GCC Printing and Graphics

Above and beyond customer service leaves customers satisfied and impressed.  Customer service is essential for many clients in determining their overall satisfaction with your company. Most customers have little patience for poor customer service. Customers with a bad customer service experience are more likely to leave than those unhappy with prices. That’s a primary reason why 89% of consumers switched to a competitor after a poor customer experience.  Customer retention saves your company money. Repeat customers spend more and in larger amounts while also bringing in more customers. Customer service is at the forefront of keeping customers happy and coming back for more. Providing top-notch customer service is imperative for the success of your business.  Check out the qualities that make for great customer service.  1. Customer service skill: positivity Often, customer service representatives are dealing with angry customers. It’s impo...

In a world of online and virtual marketing, direct mail promotions are still going strong. According to a study by the Direct Marketing Association, direct mail has an average return rate of 4.4%, which is 10 to 30 times higher than digital marketing efforts. With these stats, businesses that are not taking advantage of direct mailing marketing are missing a large group of potential customers and clients. Below are five key trends in direct mail for 2022: 1. Send Out Postcards Direct mailing campaigns using postcards have grown in popularity, providing an inexpensive method to reach customers and clients. Postcards are affordable to print and mail, offering many opportunities for a quick turnaround and fast marketing effort. Keep information on the postcards minimal, to the point, and visually appealing. 2. Mail Out Gift Cards Materials can increase the return by including gift cards featuring a discount or special offer with direct mail. Gift cards entice recipients to...

Direct mail has been around for as long as businesses have been around. Still, social media is relatively new in our world. With that said, there are some things to learn from social media when producing direct mail. Take a look. 7 Direct Mail Strategies Based on Social Media 1. Test Direct Mail with Social Media. You can use social media as a trial for your direct mail. Before you print out a postcard, try using the graphics and text online on a social media post. Then see how the public responds to it. 2. Introduce Direct Mail Pieces. Use social media to announce your upcoming direct mail. Try telling customers to look in their mailbox for special offers, catalogs, coupons, and deals. 3. Do It Often. Social media has taught us that people like to see your information several times before responding, and this is true of direct mail as well. So, send out regular postcards, flyers, or mailers. 4. Ask For the Sale. Social media is excellent for offering deals and co...

Tait Shanafelt, MD , was a senior resident at the University of Washington in 2000, and he witnessed incredible burnout among interns. He did a study to examine burnout trends among medical residents. Their fatigue affected the quality of care and patients' health. How similar this is to entrepreneurial burnout. But what can be done? 7 Ways to Ensure You Don't Lose Your Edge 1. Burnout isn't a rite of passage. Recognize you don't need to go through burnout. It's not a rite of passage, and it's something to be avoided. However, if you are getting burned out, you need to stop the cycle and do something about it. 2. Spend your energy frugally. Prioritize where to spend your energy. You don't need to do everything yourself, and not everything requires your energy. Decide what you truly need to spend your energy on. 3. Document your procedures. Document your standard operating procedures. Then, if you need to hire some help, you can ensure...

We all want to be remembered, and those who succeed know one thing: Consistency is the key. “A report from Forrester says that 95% of customers use three or more channels to connect with a company in a single service interaction,” according to Grammarly Business. To get people’s attention, you need several routes and types of interaction. Businesses that brand consistently are 3.5x more likely to get strong brand visibility than inconsistent brands. How do you brand more consistently? 7 Top Tips to Stay Branded 1. Brand Consistency. There needs to be a similar message and experience for your brand. Brand consistency is important for every business because it directly and immediately impacts the perception of your brand and company, both internally and externally. If it’s not consistent, it causes mistrust among your customers, which causes them not to want to do business with you. 2. Remember the Rule of 7. Marketers need an average of seve...

The digital marketing age has become an essential component of any company’s marketing strategy. Since much of the world has moved online, search ads, blog content, email newsletters, and social media posts are relatively inexpensive and practical tools to increase a marketing plan’s reach. Although we find many of our clients and customers online, we must not forget the importance of having a non-digital marketing strategy and getting out face-to-face with our potential clients and customers.  What Is Offline Marketing?  Essentially, offline marketing is any advertising, marketing, or promotional practice using channels that are not online or accessible via cell phones, computers, or tablets. Though many do not always consider offline marketing because they feel it is an outdated practice, it can be somewhat effective. Using both online and offline marketing strategies, businesses can expand their reach and capture the attention of many more clients and ...

Product packaging can be just as important as your product. The packaging is what the potential consumer sees, influencing their purchasing decision. In fact, 72% of Americans say the product packaging influences their purchasing decision. Check out these five tips for effective product packaging.  1. On-brand product packaging  Your packaging should be a consistent extension of your brand.  Your brand is how your company looks and feels. Follow your brand style guide when designing the packaging. If you don’t already have a brand style guide created, now would be a great time to get started.  Your brand style guide is used throughout your business to create general guidelines for the look and style of your brand. It establishes colors, fonts, and much more to ensure the consistency of the brand. It should portray your brand’s personality and values.  Just as important as staying on brand is functionality.  2. Functional product p...

Offline marketing consists of advertising conducted through traditional offline media, including billboards, print, and in-person events. Although conventional advertising methods like these are all around, there are many things you probably didn’t know. Check out these seven facts about offline marketing.  1. It’s not online versus offline It’s not a competition between online and offline marketing as both have their pros and cons. Plus, your marketing strategy is usually more effective when utilizing multiple platforms, leading to greater brand exposure and returns on investment. Offline marketing effectively brings people to your business’s online website and social media platforms. This is why 58% of offline retailers use offline marketing to build online customer engagement without being too invasive.  2. Offline marketing is not invasive  As the market becomes more competitive, marketing strategies are becoming more intense.  ...

Business cards are a business staple. These affordable and portable cards allow you to share information with prospective clients and business owners to make a good impression and expand your customer base. According to Statistic Brain Research Institute, 72% of people judge a company based on the quality of its business card . Make your business card a great one with the help of these eight tips.  1. Make your business card legible It can be easy to get so caught up in the design you forget the most critical part: legibility.  If a business card can’t be read, it is useless. This means staying far away from color combinations that may be hard to read. For example, white on yellow is usually a big no-no.  Furthermore, avoid fancy or funky fonts. They may look cool, but it’s not worth frustrating your clients. Opt for standard-sized fonts and account for those with failing eyesight.  If you feel the need to reduce your font to fit everything in...

You might think that web design is entirely different from direct mail marketing. But there are many things web and offline print marketing designers can learn from one another. 7 Top Design Decisions Direct Marketing and Web Designers Share 1. Create a compelling message. According to David Ogilvy , five times more people read the headline than the body copy. It’s essential to use a powerful, bold headline telling your story and describing your offer or service. 2. Be clear and concise. Avoid jargon in the body text or on the webpage. Remember that being transparent and avoiding jargon doesn’t necessarily mean talking down to your audience.  Be sure that the product or service is appropriate and compelling to your target audience. 3. Utilize data. In the world of marketing, and mainly B2B marketing, the correct use of data can be transformative . Understand who is in your audience – what are the demographics of the new homeowners? This informa...

You know direct mail works and has worked for decades. But now the question is: How can you save money on mailing your next project? Here are some tips to make it more cost-effective to mail. First, make sure you don’t have duplicate or wrong addresses. Scrub lists on import for invalid addresses, zip codes, and state codes. Next, run every mailing through the CASS™ program and NCOALink database from the United States Postal Service. Mail advertising boasts a much higher response rate than social media, email marketing, and other digital channels. It’s also more memorable and, in some cases, beautiful enough to make people keep it for decades. Think of an old holiday postcard that was saved. Direct mail might seem expensive, but it’s worth it. Here are some things to consider when creating a direct mail piece. You can do some of these things in-house, while others will need professionals to care for them. Design services Copywriting cost Size an...

Imagine you were looking for a product, and you saw two boxes side by side…one that was plain and one that contained exciting graphics. Which one would you try? Of course, you’d pick the exciting one. So why not carefully consider what your packaging looks like? Think about promoting your business with your packaging. It’s possible and doable. 7 Steps to Great Packaging for Your Business  1. Establish your goals. Determine your brand values, mission, and purpose. Then work to build your graphics and design elements around those. 2. Reach the right customers. Identify the ideal customer so you can reach your target market with your design. Is your target market young? Teens? Adults? Elderly? How about style? Quirky or professional? Modern or whimsical? Think about what colors would attract and what graphics appeal to your target audience. 3. Determine your budget. Spend your budget wisely but consider that elegant items need elegant packaging. ...

In today’s world, it’s all about teamwork—people working for the exact cause to make the most significant impact. And it’s also about teamwork in marketing—using online and offline tools to promote your business. When the two hold hands, nothing can stop that well-oiled machine. 7 Ideas on Using Offline and Online Marketing 1. Cross-Promote. Use digital media to promote offline media outreaches. If you send postcards, use a teaser to direct them to your website. Use QR codes or other ways to make it easy to go online to your site. 2. Combine Efforts. Synergy across your online and offline branding is crucial for successful integration . Use the exact wording and images online as offline, so the message is the same. Then, when people check out the other type of marketing, they will know they are on the right page. Fortunately, you don’t have to choose between offline and online marketing strategies. Using both is more powerful. 3. J...

Direct mail is not a new marketing topic, but it shouldn’t be forgotten. It is tried and true and will be here for the long haul. Recent studies show that direct mail’s average response rate of 9% is higher than the 1% average rate for email . 9 Reasons Direct Mail is Irreplaceable 1. Direct mail is long-term. It’s something you touch and feel and need to think about before moving on to the next step of your day. 2. Direct mail is easy to understand. There is limited space if you use postcards, brochures, or even letters, making your appeal quicker and easier to understand than online websites filled with endless copy. 3.  Direct mail entices customers. Using a quick, direct mail campaign lets you send teasers to get your customers excited and curious about what you are up to. 4. Direct mail is customizable. You can use unusual die cuts, folds, tear sheets, or other fun printing options to make your customers interact with your marketing. 5. ...

You’re always looking for ways to improve your business. What better way than with print marketing? Below are eight benefits print marketing provides to leverage in your business. 1. Print marketing is cost-effective. Print is cost-effective because of its high return on investment. The return on investment of print marketing is about 13 to 1 . This could partially be driven by the way print drives people to act. About 80% of consumers act on direct print mail advertisements compared to 45% for electronic advertisements. Furthermore, we will work with you to find the best solution to fit your budget. Whatever you choose, it’ll pay off!  2. Print marketing has staying power. The best marketing strategy is the one that stays in your customers’ minds. The best way to stick in your customers’ minds is by utilizing a marketing campaign that provides advertisements that customers will hold onto. Print marketing does just that! Customers tend to hold o...

You might think of Twitter, Facebook, and email when you think of marketing. But did you know print is still a popular marketing strategy? That’s right. It’s tried and true, and it’s so much more personal than clicking a variety of non-personal ads. The Global Commercial Printing Market projects the commercial printing market to grow over the next five years , which means people will use this valuable marketing method even more. The organization predicts that 72% of corporations will use direct mail campaigns. Such marketing efforts are relatively inexpensive and are a proven strategy for companies to keep their image and services in the public eye. As a result, direct marketing is expected to continue its upward trend. 7 Reasons to Use Print as Opposed to Just Online. 1. It’s the most trustworthy. Approximately 56% of customers find print marketing the most trustworthy type . In addition, direct mail response rates are 37% higher than email . 2...

Understanding the employee life cycle will help you support your employees throughout their entire time with your company. It will also better help you to mitigate turnover risk, which can be costly. The average U.S. employer spends about $4,000 and 24 days to hire a new worker. Other estimates have the cost of hiring as high as $6,110 . However you calculate it, hiring a new employee is not cheap. Below are the seven stages of the employee life cycle. Attraction: the 1st stage of the employee life cycle The employee life cycle begins the very first time your company is exposed to the potential employee.  Do your best to make sure your first impression is a good one. Build a positive company culture and a brand that will appeal to future employees. Recruitment: the 2nd stage of the employee life cycle Recruitment encompasses the period from applicant to employee.  Although salary, job title, and job fit are all important, they’re not everything. Future e...

Loyal customers are extremely valuable. A 2% increase in customer retention has the same effect profit-wise as cutting costs by 10% , according to the book Leading on the Edge of Chaos .  Below are 10 ways print marketing can help you earn repeat customers.   1. Print builds trust; trust builds loyalty. Print is one of the most trusted advertising methods out there.  82% of consumers trust print ads the most when making a purchase decision. Customers who trust a business are more loyal to it, leading to greater revenue and business growth.  2. Loyalty programs … create loyalty.  Loyalty programs do just as they’re intended: they build loyalty!  Start a loyalty program by printing loyalty cards. This helps both your customers and your business keep track of points. Loyalty programs will turn the buying experience into a positive one for customers. They will feel like they are doing something good because each purchase gets the...

Myths can sidetrack your marketing efforts and keep you spinning your wheels. Be on the lookout for these common misconceptions regarding direct mail. Direct Mail Myths Debunked 1. Direct Mail is Dead. Direct mail is still a driving force behind a successful business. As more companies look to online communication, you have a better chance of standing out in the mailbox. In addition, direct mail paves the way for the recipient to fully engage with your content on their schedule instead of being a quick (and annoying) interruption to their day. 2. Online Ads Are Better than Direct Mail. Online ads indeed help businesses succeed, but what is also true is that direct mail helps drive traffic to your online site. Without direct mail, people tend to click away. Direct mail is permanent and begs for attention in the palm of your hand. 3. You Can’t Target the Right People with Direct Mail. It is even easier to target the right customers with the new lists and technology. ...

If you have worked with a printing firm, you have probably heard the words “bleeds” and “crop marks” come up before. But what does that actually mean to you, the print buyer? What are Crop Marks? Crop marks tell the printer where to cut the paper, especially if it’s a finished product, such as a business card or postcard. But there are crop marks on pages for a booklet as well sometimes. If you look at a proof of your project, you will probably see these tiny lines that go horizontally and vertically, giving the margins for your project to be cut down. All crop marks in the USA should be either one-eighth or one-quarter inch. Since projects are printed on oversized paper with bleeds, these tick marks help guide printers when trimming the print job down to the final size. What is a Bleed? A bleed is when the color or text goes off of the page, and the cut will trim excess color off of it. A bleed makes for a complete look as the artwork typically...

According to a recent global study by Logitech, more than 43% of employees are expected to work from home part or full time . Certainly, hybrid work environments are here to stay. And with the increase in remote workers, a smart balance of collaboration is critical. So, what does that look like? 7 Tips for Creating Successful Remote Teams 1. Space Remote workers will need a comfortable space at home to work in, so you may need to budget for a new desk and chair for their homes and/or be clear in your expectations of what you provide and what the employee will be responsible for. 2. Workflow You will need to make sure you are using efficient workflow and task management tools so that everyone is on the same page. For example, you could use Workzone, Trello, Jira, or others just as effective. Then everyone will know when things are due and when someone is done with a project. 3. Daily Communication Include remote workers in your daily communication. They might feel isol...