2015: The Outlook and Opportunities for Print Providers
Patrick Whelan
Automated marketing solutions for the print, direct mail and packaging industries. We make marketing easy!
Don’t rely on business growth in the next year to come from an improving economy or from finding the next great salesperson.
Print providers need to be the catalysts for growth. They need a plan and a strategy. They need to utilize marketing to differentiate themselves and give their sales staff a competitive advantage.
Client Retention: Overcapacity continues to define the industry. Too many providers and too little work means the competition is trying harder than ever to win over your accounts. Engage your customers frequently. Customers seek reassurance of appreciation. Take a cross media approach. Engage your clients a minimum of every 90 days. Ideally, every 30 days.
Lead Generation: New sources for generating prospects are needed. Leverage online marketing and SEO to attract and cultivate prospects previously beyond reach. Google’s Hummingbird algorithm makes this easier than ever. Add a G+ page, utilize blog content, and watch your page rankings improve. We went from page 5 to page 1 in just two weeks.
Content marketing. Content marketing has exploded in popularity. Marketing is now more about creating conversations than campaigns. But if your content isn’t relevant and engaging, you risk just being part of the marketing noise. Dynamic, engaging content goes a long way to helping foster trust and credibility.
Social media. Social media is now expected. If you are not fully utilizing it, you are at a disadvantage and your brand’s perception will suffer. Be perceived as being progressive and tech savy.
Thought leadership. Keep promoting your company as a thought leader. Your brand’s perception plays a big role in determining who gets the job.
If you would like to receive a free copy of “10 Marketing Ideas to Help Printers Prosper in 2015”, email me at pat@greatreachinc.com.
Managing Director at Corporate Development Associates specializing in helping print related companies with their acquisition or exit planning goals.
9yGreat thought as always Patrick. I always told my consulting clients that there are only four things you can do with a customer: Win one, keep one, grow one or lose one. A good 2015 marketing plan should address each of these. Growth has to consider current and prospective clients. Retention should look at stability and profit. Acquisition may use profiles built from analysis of the previous two. Loss needs to consider who's at risk as well as natural attrition. Marketing should be comprised of a wide range of media and based on a PLAN. Make the plan, work the plan, study the results and revamp. Always enjoy thought provoking posts. Happy holidays to you and the family.
Automated marketing solutions for the print, direct mail and packaging industries. We make marketing easy!
9yThanks for your feedback John. Always great to hear from you. I actually think that most printers do have the time and ability. What they lack is a commitment to execution. Especially when companies like mine can provide them with turn-key ways to execute marketing that are effective and very inexpensive. I do however agree that while effective marketing can and will help to top line, and to an extent, the bottom line, it will not fix other fundamental business problems should they exist.
President at Mountainside Capital LLC
9yJohn, Excellent discussion. We finance several printers and you are right on with your comments
Independent Corporate Director
9yExcellent discussion Patrick! I'm with ya my friend - on all your points. Bottom line: INVESTMENT for print owners. RUSH me your free copy of “10 Marketing Ideas to Help Printers Prosper in 2015”. Happy holidays.
Graceful Transition from Business Ownership with Non-Traditional M&A, Debt Settlements
9yOpinion: 90 percent of print providers don't have time or ability to implement these useful suggestions or, even if they did, the bottom line wouldn't improve because more marketing did not fix fundamental business problems affecting cost structure and viability.