There is a local shopping area of retail stores, restaurants, and businesses a mile from my apt. It’s where I do my...
Is TikTok Marketing Right for Your Print Business?
“TikTok is just a fad for kids. Kids don’t buy print, so I shouldn’t waste my time thinking about TikTok.” ~...
Reality Check: The Perception of Printing
I record and produce a significant number of episodes for Podcasts from The Printerverse. Discussions about printing,...
When Print Sales Are Down, Who’s Really at Fault?
When printing businesses see their sales drop, there are gaping organizational issues that can be the root cause. The...
The Perfect Partnership: Collaboration Between Printers and Designers
In the world of printing and design, collaboration is key. From business cards to banners, brochures to billboards,...
Five Signs You are a Print Junkie – 2023 Edition
Do you see print everywhere? Do you count down the days until the new printing press or finishing equipment arrives at...
How to Break Through the Creativity Block
You can have all the right people in the room and still have a creative block when you do marketing for a printing...
2023 CMYK Manifesto: Disrupt, Disclose, Do Better
Greetings Citizens of the Printerverse and welcome to a New Year! For the first time in 3 years, it feels like an...
Busting the Hustle-Bro Marketing Myth
What does it take to succeed at marketing in today’s printing business? I’ll tell you what it doesn’t take. Buying...
Twitter Advertising is Dead. Long Live Print!
Print has always been a potent channel for direct marketing and communication, and one of the safest. This is not new...
Are You Getting Noticed by Print Customers?
Are you getting noticed by your print customers? Do you know how they found you? I recently sat in on a client’s sales...
How to Tell if You Are Considered a Print Vendor or a Print Partner
If print customers are thinking of you as a print vendor and not as a print partner, you are in serious trouble. You...
How to Attract the Best Print Customers
“Nobody ever asked me what customers I wanted before.” This was told to me by the VP of Sales at a $25 million revenue...
Girls Who Print Day and International Print Day Coming in October with ‘Be BIG and BOLD’ and ‘Print Smart’ as Central Themes
The global print community will gather to celebrate Girls Who Print Day on October 13, and International Print Day on...
3 Ways to Earn Trust Through Collaboration with Print Customers
The secret to earning referrals and long-term loyalty with print customers for their printing and print marketing...
But Wait, There’s More: 3 New Business Ideas for Print Businesses
The summer is approaching and that typically means a little slow down for most print businesses, but honestly who...
A Coffee Table Book for Your Company? Do Tell!
Your business deserves the very best treatment in telling its story. Elevate it with print! Here's why, and I believe...
How to Help Overworked Print Customers Buy From You
Making print sales isn’t easy these days. Supply chain issues are disrupting the process and the ability to promise...
Use Print to Ask for Feedback and Improve Customer Relationships
To improve our businesses, we need to continuously learn about the people we serve. Think about the process of asking...
Build Trust to Grow Your Business
Edelman PR consultancy recently released their annual Edelman Trust Barometer report. They surveyed over 36,000 people...
2022 CMYK Manifesto: Know, Show, Do, Share
This annual post has traditionally focused on what is in front of us in order to help customers generate business...
Do Customer Loyalty and Rewards Programs Drive More Print Profit?
This blog is part 3 of a 3-part series: Maximize New Opportunities Through Current Customers. Catch-up here: Part 1 -...
This is Your Brain on Marketing
Remember the 1980s public service announcement: “This is your brain on drugs. (Egg sizzles in a hot frying pan.) Any...
Wrapping Up 2021 with Bullish Thoughts for 2022
This year has, in many ways been one giant blur. It was January, yada-yada-yada, and here is my year-end wrap-up post....
How A Customer Reference Program Can Help You Sell More Print
This blog is part 2 of a 3-part series: Maximize New Opportunities Through Current Customers How many print buying...
The Four Words That Define 2021
As I reflect on 2021, I almost feel a little guilty about stating publicly what a great year it was for me. I was...
Where, Oh Where Did the Print Customers Go?
I have had vast conversations with big-budget buyers and print buyers buying on a budget over the last two years. I...
Top Ten Tips for Email Marketing Best Practices
Many printing companies rely on email as their primary communications tool for reaching customers and prospects....
Sales Notes from a Campaign Trail
Sales Notes from a Campaign Trail Having just run for a seat on my town council, campaigning for two solid months,...
3 Productive Ways to Follow Up on Following Up
Printers say the craziest things. While that isn’t the name of a new Podcast From The Printerverse series, it might as...
Does Your Print Business Really Have a PR Plan?
The truth is that most businesses (print or otherwise) do not have a public relations (PR) plan. We are all busy and...
Print Samples: Let’s Play with Playing Cards!
When was the last time you played with a deck of cards? Real cards, not the online solitaire version? Over the last...
Winning Sales Strategy: The Moment for a Quick Sales Victory Lap
If you read my posts with any frequency or listen to the Print Buying UK v. USA Podcast co-hosted by me and Matthew...
Lead Generation and Marketing Considerations For Printers
The other day a client forwarded me an email that was written by the president of a commercial printing company who...
10 Things To Do When Updating Your Website
Whether you bring in a pro to help you update your website -- or do it yourself -- there are 10 things to do before...
The Funnel is Dead. Long Live the Customer Journey!
I remember the first time I read about the marketing funnel and how prospects go through an awareness, consideration,...
Beat the Summertime Blues One Week at a Time
I’ve been there and I’ve done it. Summer comes. You take your foot off the gas pedal a bit. You tell yourself that...
Prospect These Verticals Now for 3rd Quarter Success
Even with Americans being vaccinated at an astonishing pace, we are not out of the woods regarding businesses...
3 Ways to Keep Your Current Customers from Your Competitors
As your Intergalactic Ambassador to The Printerverse my vantage point is unique. I am a connection point and...
The Shocking Power of Surprise
Can you think of a time when you were so surprised that you literally fell off your chair, or spit out your coffee, or...
Using Content Marketing to Drive Print Buyers to Your Business
Google "what is content marketing" and you’ll get bewildered by a dozen definitions. Some say that content marketing...
The Rewards of Collecting Community ‘Vig’
If you have watched as many movies and TV series as I have since March of last year, ‘vig’ may be a term you are...
How a Packaging Nerd Sees Increases in eCommerce During the Pandemic
As a packaging engineering geek, I constantly look at the packaging that ships to my home. Ecommerce shipments...
Say YES to Customer Lists from Colleagues Who Are Closing Their Doors
When the magazine I ran for 22 years closed its doors, the owners offered me all the business data and customer lists...
2021 CMYK MANIFESTO: REFLECT, RELEASE, RECOVER and REBOUND
Greetings Citizens of the Printerverse and welcome to a New Year! It is a new year, right? The calendar has changed...
Print Samples! Let’s Get Started!
Over the decades I’ve developed a love affair with print samples. It started back in high school when I worked in a...
Hybrid Marketing Teams Are Here and They’re Hot
Marketing departments in printing businesses are being disrupted. Today's employees have been adjusting and adapting...
Setting Communication Goals for 2021 and Beyond
The year that seemed it would never end, and that most people said was the worst they have ever experienced, is...