10 Reasons you should use a local printer versus online. By Las Vegas Color Graphics

You’ve probably seen advertising on the Internet for discount printers that have deals that seem too good to be true. Most of these ads are for businesses controlled from boardrooms far from your local area. Using local printing services has many advantages over these large corporations where you will never actually deal with a live person.

1.  Local Printing Services Usually Offer a Quicker Turnaround Time
When you use local printing services, you will normally get a quicker turnaround time, so you spend less time waiting for your order to be ready and you will get your materials faster. If you use a national printing company your order may be just one of hundreds or thousands each day, and that can mean a much longer wait time until your order is finished.

2. A Digital Printer in Your Local Area Will Offer Better Customer Support
When you use a local digital printer you are almost guaranteed better customer support, and you will usually have access to a live person who can answer all of your questions about the different options and the best choices available so that you get the end results that you want. Large print companies with a national reach may not provide live customer support and quick resolution of any problems.

3. Better Communication
Most local printing services will have better communication between the client and the printer. It is not possible to stop by the physical location of the printer when you use a national printing chain, but when you keep it local you can stop by the printing business and discuss any concerns or requests in person. This means better communication about your order.

4. Build a Long Term Relationship with a Printer You Can Trust
One of the biggest reasons to use local printing services is to develop a relationship for the long term with a printing company that you can trust to handle your orders. You will be able to check your order for quality to ensure that your marketing materials set the mark for your type of business. A long term relationship with a printer could mean discounted pricing with continued orders.

5. Support Local Businesses in Your Community
Utilizing local printing services instead of using a national printer allows your company to support other local businesses in your community. If your marketing campaign is successful, this will benefit the local printer that you use as well as your business. Supporting your community is important, and keeping your orders local can help you do this while still getting top quality printed items.

6. Eliminate Any Shipping Fees
No matter what type of processes you want to use, whether you are looking for a digital printer or a company who offers other methods, you can eliminate any shipping fees and keep your costs down when you place your order with a local printing company. Regional and national chains may not have a local physical location so your order may need to be shipped a long distance to reach you.

7. Get Better Results and Higher Quality Materials
Local printing services will usually offer better results and a higher quality than a printer who has a national reach. Your order is more important, and the local printing company will not have thousands of orders to process. This means the business will take extra care, because your order is more important to them and they will take the time to do it right the first time.

8. Save Money with Competitive Pricing
Competitive pricing is a great reason to use local printing services. Many people mistakenly believe that using a large national printer will mean lower prices, but when you compare printers in your local area, you may be surprised to find that they can offer rates just as low as the national chains. If you will be paying the same price, you might as well get the many benefits that a local print provider can offer.

9. Fewer Hassles
Keeping your print order in your local area by using a digital printer or offset printing business means fewer hassles during the process. If there are any problems there is a physical location that you can visit, and you do not have to worry about being put in a long line of people on hold before your calls are answered, if the national printer even has a live person available.

10. Boost Your Local Economy
When you use local printing services, you are boosting the economy in your area, and keeping your hard-earned dollars in the community rather than sending them out to other areas of the country or world. Locally owned businesses recycle a share of their revenue back into the community. They pay taxes and employ directly from your area.

https://tpsgraphics.us/2018/12/04/10reasons/

Over the past few years, we have seen hundreds of companies build their clientele by using EDDM® – also known as Every Door Direct Mail®. It’s a postcard mailing service allows you to choose postal routes in your desired area, and then send a discounted postage postcard to every door on that route. This is a great way to communicate with residents and businesses in your target area.

Once you’ve made the decision to send out an oversized postcard campaign, it’s important that you send the right message with the right artwork. Below are a few tips to keep in mind.

1. Headline
Start the postcard with a simple, yet bold opening statement. (Headline) It doesn’t need to be very long but needs to attract attention.

2. Message
Establish why people should choose you over your competition. Have a clear understanding of WHY you are sending out this mailer and WHAT you hope to accomplish. There has to be more than “I want more business.” That is the ultimate goal but try to dig deeper. Do you want to introduce yourself to the neighborhood?

Do you want to bring awareness to families with young children that you specialize in kid-friendly products? Maybe you want people to know that you work with residential and corporate clients. Perhaps there is a specific product that you would like to sell more of. Whatever the goal is, don’t be afraid to let people know.

3. Coupon or Discount
People love a good deal. If you can offer a coupon or discount, people may be more responsive. I also recommend putting an expiration date on the coupon. Even if this is a discount that you always offer, make the coupon expire a couple of weeks after they will have received it. Adding the sense of urgency makes people act now, rather than putting the postcard to the side, thinking “I’ll get around to it.” Because we all know… we don’t get around to it!

4. Call to Action
Call to action! It’s so simple but so important. Tell people what to do next. “Book your appointment today!” Or “Visit our website.” Or “Don’t delay, limited supply! Visit our store today.”

5. Contact Information
How do you want people to contact you? Do you want them to bring the postcard into your store? Do you want them to call you or visit your website? Whichever you decide, make sure that it is clear and a main focal point of the postcard. People don’t want to have to go searching for your phone number. I also recommend putting it on both sides of the postcard.

6. Photos
Most people are very visual. Besides a nice headline, you need a beautiful picture that is attention-grabbing. Usually, the front should have something substantial that serves as a focal point, while the back can be smaller and less significant. Make sure your images are simple, not overly cluttered, and most importantly a high-resolution image.

If it looks blurry on your computer, it will look even worse when printed. There are tons of stock photography sites out there, with millions of images to choose from. If you don’t want to hire a photographer, don’t be afraid to purchase an image.

Also, make sure you know the demographics you’ll be wanting to reach. If the neighborhood you are mailing to mainly consists of retired couples, you don’t necessarily want to show a photo of a young family. The recipient may not think that the mailer will pertain to them.

7. Logo
Make sure your logo is clearly shown on both sides and will help establish your brand recognition and reiterate who you are.

8. Testimonials
Testimonials, a short bio, awards received, or any other information that makes you relatable and shows credibility is also a nice touch. If you decide to add this information, make sure to keep it short and to the point. And you don’t want to lose your viewer because they don’t want to keep reading.

9. White Space
Don’t be afraid of white space! A man named Antonie de Saint-Exupery once said, “A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Keeping your message simple, yet direct is much more important than filling the page with every bit of information you can think of about your company. If you want people to know more, direct them to your website for more information.

https://tpsgraphics.us/2018/11/12/eddm/