Blog: ACE-Design, Printing, Mailing and Promotional Products

Direct Mail vs E-mail Marketing

4/27/2015

An e-mail marketing campaign may not cost you anything, but what results are you getting? According to an article on HuffingtonPost.com, only 0.12% of marketing e-mails get a response. On the other hand, 3.4% of direct mail marketing pieces generate inquiry. That means that, on average, businesses need to seen 3000 e-mails to create the same response as 100 direct mail pieces.

Why? The quick answer is that it is so simple to filter or delete e-mails without actually reading them. Additionally, with the flood of e-mails that people get every day, it is easy to “lose” one in your inbox simply because it arrived a few days ago. “But, it’s free,” may seem like a good reason to keep to e-mail regardless of the numbers.

But, is an e-mail campaign really free? A mailing list of 3000 reliable e-mail addresses can be hard to come by for the solo-entrepreneur. And, many e-mail marketing services charge for databases that large as well as for the extra features that can improve the campaign. And, there is the time investment. Additionally, if your target market is not part of the e-mail generation, then whom are you actually marketing to? Now, consider a well-designed direct mail campaign.

This piece goes only to your target market, and you can be pretty sure it will get there because of all the address verification tools available.

The power of mail merge allows you to individualize your mailing, making it feel more like a personal invitation rather than an advertisement. And, people always look at their mail – even if the piece ultimately ends up in the recycle bin.

What many people do not know is that professional mailing houses frequently receive discounts on postage. When a mailing meets the “automation compatible” standard set by the US Postal Service – something most mailing houses can ensure – businesses can save up to 75% off of regular first-class postage rates.

ACE Printing and Mailing Services has all the tools necessary to make your direct mail campaign a success. In one location, we can design, print, and mail your campaign.

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Printing Your Book

4/23/2015

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Have you written a book? Something bigger than a pamphlet but smaller than The Great American Novel? Do you want to turn your work into something tangible that you can give, or sell, to people? If you have a very targeted audience, that can be difficult to do without producing thousands of copies – at great cost – that will only fill your garage.

There is a multitude of short-run (under 500 copies) printers on line. The amount of service varies, but the general work flow is:

You upload your print ready file.
They print and bind it.
They ship the books to you.

Sounds easy, right? Well, there tend to be some catches. The term “print ready” means that you have the book laid out and saved in the proper file format. Print ready is not as easy as it sounds for your basic, home desk-top author. This means that whatever the printer has to do to make the file print ready will cost you extra. Some charge for every time you send an updated file – so if you have to do something to make it right, you pay for the privilege.

Color, special binding, odd sizes, and printed proofs will also increase your bill. And, design work is frequently not an option.

And, in the end, you have sent your masterpiece to some unknown location and hope for the best. Or, you can use a local printer whose first priority is your satisfaction.

ACE Printing has the capability to produce short run books. If you have a print ready file, we can print it. However, if you need help with that “print ready” part, we have an on-site art department ready to make your book look better than you ever imagined. We check with you at every step in the process to make sure that we produce the product you desire, and we do it locally.

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The 5 Most Important Networking Traits

4/17/2015

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What do you think are the main characteristics of master networkers?

Is it the ability to "work a room," or maybe taking and giving out business cards like candy? Perhaps it's the stereotypical idea of being aggressive by trying to sell everybody in the room--any room! It turns out none of those ranks very high.

According to a survey conducted by Dr. Ivan Misner, founder of Business Networking International, those traits aren't appreciated by most networkers. Dr. Misner asked 2,000 people in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom and Australia to rank a variety of traits in order of their perceived importance to networking. The following chart from his book, Masters of Networking (Bard Press, 2000), shows the results.

Top Ten Characteristics of A Successful Networker Percent of Respondents Mentioning Characteristic at the top 5 traits. Aren't they characteristics of people you enjoy doing business with?

Follow Through: The number one answer in the survey focused on integrity. Networkers most appreciate working with somebody who does what they say they will. For a great referral partner, look for someone who respects the value of referrals and follows through on the contacts you give them.

Positive & Enthusiastic: Master networkers appreciate a positive attitude almost as much as follow through. And they understand the power of a network partner who is enthusiastic about giving and receiving referrals. Working with positive people can give you a different outlook on business and life.

Trustworthy: Would you connect your family, friends and most valuable business contacts with somebody you don't trust? Neither do the best networkers. Without trust on both sides, the referrals--and the money--fade away.

Listening Skills: Networking pros value somebody who can quickly discern what they need. A good listener will take those skills to your referrals and deliver their best, making you look good. Now, notice that the aggressive "work the room" strategy is at the bottom of the list, with less than half of the respondents thinking it's important. These statistics demonstrate why the masters say networking is about farming, not hunting.

These top traits take time to develop and prove to new contacts. The seeds you plant in networking today will grow into a great harvest if you nurture these traits in yourself and your business partners. The results also show why one person called networking "Open Door Selling."

How many new doors would open to you if you consistently practiced these characteristics within your network? ACE believes in the power of networking to grow your business. It's why we strive to be better at what we do every day.

Be part of our network: Visit ACE Printing and Mailing Services, or call us at 415.460.2800. You can also visit us online atwww.acepms.com

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Design: A Powerful Business Builder

4/13/2015

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Have you ever received a business card or brochure and immediately decided that you would never do business with that person?

You likely made those decisions in an instant. What influenced your decision was probably the design.eived marketing materials of such high quality that you assumed the service or product would be more than you could afford?

We all have immediate emotional reactions to the people we meet, based largely on their clothing and appearance. The same thing happens when prospects look at your business-but the "clothing" they evaluate is your design.

Good design can tell people about your business and your personality. Are you a steady, conservative professional or a high-energy power player? A fun loving party planner's image will be different from a sensitive and gentle dentist's. Great design will reinforce that emotional message at a subconscious level.

In every business communication, design creates an emotional response in readers that either helps or hurts you.

ACE Printing and Mailing Services takes design seriously. It's not just slapping together images to make something that looks cool. Good design follows proven rules to get results. We offer it as one of our core services to make sure you have those rules working for you.

Is it easy to read?
Does it increase comprehension?
Does it draw people in?
Do the colors, type styles, and images work together?
Is there a natural path for the eye to follow?
Are the details of layout, spacing, spelling, and grammar correct?

Getting all of those details right takes some expertise and experience. If you want your business to look its best, it is in your interest to hire a professional-someone who can custom craft a piece that fits your vision, instead of trying to make your vision fit into templates and clip-art that a software program provides.

Professional design is such a powerful business tool that British research firm, Design Innovation Group, found that companies with good design had profit margins averaging 14 times higher than their competition. The design conscious firms took just as much care in the rest of their businesses, and customers responded to their message. With that kind of profit jump on the line, the question shouldn't be whether you can afford professional design, but if your business can thrive without it.

Does the design of your promotional materials put people in the mood to do business with you? Does it reach your audience at an emotional level? Is it technically prepared for the printing process?

ACE's professional designer wants to help you meet your company vision with design services that work. We have an experienced designer on staff to make design and printing a seamless process that saves you time and brings you more success.

Want to put your best foot forward? Visit ACE Printing and Mailing Services today, or call us at 415.460.2800. You can also visit us online at www.acepms.com

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Are You Really Saving With Discount Printings?

4/9/2015

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In a tough economy, everybody wants to save money. But, buying decisions based solely on price are rarely in your best interest. Saving a few bucks today often cost much more in the end.

In the printing world, deep discounts often mean that product quality suffers, customer service disappears, and you lose the guidance and expertise to make your project its best. Those are the immediate costs.

But could buying the lowest price have longer-term consequences? Think about what might happen to your business if a large competitor always undercut your prices. Would your customers be getting the best? Would you be able to stay in business? Would the local economy recover faster or slower without your business?

Questions like these lead us to think that short-term savings can lead to long-term losses. Customers who shop only for the lowest price are obviously not getting the highest quality. And in the business world, using low quality materials can cost you more in lost business than the money you saved.

In the case of printing, investing in quality up front can show returns in business growth. Unfortunately, the internet has made it easy to be "penny wise and pound foolish" with marketing budgets. If enough customers become price shoppers, what happens to the local businesses that offer high quality choices? If the community loses them, then customers lose both choice and value. The discount retailer becomes the only choice. And while customers may get a cheap price, they've lost customer service, and maybe a product that is worth the money they pay for it.

There is a long-term cost to deep discounts. But there is value in having a relationship with local companies like your printer. That relationship can ensure that your job gets done right.

As you look for service providers, try asking yourself:

Would your business be stronger with service relationships dedicated to mutual success?
How confident would you be in your business if you could present corporate-quality materials to prospects?
Would you feel better knowing that your company used environmentally friendly printing?
Could you relieve some stress with a local provider that offers more services in one place?

That's the type of company that ACE Printing and Mailing Services is.

ACE is your local business partner that provides the highest quality services at reasonable prices. We give every client personal attention to make sure the job is done the way you want it.

ACE is your convenient resource to make many of your marketing tasks simpler. Every member of our staff brings specialized expertise to the table that isn't available in any other single location.

ACE is a friend of the environment, and of local businesses working together for greater success. As a Certified Bay Area Green Business, our environmental commitment is proven. Our dedication to community business networks is obvious; we advertise our relationships by placing the cards of partner businesses on our front counter.

If you want that type of business relationship, visit ACE Printing and Mailing Services today, or call us at 415.460.2800. Or visit us online at www.acepms.com

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Eco-Friendly Correspondence

4/3/2015

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Whether it's your business card, letterhead, envelopes, or other collateral, ACE Printings and Mailing Services can help you go green. You get great printings that's guild free. Here are some ways that you can lessen the environmental impact of your business printing.

1.Environmentally-Friendly Paper Choose environmentally friendly paper stocks from recycled and sustainable sources. We carry a variety of high quality, eco-friendly papers, and our staff can help you find just the right stock so your letterhead and business cards will still look great, while helping the planet.

2. Soy-Based Inks Soy inks have the same bright colors and clarity as traditional petroleum inks, but they use fewer resources, and are less toxic. They also make recycling paper easier. Soy ink is so effective that the majority of the nation's daily newspapers use it.

3. Green Graphic Design Consult with our graphic designers on green design options. Take advantage of colored stock, instead of using more ink. Consider creative die-cuts or perforations for built-in mailers. The possibilities are endless.

Visit ACE Printing and Mailing Services today to get great branding materials that are green. Call us at 415.460.2800 or visit us online at www.acepms.com

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The High Cost of Deep Discount Printing

4/1/2015

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Deep Discount Printing

You've probably seen advertisements online offering free business cards, or other printing at unbelievably low prices. It sounds like a great deal, but you could be missing out if you choose your printer based on price alone. Remember, you get what you pay for-and you might pay for the lowers price by losing important features of professional printing.

Quality

Product quality is often the first thing to go when any item is sold at an extreme discount. That's true of almost any product, and it's true in the printing business.

Since the finished piece represents your business, the quality of your printing job reflects on you and your professional image. A professionally printed business card, brochure, or sign makes you look more professional, and can bring you more business.

Guidance

Where do you turn if you have questions about your project beforeyou order printing? You might hire a graphic designer or marketing professional to help you create your piece. Or you could use some software to pull something together yourself. But you probably won't get much guidance from an online company with a low price.

Unless you're a professional designer, your best bet to get a professional looking finished product is to hire a designer-which means your discount print job isn't as cheap as advertised.

A printer that is dedicated to quality, like Ace, has a designer on-site who has expertise with both the design and printing sides of the business. Whether you need something designed from scratch-or just need a minor tweak-the designer works with you to get a great result, and is there to answer any of your questions.

They'll also ensure that your files are formatted and prepared for the best printing possible. When you send it to an online mass-printer, it's a guessing game whether your design will come out as planned. Any mistakes in the file can mean reprinting the piece, and paying twice.

Service

What happens if you get your new brochures in the mail, and the colors aren't right, or they haven't been cut to the right size? If you call the online company, can you get anybody on the phone?

Discount printers have to cut corners if they want to make a living, and one of the easiest places to cut is on customer service. And even if the company you deal with has great customer service, they're still not local. Problems can only be fixed at the speed of mail.

Accessibility

A local printer provides an opportunity for an ongoing business relationship that an online company can't match. You can easily reach a live person on the phone, and if necessary, go to their place of business. And the person you're speaking to probably has the authority to fix your problem.

At the end of the day, your local printer, like Ace, is more accountable to your project and your business success. You are more than just an invoice number to them, because they deal with you face to face. They take the time to ask questions to get you the best result when you order printing. They have a larger interest in getting your project right. Plus, because they don't have to ship your finished piece, they can handle jobs faster than orders done online.

Ace wants to build successful business partnerships with our clients to help everyone succeed, and to boost the local economy. We want to earn your business, and we believe that our commitment to service and superior quality will give you a better product that improves your customer response. In the long run, what would you rather have: a Partner, or a Price?

Call us today for 10% off your next printing job of $100 or more.

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Direct Mail vs E-mail Marketing

Printing Your Book

The 5 Most Important Networking Traits

Design: A Powerful Business Builder

Are You Really Saving With Discount Printings?

Eco-Friendly Correspondence

The High Cost of Deep Discount Printing

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