Why You Need Digital Printing for Your Next Direct Mail Campaign

Digital printing is a natural fit for most direct mail campaigns. With highly customizable and efficient digital printing, Twin Cities companies can complete their marketing projects quickly and digital printing is an excellent fit for your next direct mail campaign.

Variable Data Printing

One of the most impressive advantages digital printing has over offset printing for direct mail campaigns is variable data printing. With digital printing, copies are printed from digital files. This means companies simply need to provide a pdf or other type of file to their printers to produce their direct mail projects.

Variable data printing allows companies to change the text and even the graphics of a direct mail campaign mid-run to fully customize their projects for recipients. Companies simply need to include a spreadsheet of recipients’ names, addresses, and demographic information used to customize the message. Then, the printer integrates this data into the direct mail project, creating a fully customized final product.

Little or No Set-Up Time

Digital printing can be the best friend of a procrastinating business owner. Offset printing requires substantial lead time to create a physical master copy of a project, and then extra time for press checks as the project is run. Digital printers, however, need little or no time to prepare their presses for a direct mail project. The quick set-up time leads to a quick turnaround time for business owners.

Full-Color, Little Paper Waste

With digital printing, companies can take advantage of a full range of color options to attract the attention of their direct mail recipients. Digital printing is no longer limited to a few standard colors; instead, printers can offer their clients a full spectrum of hues for a vibrant final product.

Digital printing emphasizes quality over quantity. Often, customers of offset printers must order more copies of their direct mailers than they need to make the project cost-effective. With digital printing, every copy is an original of the digital file, so it is an economical choice for short-run projects or small business owners who have a recipient list of 1,000 names or less.

Consider digital printing with Matreks for your next printing project. To learn how Matreks can save you money and increase the quality of your direct mail campaign, contact the printer today at 952-746-4010.
cost-effectively. Here are a few reasons why

Spiff Up Your Print Project with These Font Tips

When designing a new advertising piece, most companies focus on crafting a targeted message and creating a vibrant, eye-catching design. However, the real impact of an advertising piece is lost when the target audience finds it difficult to read.

That’s why it is important to choose a font that is not only easy to read, but helps tie the design of a print project together. Here are a few tips business owners can follow to get the most out their print marketing projects.

Serif Versus Sans Serif

A serif is a short line attached to the ends of letters in certain fonts, such as Times New Roman. Serifs make text easier to read because they help the eye tell the difference between letters in a large section of text. Use serif fonts for projects where there is a paragraph or more of text, such as a welcome letter or brochure.

Sans serif fonts are fonts where no serifs are used on the ends of letters, such as Arial. While they can be difficult and tiring to read in longer bodies of writing, sans serif fonts are visually bold and are good choices for headlines, logos, and other text that needs to catch readers’ eyes.

Just One to Three Fonts Will Do

Using too many fonts can crowd an advertising design and turn people off from reading it. Most effective print pieces employ only one to three fonts. Choosing one font is simple and helps tie an advertising piece together, while using two or three fonts can help build contrast between different kinds of text, such as headlines and call-out quotes.

Color and Contrast

The color of the text and the contrast this color creates with the background hue are also important considerations. Black and white are obvious choices for the best contrast. Black text on white background is a traditional choice, while white text on a black background is actually easier to read for those who struggle with sight.

Other colors can be incorporated into text under certain circumstances. Colored text is not the best choice for the main text of an advertising piece because it can be difficult to read; instead, companies should stick with black text. Colored fonts can be used to highlight certain text, such as a headline or call-out.

Font Size

Lastly, companies should carefully consider the size of the text on their marketing materials. For projects like a postcard, flyer, or brochure, text should be at least 16 pt and ideally 18 pt. While these sizes may seem large to those used to the standard 12 pt used in word processing documents, the larger font helps ensure that all recipients will be able to easily read marketing messaging.

After following these simple tips, send your marketing project to Matreks, your Twin Cities digital printer. Matreks meets all of your paper, color, and graphic needs to produce a stunning end-product. To learn more, contact Matreks today at 952-746-4010.

Simple, Economical Ways to Test Direct Mail Effectiveness

Every Twin Cities company would like to increase responses to direct mail campaigns. But not all businesses can afford to roll out several tests of potential direct mail pieces, which can quickly become costly endeavors. Fortunately, there are a few simple things businesses can do to tweak their direct mail campaigns to improve responses without spending a bundle on testing.

Update Packaging

Sometimes, a simple update of the graphics and messages on a direct mail piece’s envelope can increase responses. Companies can try switching to a color envelope or one that displays a company’s logo more prominently. Graphics on the outside of an envelope can enhance messages on the envelope. Include copy on the envelope that will make recipients want to open the mailing. Even something as simple as “Look Inside” could prompt a recipient to take a look.

Strengthen the Message

Sometimes, updating and strengthening the main message of a direct mail campaign can increase responses. Businesses can try shortening a current letter or changing up the headlines on a brochure. Or, they can see if including a reply form helps boost customer responses.

Companies could also try tweaking their promotions or offers. Free offers are a favorite with recipients, but highlighting a money-back guarantee or discounted product can also do the trick. Though it seems counterintuitive, adding a time limit for acting on an offer often boosts response rates.

Repurpose Other Marketing Strategies

Companies may find that their most effective direct mail item is currently masquerading as their current flyer or brochure. Sending an existing flyer—with a personal note about why a recipient may find it interesting—can help save money and time.

Gauge Interest with a Postcard

Instead of spending a lot of money on a complete direct mail package loaded with letters, brochures, and reply forms and envelopes, companies can test the interest of recipients by sending out a postcard for a fraction of the cost. The postcard can offer free information about a company’s product and services and include a tear-off reply form for recipients to send back. That way, companies can better target the costlier direct mail pieces at recipients whose interest has already been piqued.

Whether they choose to update the messages of their letters, change the color and graphics of their envelopes, or roll out a new postcard to test interest in an offer, Matreks printing can help businesses create successful, economical, and high-quality direct mail campaigns. To learn more, contact Matreks today at 952-746-4010.

Include a Customer Survey in Your Next Mailing

Many Twin Cities companies already understand the value of including statement stuffers and other promotions in direct mail communication with customers. While promotions and other advertising help businesses connect with clients, companies can help foster a stronger, two-way relationship with customers by including a survey with statements and other direct mail communications.

Why Customer Surveys Are Effective

Customer surveys are a simple, cost-effective way to gauge customer satisfaction with a company’s products and services. Feedback from surveys provides crucial information about what is and is not working and often illuminates changes a company needs to make to grow and be successful. Without a survey, companies may only learn they are on the wrong track when they start losing customers. Surveys allow businesses to capture this information before clients walk.

Asking the Right Questions

Effective customer surveys rely on well-crafted and carefully considered questions. Companies should include questions about the value of a product or service, satisfaction with that product or service, a client’s customer service experience, and a customer’s perception of the company in general. Surveys can also include an inquiry into whether or not a customer would recommend a product, service, or the company as a whole.

Tracking Responses and Changes in Survey Answers

Information gathered through customer surveys is meaningless if it is not organized and analyzed. Analyzing the data from surveys will reveal areas where a company needs to improve as well as where it is successful. Companies can use this data to improve products and services to increase customer satisfaction.

Surveys are also a great way to track whether or not improvements are working. Repeating a survey after changes have been made is an excellent way to gauge whether those changes have been successful. A customer who rated a company 5 out of 10 on a customer service question may rate the company an 8 out of 10 on a subsequent survey after improvements have been made.

In addition to these tangible benefits, customer surveys can improve customers’ attitudes toward a company just by being included in mailings. Including a survey shows customers that a company cares about their opinions and that it strives to improve and perfect its products, services, and customer service experience.

Don’t Overdo It

Though customer surveys are powerful tools for companies, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Customer participation in surveys tends to decrease the more clients are bombarded with opportunities to take a survey, so companies should consider sending surveys just a few times a year. It is also important for companies to reassure customers that the surveys are anonymous, and that results and any potentially identifying information are kept safe and confidential.

Matreks can help your business incorporate a customer survey into most direct mail campaigns. Companies can simply send Matreks the survey file electronically and Matreks will print, fold, and stuff the survey into existing direct mail projects. Matreks can also create envelopes so customers can return the survey with ease. To get started, call Matreks today at 952-746-4010.

Use Digital Printing for Your Point-of-Sale Materials

Point-of-sale, or POS, materials are important tools for any retail store manager or owner. When used correctly, POS materials help create visibility for different brands and attract customers to product displays. Printing POS materials digitally with Matreks makes changing the design and text of signage and other materials easy and economical.

Use Point-of-Sale Materials Wisely

Though POS materials can be a valuable tool when used correctly, many companies waste money on ineffective POS materials. For example, most customers ignore ceiling-mounted POS materials. Instead, they look down or at eye level while shopping to hunt for products. Companies that invest money in overhead POS materials may be wasting their money. Instead, retail stores should position point-of-sale materials at eye level, incorporating them into display design to draw customers to the products.

Store owners should also keep the messages and graphics on POS materials simple. Customers often tune out materials that are too busy graphically or include too much copy. Bold graphic design and simple messaging make an emotional connection with customers and increase the impact of POS materials.

Create Effective Point-of-Sale Materials with Matreks

Creating effective point-of-sale materials is easy with digital printing at Matreks. Shelf and display materials up to 13x19 inches can be printed digitally. All Matreks needs is a digital file of the design. Matreks can accept PDFs, Adobe InDesign files, Photoshop files, Quark XPress files and Microsoft Office files. With digital printing, each printed piece is an original copy. This means that changes to the file can be immediately integrated into the print job, with no need for a press check.

Digital printing is also an economical choice for POS materials. Since every piece is an original copy of a digital file, unlike conventional printing, there is no need to create a master copy of the project. There is also no need to print more copies than a company needs to be cost effective. With digital printing, companies print only what they need, saving money and materials.

To learn more about point-of-sale materials and get started with a POS materials project of your own, contact Matreks today at 952-746-4010.

Try Out These Springtime Direct Mail Ideas

Spring is finally in the air in the Twin Cities. People are opening their windows to let in the fresh air, dusting off their lawn mowers and celebrating May Day, Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day. Spring is full of fresh activities and fun holidays. Why not take advantage of the season with a spring-themed direct mail campaign?

Springtime Promotions and Offers

A spring-themed promotion, special offer or coupon is an easy way to incorporate the season into a direct mail project. Consumers are looking for deals on springtime activities and purchases. Companies should tap into these needs to focus the efforts of their direct mail campaigns.

For example, health and wellness companies could design direct mail promotions that offer discounts on athletic wear, nutritional products or gym memberships. Minneapolis landscaping companies and exterior contractors could offer a discount on their services. Spring-themed offers are a natural choice for most outdoor-based businesses, including pool cleaning companies, garden centers, asphalt and paving companies and tree pruning and removal businesses.

Don’t Forget the Holidays
May is full of celebrations. May Day kicks off the month, quickly followed by Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day. Memorial Day weekend rounds out the month. Minneapolis companies can incorporate these celebrations into their advertising.

Restaurants and bars may offer a special for Cinco de Mayo. Or, they may send out a flyer advertising their new patio space with a 10 percent off coupon. Similarly, companies that sell grills and other outdoor cooking equipment may offer a Memorial Day discount. A Mother’s Day promotion is a natural choice for florists and gift stores.

To make a spring-themed direct mail piece stand out, design the postcard or flyer with engaging, colorful graphics that reflect the season or a specific holiday. Flowers, lawn mowers, roofing tiles or images of people running, gardening or grilling will grab recipients’ attention.

To make the greatest impact on recipients, companies advertising in the Twin Cities should consider digital printing with Matreks. In digital printing, each piece is an original copy of a digital file. This means companies can customize pieces by changing the lay-out or message of their direct mail piece mid-run or printing several different versions of a direct mail project in one run. Digital printing is cost-effective for both short and long-run projects.

To learn more about how digital printing can help your company with its spring-themed direct mail project, contact Matreks today at 952-746-4010.

Take These Three Steps Before Executing a Direct Mail Campaign

Direct mail campaigns can be costly for businesses, especially if companies fail to create a strategy for executing their direct mail campaigns. Fortunately, there are several things Twin Cities companies can do to decrease costs and increase the effectiveness of their direct mail campaigns.

First Step: Manage Your List

A company’s list of advertising recipients is essential to the success of a direct mail campaign. A well-maintained list will include only recipients who are interested in the company’s product and are able to convert from potential to paying customers. Recipients who may have moved and are no longer at the address listed on a company’s list, or a recipient may have requested to not receive mail from the company should be removed from the list.

To weed out recipients who do not meet these criteria, companies should delete the following types of people from their lists:

· People for whom companies receive “return to sender” mail

· People for whom companies receive “not at this address” mail

· People for whom companies receive stop mail requests

Second Step: Test the Direct Mail Campaign

Testing a direct mail campaign allows companies to tweak their messages so the mail pieces target recipients more effectively. There are several ways to test a direct mail campaign. The simplest is to show mock-ups of a direct mail piece to current and potential customers and ask them to evaluate the message and calls-to-action. Positive responses can give companies the confidence they need to go to press with the campaign.

Other ways to test a direct mail campaign is to send pieces to a small, pre-selected target market and tract responses, or send multiple versions of a campaign to recipients and see which one has the most positive outcome. Companies can use this data to tweak its message and roll out the campaign on a larger scale.

Third Step: Print Direct Mail Digitally

Whether companies are implementing a full direct mail campaign or are testing a campaign on a small audience, digital printing with Matreks is an economical way to print high-quality mail pieces. In digital printing, each piece is an original copy of a digital file. This means companies can change the lay-out or message of their direct mail piece mid-run or print several different versions of a direct mail piece in one run. Digital printing is cost-effective for short and long-run projects alike.

To learn more about how digital printing can lower costs of your company’s direct mail campaign, contact Matreks today at 952-746-4010.