideas that can help you:

Known as powerful marketing tools.
Think about the number of pages that items are made of. Now, imagine being able to place your product’s image and brief description on each sheet. You are not only having one material that would market your brand, but you are actually going to use 12 months which is stronger than the basic promotional tools. You can increase the chance of brand recognition and encouraging the people to try your offers.

Placed in visible areas.
One of the good things about calendars is that these are considered useful by people and they tend to put their copy on display. This means many would notice your advertising tools especially those that want to stay updated on events, dates, and important notes.

Handed out as gifts to customers.
Unlike other marketing items that you tend to distribute in a crowd, calendars can help you stay in touch with your existing or loyal customers. You can give these out to them as gifts once they have shopped with you.

These are just some of the interesting benefits that advertising through these tools can do for you. If you order Desk Pads, Calendar Cards or Calendar Bookmarks before November 30th you’ll get complimentary standard artwork setup for FREE

Call to discuss Calendar ideas on 0845 077 9020 or Email support@oceanprint.co.uk

To your success, Jason Gill

Bookmark Marketing Tips

Quick Tips on How Bookmarks Can Market Your Business

When it comes to marketing a business, you need to be fastidious with the promotional tools you will use. Aside from considering the effectiveness of each, your budget limits the scope of your marketing strategies.

If you want to reach people, provide useful materials, and advertise your brand while maximizing your budget, then go for a promotional print product like bookmarks.

These handy items for book lovers can be considered as innovative and timeless as they would always be found in books, pamphlets, or any reading material. These marketing tools can help you express your creativity through the design or market your brand using the available space for attractive advertisement. Plus, printing bookmarks doesn’t cost a lot – it’s an investment that helps you gain savings too!

Here are some bookmark marketing tips that can help promote your business.

Find exciting ways to use the items.

Aside from marketing your brand, give an incentive for people to use your bookmark. You may turn your ordinary set into business card-style ones if you wish to provide your contact details in a creative way. You could also add a coupon on these custom cards if you want to promote a specific event or sale. Just take time in planning and think about what you want to provide your customers with.

Work on your design.

Entice people to quickly grab a copy of by making exceptional and appealing design. Remember that an eye-catching artwork or layout would always make people’s heads turn and notice what you have to offer. If your tools deserve the attention of your target market, they will surely want to get one for themselves.

Give out at the right places.

Know where your potential customers are and find out what place would suit your distribution. An example here could be a book event, a school fair, or a seminar. Remember that these should be put into good use so go for the areas where book-related or marketing events are happening.

With these quick tips, your bookmark marketing won’t be a problem. You might even enjoy giving these out and add your set in your promotional kit. All you have to do is take time in making your project and think about the impression that you want to gain from people.

< Back to Bookmark Printing

Get Creative with Branded Greeting Cards

When developing a marketing strategy for your small business, it can be challenging to maintain a high frequency of communications with your customer, while still keeping your message new and fresh. With telemarketing laws and nationwide “do not call lists”, keeping in touch now relies on three primary methods: direct mail, email and social media.

While email and social media offer ease and little to no cost, they don’t “touch” the customer. Yet direct mail can be burdensome to consumers who receive tons of the stuff every day. Branded greeting cards are a great way to liven up direct mail, while offering the recipient something more personal.

Branded greeting cards are not only for marking special occasions, birthdays and holidays. Greeting Cards can also be a clever way to announce a sale or a new product line. Use them to say “Thank you” for a recent purchase, or as an invitation to a special event.

An off-the-shelf card rarely represents your unique identity, so it’s worth the investment to design a branded greeting card. Use your own logo and personalised message, and consider adding value to your greeting cards by including a special coupon offer. Whenever possible, include your handwritten signature or a short note to make a customer feel important.

OceanPrint.co.uk offers a wide selection of greeting card styles, perfect for any business. Experiment with different sizes and paper types, and upload your own photos, logos and more. The design team at OceanPrint.co.uk is always more than willing to assist you with your order. It’s a great time to get a jumpstart on your seasonal communications!

Carbonless Work Forms

For businesses in the service industry, repair calls can vary greatly from job to job. Whether you repair autos, home appliances, plumbing, or make general home repairs, an NCR Carbonless Form is the best way to create a work order that will become a lasting record of the transaction for you AND your customer.

In addition to your logo, carbonless forms should contain contact information for your business. Many clients will refer to an old invoice to make a repeat call to a service provider. Allow a section for parts used to complete the job, with columns for quantity, unit cost, and description of each part. Experts advise including a waiver on carbonless forms, authorising you to assess and repair equipment and releasing you from damages or liability.

OceanPrint.co.uk lets you create carbonless forms in various sizes and can help customise work orders for your specific business needs:

•  2-, 3-, or 4-parts, perfect for sub-contracting
•  suggestions for maintenance or future services
•  checkboxes for annual contracts or warranty protection
•  areas for including additional comments/details about the job

For help contact us now at 0845 077 9020 or email support@oceanprint.co.uk

Everybody loves a free gift

How do you think your best customer will feel when out of the blue they receive a useful branded promotional gift from you? Loved, that’s how.

Staying in touch with your customers is more important than ever before. So many business owners are looking to retain their customers and show new customers how much they are loved by working at it more than they used to.

Great customer service, showing you care and commitment to building a relationship are top of the list for sure. Then ring-fencing customers by finding ways to stay in touch, reminding them of your services and remaining foremost in their mind should be near the top of the list. A number of ways to do this include a Newsletter, greeting cards, Christmas cards, note pads, desk pads and branded promotional gifts.

We can talk you though ideas and have brochures of our Promotional Gifts range available to send you. So if you’re serious about promoting your brand take a brochure off our hands and find something to market your business.

Our top 10 promotional gifts are for branded pens, promotional keyrings, branded mugs, note pads and deskpads, diaries, calendars and calendar mousemats, branded bags and umbrellas with a logo.

Let’s get marketing… for a brochure call 0845 077 9020 or email jason@oceanprint.co.uk

PS. Keep an eye out for our Printed Newsletter which will be with our customers soon, it’s packed with ideas and tips on how we can help you gain and retain customers.

Writing Good Advertising

Too many businesses get their advertising wrong – and then say ads just don’t work for their business or they get a very poor response and so the business owner decides ‘advertising doesn’t work’. But as with many things in life (and business) a few small changes can make a world of difference. So here is a checklist for putting your next ad together. And these tips can be used on all sorts of advertising including leaflet and magazine advertising.

TOP TIP 1

Always have a HEADLINE

Don’t simply put your business name or your logo at the top of your ad. Create a headline that sells the benefits of what you do – the end result. Remember, you’re not selling make-up you’re selling beauty and you’re not selling leather sofas you’re selling comfort!

TOP TIP 2

Always have an OFFER

An offer will give readers a reason to respond. Your ad results will rocket once you start using offers. Naturally, the better the offer the better the response so try different offers to find what works best. But promise me from this day forth that you’ll never run an ad again without an offer. Ever!

TOP TIP 3

Always have a DEADLINE

An offer and a deadline go hand in hand – every offer must have a deadline. Otherwise there is never any urgency for your reader to take action and simply forget about your ad. Don’t give readers that chance.

TOP TIP 4

Always STAND OUT and get noticed

Don’t be boring, don’t blend in with everyone else, if you do you just won’t get noticed. Be outrageous, be adventurous, be daring and your ads will leap off the page and results will be – a higher response rate.

TOP TIP 5

Always make good use of photos

Quality photos almost always increase response rates – so use them! But don’t over do it. One great image will usually be enough. Even teeny tiny ads can benefit from a simple eye-catching photo. By all means use stock images but avoid at all costs the cliché images available. If you’re an accountant I don’t want to see a calculator on a pad! That is just lazy, remember, you’re not selling the fact you can use a calculator really well you’re selling results.

TOP TIP 6

Always have a STRONG & CLEAR CALL TO ACTION

Now they’ve read you’re ad, they’ve seen your OFFER, they’ve seen the DEADLINE now’s the time to make it perfectly clear what you want readers to do next. Do you want them to visit your website or call?

This is all very straightforward stuff that’ll have a massive impact on your advertising success.

7 Cheap But Highly Effective Marketing Tips

While global financial assets tumble, and everyone else panics, you have as asset which can produce growth rates that will leave most stock traders green with envy, IF you handle it right.

That asset is your customers. Your customers (and future customers) are part of the key that will secure you during this economic turmoil. Unlike shares and traditional investing, there’s no downside risk – and the upside normally ranges from a 50% to 250% return on your investment, regardless of the economy.

The first priority is what we call ‘ring fencing’ your customers. Money in the bank is no good to you if someone breaks into the bank and steals it. Equally, your customers are no good to you if you lose them. Strength in a tough economy depends on having a long lasting relationship with your customers. You literally have to ring fence them in. I urge you to make this a priority in these uncertain times. Here are 7 highly effective ways to do it:

1. More communication. You should at least double the communication with your existing customers and communicate to them no less than once each week. You don’t always have to sell something. Provide useful information to them on an ongoing basis. This email is an example. Stay at the forefront of your customers’ minds.

2. Every business should have a monthly newsletter. Ideally printed and sent in the post. It costs about £1 per customer per month to do this and builds tremendous loyalty. If you’re not willing to invest £12 per year on your best customers, you have other problems that need fixing.

3. Send your customers gifts. If the customers are worth a lot to you, send them gifts with real value in the post after they buy and at key times such as birthdays, new year etc. Books make great gifts. At the very least, send online ‘gifts’ such as special videos, reports etc.

4. Segment your customer list and treat the top 20% differently to the rest. For most businesses, 80% of profits come from around 20% of the customers. Whoever wrote the book about treating all customers equally was a twit. It’s nonsense. If you fly economy on Virgin, you’ll be treated very well. If you fly Upper Class, you’ll discover that Richard Branson is well aware that you don’t treat all customers equally. This top 20% are your greatest protection in a turbulent economy. Treasure them.

5. Get on the phone to your best customers. You don’t have to sell them anything. Just check in with them to see how they’re doing and if you’re doing a good job of looking after them. Expect at least 20% of them to buy something from you straight away.

6. Send a personal handwritten note to your best 50 customers today. It will cost you next to nothing and they will be stunned. This is ring fencing at its finest.

7. Sell more to your customers. This seems counter intuitive, but the best way to keep customers is have them buy from you again. When someone buys from you, you are meeting their needs. If you’re not forcefully communicating to your customers what you have for them, you’re letting them down and you’re letting yourself down. Your customers should be in an ongoing Marketing and sales cycle of emails, letters and depending on the business, phone calls. On average, it takes seven of these communications to get a sale. Most business owners give up at one or two. In a good economy you can get away with ignoring this type of Marketing. In this economy, you can’t.

Most of the above cost nothing or very little. One of the big myths about Marketing is that it has to be expensive. Actually, some of the best Marketing is Free.

NCR Forms

Carbonless Business Forms

If you often issue important papers to your clients such as receipts and documents when filing financial records, then use our carbonless forms at OceanPrint.co.uk for a more convenient and professional way of keeping track on all the deals you have made.

With OceanPrint.co.uk, you can choose from a minimum of two and a maximum of six sheets for your online carbonless forms, depending on your specific need. We could also do form numbering if you wish to easily track the pages of your carbonless forms.

We even accommodate binding or hole-drilling as part of our carbonless form printing services for added convenience and professional look.

By making the documentation process in your business much easier with the help of carbonless forms, you gain a favorable impression from your customers and clients who demand professionalism from your services. Invest in your custom carbonless forms and impress people who make deals with you! Let OceanPrint.co.uk assist you in making your set that could create trust and reliability for your company.

Continue Branding with Your Carbonless Forms

The printed materials that your company needs will run the gamut from letterhead to business cards to envelopes. While these are generally more prominent printing needs, there are other printed items that can be equally effective in developing a brand for your company. One such printed item is carbonless forms. Carbonless forms are usually looked at as a functional business need and are not seen for their advertising and branding potential. If you utilize your carbonless forms in an effective way, you will see how carbonless forms can work for you.

Uses of Carbonless Forms

Carbonless forms serve several different purposes. Your carbonless forms may be used for invoices, reports, inspections, receipts and more, however, the end result is always to provide a form of documentation for your customers as a record for your transactions. While some companies may choose to use a general carbonless form for their transactions, this is missing an opportunity. Your company will be perceived as a more professional and reliable company when your carbonless forms are personalized with your information. Perception goes a long way in the process of branding a company. The more developed your brand is, the more sustainable your financial goals become.

Printing your company logo on your carbonless forms is a way to continually promote your business and make can be referred to after your initial transaction. Studies show that the average consumer needs to see and/or hear a company’s name and logo consistently in order for that name to become a fixture in their mind. The goal is always to become the go-to business for your customers. If they continually hear and see your name they are more likely to only think of your company when they have certain needs to be fulfilled. This means you need to subtly insert your name and logo into every piece of business you conduct. Having your logo strategically placed on your carbonless forms is a quiet way to reinforce your brand.

Please feel free to give us a ring or email and discuss your business card printing ideas with us, we are happy to talk inks, colour processes, the pros and cons of each printing process and also the various thickness and styles of card that we can print on. You will find us knowledgeable about printing business cards and happy to help. Call Today on 0845 077 9020

NCR Carbonless Forms

Carbonless Business Forms

If you often issue important papers to your clients such as receipts and documents when filing financial records, then use our carbonless forms at OceanPrint.co.uk for a more convenient and professional way of keeping track on all the deals you have made.

With OceanPrint.co.uk, you can choose from a minimum of two and a maximum of six sheets for your online carbonless forms, depending on your specific need. We could also do form numbering if you wish to easily track the pages of your carbonless forms.

We even accommodate binding or hole-drilling as part of our carbonless form printing services for added convenience and professional look.

By making the documentation process in your business much easier with the help of carbonless forms, you gain a favorable impression from your customers and clients who demand professionalism from your services. Invest in your custom carbonless forms and impress people who make deals with you! Let OceanPrint.co.uk assist you in making your set that could create trust and reliability for your company.

Continue Branding with Your Carbonless Forms

The printed materials that your company needs will run the gamut from letterhead to business cards to envelopes. While these are generally more prominent printing needs, there are other printed items that can be equally effective in developing a brand for your company. One such printed item is carbonless forms. Carbonless forms are usually looked at as a functional business need and are not seen for their advertising and branding potential. If you utilize your carbonless forms in an effective way, you will see how carbonless forms can work for you.

Uses of Carbonless Forms

Carbonless forms serve several different purposes. Your carbonless forms may be used for invoices, reports, inspections, receipts and more, however, the end result is always to provide a form of documentation for your customers as a record for your transactions. While some companies may choose to use a general carbonless form for their transactions, this is missing an opportunity. Your company will be perceived as a more professional and reliable company when your carbonless forms are personalized with your information. Perception goes a long way in the process of branding a company. The more developed your brand is, the more sustainable your financial goals become.

Printing your company logo on your carbonless forms is a way to continually promote your business and make can be referred to after your initial transaction. Studies show that the average consumer needs to see and/or hear a company’s name and logo consistently in order for that name to become a fixture in their mind. The goal is always to become the go-to business for your customers. If they continually hear and see your name they are more likely to only think of your company when they have certain needs to be fulfilled. This means you need to subtly insert your name and logo into every piece of business you conduct. Having your logo strategically placed on your carbonless forms is a quiet way to reinforce your brand.

Please feel free to give us a ring or email and discuss your business card printing ideas with us, we are happy to talk inks, colour processes, the pros and cons of each printing process and also the various thickness and styles of card that we can print on. You will find us knowledgeable about printing business cards and happy to help. Call Today on 0845 077 9020

< Back to NCR Loose Sets < Back to NCR Pads < Back to NCR Books

Business Card Must Haves

Do your business cards fit in with the way you do business. Here’s how you can improve their usefulness as part of your toolkit.

Functionality – Being able to write on your business card is essential, everyone in business knows how important it is to be able to make notes.

Your message - A hard hitting tagline differentiates you and will speak to your audience. Your card should shout about who you are and what you stand for.

Professional email and URL - To be taken seriously you need a professional domain name. Not Yahoo, Gmail or Hotmail! A grown up company domain name.

Social Media - Include your Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and even your Blog URL. Show that you are an active participant in the way business is done today.

QR code - A QR (quick response) code is truly useful for the rapidly growing number of website visitors using mobile devices to search for what they need.

Photo - Show you’re proud of and stand by your business by including your photo. It will also make your card truly memorable.

Business cards can work for or against your business. What do yours do?

4 ways to turn a business card into a marketing card

Here are 4 great ways you can turn your business card into a powerful marketing tool – today!

If you really want to turbo charge your marketing material and win more customers then your business card is a great place to start. Why should company’s business card, which could be the single most important piece of marketing material be given less importance that your company brochure, leaflet or newsletter. It most likely going to be seen by more customers and prospects than any other piece of printed material your organisation produces.

So here at OceanPrint HQ we thought you’d appreciate some ideas to turn the oh so average, the incredibly overlooked business card into something of a super star in your marketing canon. We want you to consider turning your business card into something with the WOW factor and we’re starting with 4 easy ideas.

Social stuff

First off we’ll start with the obvious – but as yet still not on the majority of business cards – the Social media sites. If you’re on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and you want others to follow and who doesn’t want more and more fans, then take the opportunity to add the logos when getting your next print order. It’ll show your business is forward thinking every time you hand out a card.

QR Code

QR code, it’s the black and white square you’ve seen around made up of smaller squares in an irregular pattern. If you’re not sure what I’m talking do a quick Google.

Adding a QR code to your business cards is a great idea, once scanned on your smart-phone reader it’ll take you straight a desired website. This could be your website’s homepage or competition page or monthly special offer page – the opportunities for QR codes are endless. A must have.

Cherry-picked testimonials

Ever thought of having two or three cherry-picked testimonials on your business card? Well imagine that tomorrow you hand a prospect your business card and at the same time a competitor does, only theirs has some fantastic testimonials on one side. And perhaps underneath those testimonials it says ‘Read more glowing testimonials on our website today’. As yourself, which of you has already got an advantage?

Add a photo of yourself

Okay I know what you’re thinking, I could never do that, it’s really American. But just consider for a moment this scenario.

Your at a networking event and everyone  is having a quick chat then exchanging business cards, then having a chat with the next person and exchanging cards  - you get where I’m going with this – you’re having a great time your putting quite a few cards in your pocket ready to retrieve later. Whilst you’re chatting you’re remembering  faces, most likely at that time not actually interested in the business cards, but later, perhaps even the next morning when we lay the cards out on the desk to add to contact details to your database you’ll see the photo of a person you have chat to and immediately be able to associate the face with company and remember the conversation you had.

And if it is true that people buy people then that company representative is on their way to building a relationship with you ahead of their competitor!

More powerful business card ideas to follow soon… Adding a promise or guarantee. What makes you different? What do you do?

Are you building an online relationship?

Exciting Times

For businesses to continue to prosper and grow it is important to step out of the comfort zone and look to increased marketing, communication and innovative solutions with new and existing customers.

So many of our customers are now embracing the power of social media, we’ve recently created a logo and background for a Twitter page, given advice on Facebook pages for a business and posted a proof of a brochure on our Facebook page for the client to see. These are all things not typically considered part of the service a ‘traditional’ printing company offers – but we do!

At the end of the day all businesses offer a service, we solve a problem and whilst we all grapple with these ‘additional’ forms of media it changes the way we all approach our business life.  A good example here is the content of what we print. So much of the marketing material we now produce includes QR codes, logos for LinkedIn, Twiiter and Facebook. Many customers now look to promote these other forms of communication and build online relationships and so promoting this in printed material makes sense.

So these are for sure very exciting times for you, us and the way we all communicate with one another.

Creating Newsletters

Steps to an Effective Newsletter

Newsletters are an effective form of communication enabling strong links between your company and employees, as well as between your company and your customers. There are certain key factors to consider when producing a newsletter to ensure it is both effective and successful, no matter who your target audience is.

Effective Design

When designing your newsletter you will want to keep in mind that it needs to be appealing to look at. Color graphics, bold text, clean lines and intuitive layouts will make your newsletter appealing and attention grabbing. The more visually appealing your newsletter is, the more likely it will be read rather than overlooked. You can also employ the services of a graphic designer to help you come up with the right format. However, your printing company will usually have an in-house designer that you can work with, which is a great resource to have. A great place to start is to look at a variety of newsletters that you have received and see what stands out to you about each one. Take note of what works and what doesn’t work and try to incorporate the successful elements into your newsletter.

Short and Simple

We live in a world of short attention spans and because of this reality, it is likely that your newsletter will be scanned, at best. If you want certain key points to stand out, it helps to bullet point them and make titles bold. When expanding on your points it is also worth considering using concise sentences. This allows your readers to easily see what you consider to be the most important information. Whether your newsletter is one page or several pages, keeping your topics short and simple is important.

Build your Relationship

Your newsletter is a tool to help bring your clients to you and build on your relationship. If you provide useful information, such as tips and advice, your newsletter will become more valuable to them. When this happens, it is likely that they will seek you out to learn more. Providing useful information reinforces your position as the go to person or company when they need the product or service you offer.

Time to make a stand

Draw attention to your promotion.

Pull-up Banners or Banner Stands are perfect for grabbing attention at your place of work at exhibitions, networking events and give a real wow as a point-of-sale item. Our banner stands come in two styles, a standard model and a deluxe model which allows for interchangeable displays.

Marketing Tip: Using two banners at an event, one either side of an exhibition stand, can make an otherwise ordinary looking promotion really stand out.

To find out more about our Banner Stands click here or call 0845 077 9020 or email your details to enquiries@oceanprint.co.uk

Is Your Printing Chipping?

Chipping you ask. What’s Chipping?

If a dark colour is printed to the edge of card, for example a business card or card flyer, it may show what is called ‘chipping’. It is when little white chips or flaking appears at the edge of the card.

We see a lot of this at the moment as the popularity for business cards with an all over solid colour on the reverse continues. And the darker the colour the more visible the problem can appear. This is inherent in the manufacturing process, and isn’t due to faulty board or blunt guillotine blades. However, it needn’t be a problem.

The solution is to change the design or choose to add a laminate to reduce the effects.

If you would like any advice on your next printed piece we’d love to hear from you.

A Series Paper Sizes

ISO A SERIES PAPER SIZES

Successive paper sizes in the series A1, A2, A3, and so forth, are defined by halving the preceding paper size along the larger dimension. The most frequently used paper size is A4 (210 × 297 mm) and by halving the larger dimension (297 mm) the size becomes A5 and so on.

A0 841x1189mm  /  A1 594x840mm  /  A2 420x594mm

A3 297x420mm  /  A4 210x297mm  /  A5 148x210mm

A6 105x148mm  /  A7 74x105mm  /  A8 52x74mm

Top Tip: Testimonials

What customers say can make or break a company

Bad news travels fast, so if a customer gets bad service, you can be sure they’re going to tell others. And people tend to listen that bit closer when the news is juicy.

Occasionally, things don’t go according to plan – it happens – so to ensure potential clients receive a true picture of your business and service it makes a lot of sense to collect testimonials and proudly display them on all your marketing material (brochures, leaflets, reverse of business cards) and website.

Displaying the kind words of happy customers shows potential customers you’re worth doing business with, because feeling confident about your product and professionalism is big part of the buying process.

How do I get testimonials?

Just ask! Though it may seem a little uncomfortable at first, satisfied customers will be more than happy to endorse your services. And most business people understand that this kind of endorsement is a widely accepted practice.

Ways to get testimonials include feedback cards sent to clients, a feedback form on your website and simply emailing a feedback questionnaire. If a client you know doesn’t have the time, you could suggest writing the testimonial yourself and asking them to read and approve it. It is good form to ask for permission before displaying testimonials.

Remember, testimonials instil confidence in the buyer that you are a professional and deliver the goods and services you say you will. So be sure to add a testimonial to your next piece of marketing literature.

5 Print Marketing Tips

Here are some ideas which are sure to improve your next piece of printed marketing.

Whether you are producing a full colour leaflet, a postcard, a card flyer or brochure or pretty much any promotional material you care to name, the following tips are worth bearing in mind.

A punchy heading.
This will grab the readers attention, examples include: The lazy man’s way to riches or 60 days ago they called me baldy!
The 4 key elements include: curiosity, benefit, believabilty, self interest.

Not too much text.
Keep your message short, sharp and to the point. It is common to fill every area of white space with text but as with so much in life – less is more. After writing your copy try to trim it back as much as possible, very few potential readers want to read an essay. They simply want a summary of what the benefit will be of your using your product or service and what the investment will be. If need be hire a professional copywriter.

A great offer with a time limit.
To get your reader to act quickly include a time limited offer. Popular ways to do this are: 50% off this month. Sign up today and receive your free book today. Limited number of seat available so book yours today.

Contact details.
Ensure your contact details are large and clear. If you want the reader to call you emphasise that, if you want them to visit your website make this clear.

Tracking your marketing material is important so one last tip is to ask where any new prospect heard about you.

Investing in your Annual Report

Annual reports have many purposes, but should you invest in making them attractive?

Effective newsletters

Are you missing an opportunity?

Printed newsletters are a terrific tool for staying in touch with customers. With the realisation that very few of us read e-newsletters a printed version would be a better way to stand out and grab centre-stage.

Once printed they can be used for direct mail, included in magazines and left in the lobby of business centres.

Remember, retaining customers is cheaper than finding new ones, so find a way to stay in touch with the ones you have.

Use your newsletter to update clients on company developments, offer advice and tips, use to offer discounts and ask for referrals.

6 Tips to improve your print marketing

A quick checklist for success.

Here are some key elements which will improve your next piece of printed marketing. It could be a full colour leaflet, a post card, a card flyer or brochure really any promotional material you care to name.

A punchy heading.
This will grab the readers attention, examples include: The lazy man’s way to riches or 60 days ago they called me baldy!
The 4 key elements include: curiosity, benefit, believabilty, self interest.

Eye catching picture.
A great picture needn’t cost a lot but enhances your marketing piece no end. For great cost effective images see istock.com

Not too much text.
It is common to fill every area of white space with text but as with so much in life – less is more. After writing your copy try to trim it back as much as possible, very few potential readers want to read an essay. They simply want a summary of what the benefit will be of your using your product or service and what the investment will be. If need be hire a professional copywriter (we can recommend some).

A great offer with a time limit.
To get your reader to act quickly include a time limited offer. Popular ways to do this are: 10% off this month. Sign up today and receive your free book. Limted number of seat available so book yours today.

Contact details.
Ensure your contact details are large and clear. If you want the reader to call you emphasise your number, if you want them to visit your website make it BIG.

Tracking results.
Tracking your marketing material is important so one last tip is to ask where any new prospect heard about you or arrange and 0845 number or include a code number which would need to be used to receive the offer, that way you can easily track which campaign works best over the year.

Make your mark with a bookmark

Bookmarks make a terrific marketing tool and a handy one too!

Hand out at networking events or exhibitions, send out with your correspondence or simply leave in a pile on the counter in your shop, however you choose to distribute them they are a novel (sorry) way to spread your marketing message.

Improve their usefulness by adding a calendar to one or both sides or add key dates, opening hours or handy contact telephone numbers, really the possibilities are endless.

Looking for creative artwork? Feel free to contact us – we’d love to help. Supplying Artwork? We check PDF files supplied correctly FREE OF CHARGE.

Give Your Business An Unfair Advantage, Go Green.

Why go green?

If your competition started sending out stationery and marketing material on recycled paper, do you think it would give them an unfair advantage? If the answer is YES, then what are YOU waiting for?

Is it important to you that your business is seen to be doing it’s part for the environment?

Recycled paper costs have fallen and the quality improved due mainly to demand – which is great news. Papers are now whiter, smoother and bulkier and in most cases it is difficult to tell the difference between recycled and standard paper.

There is now a huge array of papers and boards available with varying amounts of recycled waste. So we’re sure there will be something suitable for you.

Marketing Tip: Changing over to recycled paper is a great excuse to get in touch with clients. Regular and relevant contact with clients, as any successful marketer will tell you is crucial for continued sales and client retention. Send them a Letter, Leaflet, Marketing Card or Mini Brochure which not only explains you’re an environmentally aware business but also reminds them of your products or services.

If you need advice on where to start with your design or which printed item to choose then one of our team will be glad to advise.

Need something more than a leaflet?

Flyer printing is ideal for marketing and promotional work.

Use as a mailer card, or maybe a postcard… use them for general offers, use them for special offers. Post them, include them with invoices, hand them out at exhibitions or networking events.

Designer Tip: Easy to mail, just add the address and stamp. Once sent, they arrive open and with a great design your message will jump out. It’s a great idea to add a special offer or calendar to your printed cards.

Premier Gloss Card Flyers are printed in full colour onto a 350gsm artboard.  Please contact our office to order samples.

Clients Will Read Your Message Every Time They Scribble Theirs

Once given as a gift a notepad becomes a daily reminder of your business and services.

Because they are so useful every desk cries out for a notepad. Have you ever noticed how possessive people become of their note pad. Heaven help you if you forget to return it!

A notepad will add value to your business when it includes your contact details, a marketing message and the benefits your service or product offer are in front of your client daily. It will add value to your client when you include plenty of scribbling space, a calendar and an attractive design which is professionally printed.

Marketing Tip: Calling to see whether your client needs a top up of notepads is a great way to keep in touch. Many of our clients hand them out regularly to clients and at exhibitions generating new business in the process.

Boost Your Profits Instantly With Regular Customer Contact

Printing is a hugely cost effective way to nurture customer relationships and reach out to prospects.
Regularly informing your contacts of offers and product or service developments you maximise the potential of increased sales and profits.
Digital printing is the printing industry’s greatest development in decades. It cost effectively fulfils many needs such as short print runs, speed and personalisation.

Best of all, there’s no minimum quantity required.

When great design meets the versatility and consistency of digital printing it can improve the results of your marketing campaign dramatically. A widely known aspect of this is the use of ‘variable data’ where printing can be personalised. A popular form being postcards where each card contains different images, different type (see example) and each card is also individually addressed ready for despatch to a specific recipient.

Digital colour printing gives you the quality of offset printing for short runs and the fast turnaround printing which on occasion is desired. Whether you need leaflets, business cards, brochures or direct mail marketing material our digital printing technology hits the mark.

Designer Tip: Putting genuine testimonials in your mailing will offer the reader reassurance.

Often the best way of choosing is to see it for real and compare the differences. Please contact our office to order samples.

Why add a QR Code to your business card?

QR Codes
(an abbreviation of Quick Response Code)

QR codes are barcodes that the recipient scans with their smartphone or other mobile device. The funny looking square made up of black and white blocks will display a website, voucher, or provide contact information on the device. Including a QR code on your printed business card, poster or leaflet can give them a unique look and add a wonderful extra interactive dimension.

The QR code here, once scanned, will take you to our homepage but could just as easily take you to a campaign landing page or special offers page.

To discuss adding a QR code to your printed items please call 0845 077 9020 or drop us an email and we’ll gladly call you back.

Why swing tags are a powerful marketing tool

Swing tags, are a powerful marketing tool, they add to your brand perception, increase perceived value, provide product information, and will boost sales.

Swing tags are like most other forms of marketing where the design and print quality can win or lose you a sale. I am sure you’ve been out shopping before and the presentation of the item has had a huge influence on whether to buy or not to buy.

All in the detail…

Whatever business you’re in, swing tags show your customers that you pay attention to detail and care about making things easier for them. Thoughtful design and attractive colors will set the tone and ensure shoppers will, on an emotional level, be full of positivity and therefore enjoyable shopping experience, which is exactly what makes a swing tag so important.

Save 10% on Swing Tags now at OceanPrint.co.uk

Deliver your message with bookmarks

Here are a few tips to ensure your bookmarks deliver success.

The first thing to consider is who your target audience will be. If you’re an author promoting your next best seller then ensuring you reach the correct readership is important. If you have written an IT how-to manual then the checkout at your local PC Megastore makes sense but if you’ve written a work of crime fiction then airport coffee shops would be best. A bridal shop might consider hotels. A carpet cleaning company would consider estate agents, furniture and curtain stores.

The next thing to consider is what your message will be and what the aim of producing the bookmark is. The very nature of a bookmark means your message will be seen over and over again and we all know repetition is the key to marketing success. So if you are a charity looking for donations then your readers can be repeatedly reminded of your mission and all the great work you do and ways to contribute. If you are an accountant then why not include key dates or useful figures for calculation and then generously distribute to customers, bookkeepers and at networking events.

Now, you know your message is targeted because you are distributing in the correct locations, and let’s assume you’ve also now decided what your message will be, then the next thing to consider is a call to action.Whether you are looking for sponsors, donations or new customers you’ll require a call to action, this is something which will motivate your reader to contact your organisation when the time is right.

Offering a discount on your bookmark is sure to motivate your reader, whether it’s a free coffee, a percentage off, a discount on your services or a free consultation. It’s a way to reduce the risk of them using your service for the first time. If you are a charity however, then a forthcoming event you are holding could be the answer. Another tip is to make your offer limited to encourage your reader to act sooner rather than later. If you’re stuck for what sort of incentive might work for you then ask around, asking a customer who is also a friend is usually a good place to start – just make sure you tell them to be honest.

Finally, a little on your design. A bookmark which is poorly designed is less likely to be used.  The shape of a bookmark means message brevity is important. A short headline and limited copy, attractive colors and quality materials are fundimental in ensuring your bookmark is kept and used time and again.

The OceanPrint.co.uk customer service team will be glad to offer advice and if you do not have artwork our in-house design team have the experience, the know-how and the latest professional software to work with you to bring your ideas to life. Our aim at OceanPrint.co.uk is to help your business succeed through printed and promotional media.

Save 10% on Bookmarks now at OceanPrint.co.uk

Presentation Is A Key Factor In Winning New Business

Would you turn up for an important meeting in a t-shirt and flip-flops?

Okay, so perhaps if you’re selling surf boards you might, but for most of us you’d ensure your clothes are nicely pressed and your shoes are looking good. So why wouldn’t you dress your marketing material as thoughtfully?

When it is important to you to showcase your printed marketing material and proposal, how would you make your presentation so the client has everything to hand in an easy to follow way? Well one way is to present your information and support materials in a Presentation Folder, with this solution all the enclosed items are readily to hand, easily presented plus at the end of the meeting can be handed over in an attractive and professional way.

As well as our ever popular standard presentation folders which come with easy interlocking flaps and business card slits as standard, presentation folders are easily customised to suit your businesses requirements – a multitude of options are available. Change interlocking pockets to glued, clear DVD sleeves can be included for providing clients with digital media. Velcro or magnetic fasteners are also available to hold the front flap closed.

OceanPrint.co.uk work to ensure printed items are easy to order and affordable for your business, we’re keen to create printed items which fit your business requirements. Our customer service and design team are on hand to create ideas which ensure you successfully communicate your marketing message.

Save 5% on Presentation Folders now at OceanPrint.co.uk now!

Festive times

It’s ‘snow’ important to get your message heard.

With Festivities right round the corner, now is the time to really shout-out about your products, events and services. It’s one of the reasons at this time of year we’re busy with our best-selling Greeting Cards, Calendars, Flyers (with calendars), 150gsm Gloss Leaflets and Business Cards.

So whether you’re promoting Christmas or New Year special offers, arranging a last minute Christmas menu or New Year event our flyers and leaflets will be just the job. Plus, if you’re out and about over the Festive period do you have professional looking business cards to make that all important first impression – in these tough times, dog-eared, flimsy, poorly printed business cards just won’t cut it!

If you need advice on where to start with your design or which printed item to choose then one of our team will be glad to advise.

Stay In Touch All Year

Don’t just stay close at Christmas

Every business today is striving to stay foremost in the minds of their customers. With the volume of advertising we are exposed to every day it gets harder and harder. Which is why a personalised note, handwritten and posted is going to have more impact than a computer generated letter.

Naturally this same principal applies to thank you cards, card flyers and postcards. Why not set up a schedule to send something once a month to stay in touch and remain close to your customers. There are a myriad reasons to send out something interesting and remain at the forefront of your customer’s mind.

There are the many holidays we all know well such as Easter and Christmas which are perfect opportunties to remind customers of your services and at the same time instil a warm glow about you and your team.

What about the rest of year?

Well how about Valentine’s day, pancake day, Mother’s day, April fools day. As you can see there are more than enough opportunities the create as much attention as you need.

Check our Special Offers to help you contact your clients regularly and move your business into pole position.

Full Colour Business Cards

Full Colour Business Cards Information

What are business cards?

A good business card is generally a small rectangular card (about the size of a credit card) that contains relevant information about your company and your contact details. It is also a good idea to have your companies logo and branding on a business card and make it professional looking, legible and eye-catching to stand out from the crowd.

When would I use Full Colour Business Cards?

A business card would commonly be used when you are introducing yourself to prospective clients or suppliers when you are networking or at a conference.
It always considered polite to only give out a business card when asked to do so!

Japanese Business Card Trivia

In the Japanese culture the exchanging of business cards is taken very seriously, it is generally wise to accept a business card with both hands and slightly bow when receiving it! It is also important to be very careful with storing the business card after being given it as this could also be seen as an insult if done carelessly.

The most common types of business cards contain the following information:

• Name
• Title tag
• Company name
• Address
• Telephone numbers and
• E-mail address

Business Cards, A Valuable Marketing Tool

Business cards are a valuable weapon in the marketing arsenal for representing your company or brand and even if a company has no other printed material with their branding on it, it is often the case that a printed business card is used to get promote their services to their clients. Ocean Print uses our expertise as a wel established and experienced print company to offer quality and good advice.

Brilliant colour schemes, multiple card thicknesses/type and full colour print processes are some of the tricks that we employ on the print shop floor to ensure that your company gets the best value for your print budget. Our experienced artwork and design team also work alongside you to create a great solution.

Full Colour Digital Printing or Spot Colour Process

Full color business cards inks, papers and materials are all things that our print company take into consideration so that you don’t have to. Ocean Print & Design can use either innovative and modern digital printing to produce affordable full color business cards prints, or more expensive spot colour process to precisely match your pantone branded colour. We also pride ourselves on suggesting ways for you to save money by using cost saving ways of printing your business cards in bulk prints and laying out methods.

CMYK Business Cards

CMYK or four color process printing. Four colours, which are cyan, magenta, yellow and black are combined in varying degrees to produce full colour images.

Business Cards, Card Thickness & Type

Matt, Gloss and Silk all refer to different types of finishes that your business card will have. A finish will dictate how your card feels and also looks and may even affect the colour scheme that you have chosen. Matt finish simply means that it is not shiny and is more like traditional paper or card in the way that the finished business card looks.

A gloss finish business card will look “shiny” and reflect the surrounding light, this will have a similar look to a printed photo. A silk finish will sit somewhere in between the matt finish business card and gloss finish business card.

Expert Business Card Advice

Please feel free to give us a ring or email and discuss your business card printing ideas with us, we are happy to talk inks, colour processes, the pros and cons of each printing process and also the various thickness and styles of card that we can print on. You will find us knowledgeable about printing business cards and happy to help.

3 Step Basic Marketing Plan

3 Step Basic Marketing Plan

Marketing your business doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. It can begin by simply following these three steps and taking a one step at a time approach:

1. Identify the kind of customers who could benefit from using your products or services.

A database is key to building your marketing campaign and a good place to start is with those who already use you. Within easy reach is a potential database of those who use you now; who have used you in the past and those who have requested information or quotations but have not yet bought from you. We’d recommend you start educating this group about all your services and products before buying a list. For the best results, a bought list should specifically resemble your current client database.

2. Create an offer to appeal to your customers.

Now you have identified your target market you will know what type offer of will work best. However, an offer doesn’t have to mean a discount or special price. Your offer could be a full list of services that your customers may not already know about, a catalogue of your latest products, or information about a new product. Think about how your products or services directly benefit your customers and create an offer based on this.

3. Decide how to communicate this offer to your customers.

You don’t need a million dollar budget to promote your products and services. Your next marketing solution could be as simple as using a local distributor to organise regular leaflet drops to homes in specific areas if you supply services such as carpet fitting or garden care. Or a brief phone call to establish a need for your service, followed by an introductory letter and the opportunity for the reader to request further information in a 6pp DL brochure.

Once you have a basic marketing plan in place, you have the tools you need to grow your business. It may not be perfect first time around, it probably won’t be, but it’s a first step and from there all subsequent steps will tweak, develop and hone your marketing and this will inevitably improve results.

There is rarely one golden bullet to market your business, in most cases it takes repetition and a varied approach to get your message across. Whenever possible keep notes of your results to see which offers works best, which approach gained the most responses, but whatever happens do not be put off, not everyone will want what you offer and those that do may not be in the market for them right now, so repeat, repeat, repeat. By staying in touch when they are ready it will be you they call.

Happy Marketing.

Coffee break guide to leaflet content

7 top tips to improve your leaflet.

Key to keeping customers, generating additional sales and winning new business is often a case of simply reminding customers and prospects of all your products and services on a regular basis. Often however, the first hurdle many businesses face is what they should put in their literature. So this month’s Marketing Talk is our coffee break guide to leaflet content. It is by no means comprehensive and is meant as a basic guide to start you on your way.

Sexy headline wins business
Grab the reader with a powerful headline promise or an attractive headline offer which will make them want to read on.

Tell the story with subheadings
Readers will scan your leaflet before deciding whether they should read on. Sub headings should therefore, spell out the main benefits of what you offer in bite size chunks. When read, great subheadings tell the whole story.

Easily digestible paragraphs are best
Short, sharp paragraphs which are easy to digest and remember are best for the reader. Aim for paragraphs which are three or four lines long. Break up overly long paragraphs with bullet points.

Are you a safe pair of hands?
Readers will be anxious about making a buying mistake, so your job is to educate the reader. Tell the reader why your product or service is the solution they’re looking for. Picture yourself as a reader who is keen to be convinced you will solve their problem.

Testimonials assure me you’re terrific
Testimonials from happy customers are absolute gold. If need be write them on behalf of your customer and ask them to agree what you’ve written.

Irresistible special offers
Tempt warm prospects to take the next step sooner rather than later by making them an offer they’ll find hard to resist. Vary your offers to see what works best and to increase desirability try making them time limited or restrict availability.

What now?
Think about the objective of sending the leaflet, what do you want the reader to do? Does the reader call for a free brochure and discount voucher, book a demonstration, call for a quotation or buy now? Make it easy for the reader to take the next step.

Dear reader, whenever possible keep notes of your results to see which offers works best, which approach gained the most responses, but whatever happens do not be put off, not everyone will want what you offer and those that do may not be in the market for them right now, so repeat, repeat, repeat. Staying in touch means, when they are ready it will be you they call.

Happy Marketing.

3 quick tips on how to improve a business card

Business cards are an essential business tool and need to make the right impression. Often the first printed item you hand out to a client or prospect and as such they should have the right information and be of the highest quality.

Be honest

If you are at an exhibition or in a networking environment will your cards stand out from all the other businesses, or will they be lost in the collected pile?

Do your cards truly reflect your business? Or do they give the impression your business is dated, uninspired and tatty round the edges?

Here are 3 quick steps to improve the usefulness of your business cards.

STEP 1. Create the look. There is little excuse for not having a modern looking well thought out business card. Even those in more traditional professions such as accountants or solicitors can modernise their cards but keep the traditional look.

STEP 2. Use both sides of the card. By using both sides of the card you create space – this not only looks better but moves secondary information onto the reverse of the card and improves readability. NOTE: It will not double the printing cost.

STEP 3. What do you do again? Many business cards assume the reader will know and understand what you do from your logo or job title. A solicitor may cover many areas such as: Property, family and matrimonial issues, wills, probate and litigation. So why not spell it out, why leave to chance that the recipient of your card knows all the areas your business covers?