Printing for Less

At Printing for Less, we've offered high quality online printing services since 1996. Shop business cards, booklets, stickers, and more!

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Why You Need Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM)®

EDDM, or Every Door Direct Mail, makes local marketing easy, affordable and effective. Attract customers from a specific area with this offering by the USPS. All you have to do is choose from one of four official mailing sizes, a zip code and you’re almost there. You don’t even need an address list!

Got an event, or new offering that a neighborhood should know? Watch and learn more how to make the magic of Every Door Direct Mail work for you. We’ve also included some top printing tips and tricks to make your marketing efforts go the extra mile for your business.

Need help with your print? Talk to a live print expert today: 800-930-7978.

Print-Powered Small Business: MAP Brewing

Did you look down at the bar last time you sipped on a microbrew? More love goes into those coasters and menus than you may realize. Every last detail counts big when it comes to making happy customers. Small business owners know that better than most. That’s why we took a trip to Bozeman’s beautiful MAP Brewing to hear how print can impact your business straight from its founder, Dash Rodman.

Watch and learn how high-quality, custom printing can impact your small business, from coasters and menus, to table tents, packaging, flyers and more. Cheers!

Need help with your print? Talk to a live print expert today: 800-930-7978.

First Impressions Count: Use Short-Run Packaging to Make a Splash

short run packaging labels

Packaging is a critical piece of the marketing mix. It is the first impression you make on a customer, so how it looks, feels and how well it’s made all contribute to the first impression of what’s inside. Some customers are more interested in packaging, sure, but everyone judges you by the package you choose, even if unconsciously.

For small and medium-sized businesses, finding an affordable solution for packaging your products can be a challenge. Boxes aren’t cheap! But there are some solutions for short-run packaging.

Promotional Packaging: Quick, Affordable, Personalized

At Printing for Less we’re always trying to push the envelope (pardon our pun) when it comes to innovative printing and mailing options and we’ve perfected an affordable solution for packaging: promotional packaging.

Our special packaging is built on three ideas: it should fast, affordable and easily personalized. Here’s how we do it:

  • We print your artwork (which can be personalized for each customer) on a large sheet of high-quality material (it’s called Invercote, think of it as something between cardboard and paper).
  • It is lightweight but durable, and it adheres to our stringent requirements for color and detail.
  • We perforated shapes for your box and add peel-and-stick tape at the right spots.
  • You just tear off the boxes, peel back the tape on the edges, fold it together and you’ve got a package.

This approach is designed for very short runs – it isn’t cost effective for you to assemble thousand of these on your own! So who can use Printing for Less’s promotional packaging? Well, plenty of people.

Perfect Packaging for Handcrafts

Promotional packaging is perfect for handcrafted products that are at home on Etsy and similar sites. Here are some of the ways our customers are using short-run packaging:

  • Soapmakers: The Pillow Box is perfect for cradling your creation! Add your custom branding, design and flair to your creation and have a product that pops inside and out.
  • Business card holders: Your business card is your first line of communications to your clients. Protect your investment with a custom business card holder
  • Jewelry makers: These easy-to-assemble packages are perfect for your bespoke creations! They can fit anything from necklaces to rings and earrings.

pillow box packaging

Affordable, Fast Prototype Packaging

Need a prototype packaging for a meeting? Need to do a market sample test ASAP? Promotional packaging can be a lifesaver.

  • Fast turnaround time: We can print, proof and deliver your packages in as little as three business days.
  • Test multiple versions: A/B test versions of your artwork, logos and more.
  • Personalized artwork: Change artwork, text, and designs based on customer data.
  • Affordable: Designed for short runs, you can create unique prototypes that hit budget.

Variable Data, Personalized Packages

Printing for Less’s promotional packaging takes advantage of innovative digital printing. This means you can tap into the power of variable data printing. If you have the data, Printing for Less can use it to trigger what changes in your artwork, from text to images to the entire design.

  • Change text on the packaging to reference customer names, birth dates and other details.
  • Swap out images based on customer preferences, past purchases, or, well, anything!
  • Change the entire art file for the packaging based on demographics, geography or anything else you can dream up.

variable data packaging example

If you want a simple, affordable solution for your packaging, see if our short-run options will be right for you. Check out our site here, or just give us a call. We’ll answer all your questions about cost, production time and most importantly: if this will work for you.

Need help with your print? Talk to a live print expert today: 800-930-7978.

Big Sky: Big Ideas 2017 – The Next Frontier in Customer Engagement

big sky big ideas 2017 Welcome to the Next Frontier in Customer Engagement

Montana technology company Printing for Less is proud to announce the initial speaker lineup for its second annual Big Sky: Big Ideas Customer Engagement Summit. Salesforce VP of Strategic Research Peter Coffee will keynote and spearhead the event’s discussion, alongside Printing for Less Founder and CEO Andrew Field. Additional speakers include Marketo GVP of Strategy Tawheed Kader; Tara-Nicholle Nelson, Author, The Transformational Consumer; ThriftBooks VP of Sales and Marketing Nicole Cox and Montana’s own Devin B. Holmes, Founder of Big Sky Code Academy.

To be held in Bozeman, Montana, on October 5, the event will bring local and national thought leaders together to discuss and reimagine customer engagement, the future of business and the power of technology to build a better world.

“We live in this crazy digital, mobile, social world, and have infinite channels. You can’t blast your way through it,” says Printing for Less CEO and Founder Andrew Field. “We know mass-market is dead, or dying, and as marketers we need to find innovative ways to create customer engagement. Printing for Less helps marketers deliver authentic and personalized customer experiences that drive engagement, and we look forward to connecting with other disruptors who recognize the power of this change.”

A Montana born-and-raised company, Printing for Less believes there’s no place like the Mountain West to explore new ways of thinking. Big Sky: Big Ideas invites attendees to leave the beaten path and see Yellowstone National Park as few ever will — with their own backcountry guide. The park is located less than an hour from Printing for Less’s headquarters in Livingston, Montana, and just an hour and a half from Bozeman.

“We decided the Livingston/Bozeman area was the perfect place to bring together the best minds in business and technology to create a brighter future for ourselves, our customers and our broader community,” says Printing for Less Chief Evangelist Marne Reed.

Founded in 1996, Printing for Less has been at the forefront of the booming Montana technology scene for more than two decades. The country’s first online printer, Printing for Less is today a pioneer of Tactile Marketing Automation.

A private Printing for Less Executive Forum, held in part at the Printing for Less headquarters, will begin Thursday, October 4 and run for two days throughout the Customer Engagement Summit. At this invite-only event, Printing for Less customers and prospects will collaborate to share best practices, tactics and a path towards the future of customer engagement.

October 5, 2017

Bozeman and Livingston, MT

www.bigskybigideas.com

Event Agenda: www.bigskybigideas.com/agenda

Need help with your print? Talk to a live print expert today: 800-930-7978.

 

5 Tips to Maximize Your Holiday Marketing Efforts

holiday card example Holiday marketing? You may wonder why it’s a topic now, as you sip iced tea on your porch and enjoy the summer. But it is never too early to start thinking about your holiday marketing planning! No matter what kind of business you run, it is important to plan ahead for the holiday shopping season frenzy. The last thing that you want is to be left high and dry, missing out on a key promotional period while your peers are reaping the rewards. Here are some tips that will help you crush the holiday season.

1. Push catalogs out early. Let’s talk about everyone’s favorite demographic: Millennials. Millennials have tremendous buying power and discretionary income, making them a highly desirable d. They respond astonishingly well to direct mail campaigns, with 77% of millennials paying attention to direct mail advertising, 90% believing it to be reliable and 87% reporting that they like to receive direct mail, according to the DMA. Sending millennials catalogs for your products is a great to get your products in the hands of those who will buy. Check out our nifty catalog guide here for more information and inspiration.

2. Every Door Delivery. Another fantastic way of getting your message into the hands of your customers in a geographical area is to use Every Door Direct mail (EDDM). EDDM is a method of sending your direct mail collateral out on specific mail routes with the post office, allowing you to blanket a geographical area in your messaging. See Templates for EDDM® mailers here. One tried and true piece of collateral is the postcard. Whether you choose standard sizes or opt for a large version, a vibrant postcard with a strong call to action will make an impression and bring results. If you haven’t designed a postcard before, take the time to learn some of the recommendations and best practices for building a strong piece. Our EDDM® Success Kit is a great place to see examples, learn best practices and understand how to track the impact your campaign has on business.

39 cent stamp design

3. Calendars: The gift that keeps on giving. Calendars are one of our favorite printed pieces. They provide a great amount of value to customers, and they allow your branding to be top of mind every day of the year. Want to increase brand engagement with your customers? Hold a photo submission contest. Any way you look at it, calendars are a sure fire win. Check out the best calendars in the game here.

4. Get clear on your goals. Recognize your KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) to track the success of your campaigns. It’s a crucial part of any campaign, as you need to know where your marketing dollars are going and how they attribute to revenue generated for your business. That being said, it can be confusing to know where to start when it comes to tracking direct mail campaigns. Our favorite way is to employ Variable Data Printing (VDP) to serve each customer with a specific coupon code that tracks who redeems them. Learn more about VDP here.

now open sign
5. Small Business Saturdays. Small Business Saturday is quickly becoming one of the best shopping extravaganzas of the entire year, and consumers increasingly take advantage of its savings like never before. In order to maximize your efforts for this gold rush, remind your customers of the potential deals and savings they could snag while visiting your store. Remind customers of store hours, provide them with coupons and ultimately drive buying behavior. Send your flyers out to postal routes in your area with EDDM, and get ready for a surefire hit. 

We hope that you’ll be able to take advantage of these tips and tricks to make the most out of your holiday marketing efforts. Want some more ideas to make this holiday season? Talk to a live print expert today: 800-930-7978. We would love to help you plan ahead for your most successful holiday season yet.

This Trick Will Make Your Print Marketing More Effective

Personalize your print with Variable Data Printing

Personalized marketing feels impossible in a world of infinite choices. Customers control the conversation, and even small and medium-sized businesses have to recognize and adapt to this new landscape. One thing remains constant, however, and smart marketing takes notice: everyone wants the VIP treatment. Creating relevant messages for targeted audiences is the crux of marketing, but without the proper toolkit, it can be a daunting task.

Spray and pray marketing is a waste. Sure, digital technology makes it easier to spray more and pray harder, but what’s the point? You want quality results from your marketing dollar (are you making at least $3 for every $1 you spend?) and customers don’t want to sift through junk. Maybe the answer is going old-school.

We love direct mail, and studies show that we aren’t alone. According to the USPS, 47% of Millennials happily check their mailbox each day. But they don’t want junk mail that goes into the garbage, 95% of them want the feel-good effect of getting personalized direct mail. If it appeals directly to you, it isn’t junk. Millennials are commanding a growing slice of US dollars and already control $600 billion a year in spending power. Here are some tips to get the message out to Millennials:

Personalize Your Print Marketing

Millennials value individuality. Personalization in direct mail is not a new concept, but it is an initiative that bears many unexplored possibilities. With services such as Variable Data Printing, businesses can intelligently personalize marketing with a startling amount of variables. Want to send different offers to people with blue eyes and brown eyes? Done. Want to change images on your print based on demographics? Easy. As long as there is data for it, anything can be changed with variable data.

Bridge the Gap Between Digital and Physical Channels

Of course, we’re fans of physical marketing, but we know digital marketing isn’t going anywhere. It offers ease of insight, it is nimble enough to react to changes in your market, and it is incredibly affordable. Closing the gap between digital and physical channels makes both more effective. In fact, you can bank on seeing a 7.9% lift in engagement when you bridge this gap. Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • Send a postcard with a coupon for items in an abandoned shopping cart
  • Send a mailer that includes only items the customer is likely to buy, based on their past buying behavior
  • Welcome kits tailored for specific customers
  • Send a gift card honoring a customer’s birthday, anniversary, etc.

Make Print Marketing Scream Quality

One thing that print does better than digital is delivering real, tangible quality. We’re paper, packaging, ink and color experts. We can tell the difference between 30# and 40# paper by sight, but even if you’re not a print expert, you know quality when you feel it. A high-end smartphone box feels expensive, well-made and flawless. Imagine the disconnect if your $1,000 smartphone came in a flimsy tissue paper box! That’s the power of print!

You don’t need the budget of a multi-billion dollar company to use personalized, targeted printing. At Printing for Less, we use an innovative process to lower the cost of VDP so it is affordable for the rest of us. Give us a call, and we’ll help you find a solution that fits your budget, timeline, and goals.

Give us a call and see how we can bring extreme personalization to your print.

Need help with your print? Talk to a live print expert today: 800-930-7978.