How Influencers Can Help Printers Get Better Marketing Results

Finding high-quality leads ready to buy can be challenging for everyone, including printers. Luckily, influencer marketing is a valuable tool for capturing interest from warm prospects.  WHAT IS INFLUENCER MARKETING? Influencer marketing uses the attractive power of a popular person to bring attention to your business. Usually, the influencer is paid to serve this role, […]

How Printers Can Start a Relationship Marketing Program

a light orange image of a group of people hands interlocked to illustrate relationship marketing

Are you ready to start a relationship marketing program that strengthens ties with your best print customers? We’ll use targeted email and add deeply insightful print to bring customers closer and transform our relationships with them.  Here’s how to get started, what to watch out for, and how to take it up a notch once […]

Print’s New Frontier: Profit Potential of Integrated Direct Mail Campaigns

a row of blue and magenta dollar signs in a black background

Digital marketers are faced with two growing challenges — digital marketing effectiveness is being reduced due to increased user privacy, and at the same time, digital advertising costs are increasing. This presents opportunities for direct mail suppliers. However, there is an increasing number of digital-first direct mail companies. These companies sell directly to digital marketers […]

CMYK MANIFESTO 2024: Rewind, Reignite and Represent the Printing Industry

a black background with the cmyk color spectrum

Greetings Citizens of The Printerverse and welcome global print and marketing professionals to a New Year for the printing industry. 2024 already feels like it rolled up in a muscle car, rolled down the window, pointed at us with a baseball bat, and said, “I heard you’ve been talking crap about me.” It’s down to […]

2023: A Year of Highs, Lows, and Costly In-Betweens for the Print Industry

abstract of 2023 in blue background

Since 2014 I have shared an annual Manifesto in January to set the mission of print for the year, and a recap post in December to measure print industry success and reflect upon what we have learned along the way. The 2023 CMYK Manifesto focused on utilizing the power of print to safely and securely […]

How Printers Can Save Local Businesses from Themselves

an brown shopping center sign with a large orange arrow

There is a local shopping area of retail stores, restaurants, and businesses a mile from my apt. It’s where I do my grocery shopping, dry cleaning, package sending, eyebrow waxing, get sandwiches, breakfast, Mexican, Chinese, and Thai food, and order pizza for delivery. It’s where I occasionally buy wine, visit T-Mobile, and grab a smoothie. […]

Is TikTok Marketing Right for Your Print Business?

an influencer making a product marketing video for tiktok

“TikTok is just a fad for kids. Kids don’t buy print, so I shouldn’t waste my time thinking about TikTok.” ~ Old-fashioned printing company executive Wrong, wrong, wrong. First of all, TikTok may or may not be appropriate for your print business, but if it isn’t, the reason is NOT that this platform is just […]

Reality Check: The Perception of Printing

optical illusion illustration by noma bar of a shark

I record and produce a significant number of episodes for Podcasts from The Printerverse. Discussions about printing, print business, print sales, and print marketing are often playing through my computer, earbuds, car speakers, and voice assistants like Alexa. When I have some mindless admin work to focus on, I click on my pop culture podcast […]

When Print Sales Are Down, Who’s Really at Fault?

an orange image of a finger pointing

When printing businesses see their sales drop, there are gaping organizational issues that can be the root cause. The printing company itself may be the one at fault, and that’s the core reason the sales team struggles to do its best work.  We’ve talked about how print sales teams can hold companies back. In this […]

The Perfect Partnership: Collaboration Between Printers and Designers

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In the world of printing and design, collaboration is key. From business cards to banners, brochures to billboards, the collaboration between printers and designers each bringing their unique skill sets to the table is a crucial element in producing high-quality print materials that stand out in a competitive market. Now, I realize that this concept is […]

Authenticity Matters in Brand, Print Business and Personal Messaging

a blue image of fake and fact written into blocks

Authenticity for brand, personal, and print business messaging has become more important than ever. Whether it’s in advertising, social media, or everyday conversation, people want to feel that the messages they receive are genuine and truthful. Last week was International Women’s Day and the flood of messaging on March 8th showing support for women was […]

Five Signs You Are a Print Junkie – 2023 Edition

cmyk ink in cans are you a print junkie print media centr

Do you see print everywhere? Do you count down the days until the new printing press or finishing equipment arrives at your print shop? Do you know what Pantone color the sky is? Do you make vacation plans around printing industry events or incorporate them? Do you look at digital marketing and come up with […]