Forgetting Call-to-Action elements: Once you’ve got them reading your piece you’ve got to tell them what you want them to do.

Bad grammar and no proofing: the whole world is working off text message language right now, or at least it seems that way. Don’t allow your direct mail marketing to go this route.

Can’t grab their attention in headline: Think of the last time you received a direct mail marketing piece. As a direct mail tip remember how you responded to one all because the headline was absolutely catchy?

No follow up: Do think about what after sent out a direct mail marketing to your target customers.

Bad Design: Have an up-to-date, user friendly design to present your business.

Poor functionality: Your direct mail marketing piece must do more than just look pretty. It must work towards getting the desired response.

Bad copywriting: Arguably the most important element of the entire piece. You’ve got to know when to be clever, witty, funny, serious, etc. Know your audience.

Going cheap on the postage: Sometimes it makes more sense to pay a little more to arrive a certain time.

Not integrating with other marketing: So many small businesses and entrepreneurs have missed out on the chance to tie in their direct marketing with other marketing efforts.

Missed opportunity to drive traffic to Web and blog: A follow-up to the previous direct mail tip, but today it’s a natural fit to use direct mail marketing to drive people to a Web site, blog, Facebook page, Twitter page, etc.

Looking like your little brother made it: It may not be the best direct mail marketing piece ever made, but it at least has to look professional. Remember, your name is on it and people will create a perception of your company.

Lack of branding: You’ve got to always establish and extend your brand identity, including messaging, design and logo. Make sure every direct mail marketing piece always reflects your company’s branding.

A printer that doesn’t understand your business or customers: A good printer can make your direct mail marketing because they may be able to offer great strategy and insight where you lack experience.

Paying attention to package size (too much will waste money while too small won’t get noticed): The answer to this one is different for every company, and every mailing. As a direct mail tip study your campaign, offer, incentive and customer to know which direction you should go.

If you are looking for more Direct Mail tips or guideline, feel free to contact Sooner Than Later Team.

Phone Ireland: 1800 766637
Phone UK: 0800 0968643

E: info@soonerthanlater.com

Selecting Information for Your Business Card

Name of Individual

Obviously you will want to include your name. This is probably the most important information to include on your business card and should be prominently placed on the face of the card. Try not to make your name so obscure that your client or customer has to flip your business card around to find it. A prospective client or customer will want to know who it is they want to contact.

Name of business or organisation

You will also want to include your business name. If you work for a large corporation, this will usually be a standard option when you request your business cards. If you are an entrepreneur or solo professional you want your client or customer to remember the name of your organisation and not confuse it with your competition.

Phone number

Most people list multiple phone numbers and typically they include their voice, fax and mobile phone number. However, with so many elements competing to be listed on your business card you should only include the most important contact phone number.

Email Address

Including this element is important to make sure your prospect can reach you and communicate with you 24/7/365.

Website address

Most people search the internet first in order to find the products or services they are looking for and including your website (or even your blog) address will give your prospective customer the opportunity to find you online.

Address

In this internet age, a physical address is not as important for web based businesses (of course that depends on the type of business you run); however, it is important if you want your customer or client to go to the place where you conduct your business.

Job Title

This element is becoming less frequently used especially for independent contractors. Listing job titles is more frequently used with large companies or mid-sized businesses that need to designate the job position or the department a potential customer or client will be doing business with.

Social Media links

There are many business owners who are actively using their social media networks like Twitter, Linked In, Facebook and others and use these applications as their main marketing and contact tools. You may want to include the top one to three social media networks that you are active in. Or you can just list one social media network if that defines the way you work. Don’t forget to use social media icons in your graphic design. They are highly recognisable graphic elements and can only enhance the final design of your business card.

Choosing The Graphic Elements

Logo

Company logo is the most important graphic element that you will need to include in your business card design.

Layout

The layout of your card includes the decision you have made regarding the placement of any object or design element that will be included on your business card design. It could be that you desire your logo on the left hand side or near the top. Or perhaps, you prefer a business card that has the information and logo design laid out vertically.

Bleed edge or not

This element does not refer to the roughness of the cardstock or potential paper cuts you can get from your business card. Rather a “bleed” is what graphic designers and printing companies define as the area in which an image or graphic element runs off the edge of your design. If you choose this element in your business card design, this feature needs to be correctly designed by the graphic designer you use as any mistakes in this area will potentially run up the final printing cost of your business card.

Cardstock

Your cardstock choice will determine how sturdy your business card will be. The rule of thumb is the heavier or fancier the card stock the more expensive the overall printing costs of your business card will be.

QR Code

QR stands for Quick Response. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded into the square can be text, a URL or other data.

Sooner than Later Solutions helps you to review, design and re-design your business card. Call our office

Phone Ireland: 1800 766637
Phone UK: 0800 0968643

or Email: info@soonerthanlater.com to find out more details.

Cover price €4.95 + €1.90 postage.

Subscription link http://www.subscribe.ie/Ear-to-the-Ground-151

And Direct Mail comes out as the top stand-alone channel. In the E.U., 12 percent of companies feel that stand-alone direct mail generates the most business for them, and in the U.S., 19 percent of companies report this.

More respondents favour integrated marketing as the best approach. 27 percent of E.U companies cited a combination of mail, e-mail and web campaigns as generating the most business for them (30 percent in U.S.).

53 percent of E.U. companies and 58 percent of U.S. companies feel that concentrating solely on electronic media would seriously damage their ability to generate leads.

Talk to Sooner than later today about Direct Mailing Marketing, our experts will help build the customised strategies for your business.

E: info@soonerthanlater.com

T: (01) 2844777

2D QR format barcode labels add interactivity to your packaging

Tips about “To Do” and “Not To Do” when using your own QR barcode

Do

• Include clear instructions on how to download a QR barcode reader with your QR barcode
• Include a short personalised URL for those who do not wish to use a mobile device
• Provide a phone number and email address on the printed piece and personalised mobile web site
• Test the QR barcode with a variety of devices and code readers

Don’t

• Link your QR barcode to non-mobile web pages
• Leave the recipient hanging without a next step. Make clear calls to action on both the direct mail piece and on the mobile web site.
• Use the same offer or call to action on the mailer and the web site. You want to advance the recipient in the buying process, not run them around in a circle.
• Make your QR barcode smaller than 1 inch by 1 inch.
• Skimp on the white space around the QR barcode. You want it to easily scan on the first try.
• Place your QR barcode on a curved surface, a fold, or too close to the spine

Feel free to contact Sooner than later now if you are interested to know more about 2D QR barcode.

E: info@soonerthanlater.com

T: (01) 2844777

All the prices published here are for example only and can be subject to change as dictated by market movements.  All print work is individually priced and often well planned work can come in under these example costings.

Full poster sizes reference: Click here to download Poster Sizes Reference in PDF.

If you want to renew, cancel, query delivery, buy a subscription for a friend / relative, then the customer services staff at Sooner than Later are happy to help you.

Or you can subscribe your own RTE Guide online at our Subscribe.ie site.

We also arrange the packing and posting of the Guide each week so we have a complete handle on the process.

Our broad range of services can be summarised by the phrase –

“Your complete solution to printed communications / mailings”.

To find out how we could help you manage your client / membership communications – call us on 1800-766637

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4 page A4 full colour on 200 gsm high gloss art paper.

• 1000 on 200 gsm | €249

8 page A4 same paper, stapled

• 1000 on 200gsm | €399
• 5000 on 200gsm | €1499

A3 posters printed on 170gsm gloss

• 200 on 170gsm | €120

All the prices published here are for example only and can be subject to change as dictated by market movements.  All print work is individually priced and often well planned work can come in under these example costings.

contact us info@soonerthanlater.com

• A5 single side | 5000 on 120 gsm | €165
• A5 single side | 10,000  on 120 gsm | €329
• A5 single side | 50,000 on 120 gsm | €1,650

Contact info@soonerthanlater.com