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. What did I do? What did I accomplish? What did I learn?
I took a look back at 2021…
Project Peacock morphed into a resource and education platform in 2021 and hosted more than 1200 attendees during the year (to date) who popped in to ‘Get Intel, Get Samples, and Get Partners’ and watch sessions and event replays – every day. I am super proud I found a way to keep this going while meeting in person was still an obstacle, and grateful more than 50 companies joined me to share their knowledge, products, and services with print customers, designers, marketers, students, and printers who registered and received plenty of printspiration.
The 2021 Girls Who Print Day Conference had more almost 500 registrants from around the world, 98% of them women. We hosted our first Leadership Workshop online, revamped our mentoring program, gave our annual Girlie Award to Julie Shaffer from APTECH, and set our goal to host an in-person GWP Leadership Conference for Fall of 2022. Oh, and our GWP Podcast audience and women-only LinkedIn group grew exponentially.
Speaking of podcasts, Podcasts From the Printerverse has passed 150,000 downloads in 138 countries and had more than 35,000 downloads in 2021. For a Beyonce’ hosted podcast that may be stats for a Tuesday, but those numbers make my podcast channel the Beyonce’ of print. I am adding some new shows for 2022 and in January be on the lookout for “Making it with Print,” co-hosted by David Drucker, founder of hi-resolution printing, signage, and packaging, Noel Tocci, founder of TocciMade, bespoke print consulting, and me. VERY excited about this one!
More broadly, I made it to a few in-person events, spoke at many online, was named the Virtual drupa Ambassador (how cool!), started presenting #printlife to graphic communication classes (more on this in January!), continued to strengthen my network, resources, and industry partnerships, the Elevate Print podcast launched and the #ElevatePrint resource page on Print Media Centr that shares minority, black and women-owned print businesses is now the third most popular click from Google to the site.
Certainly, I am proud of all of that, but how does it help my business move forward?
I have a vast, global vantage point as your Intergalactic Ambassador. I can formulate bigger picture industry patterns established by watching collective audience needs, engagement and what they engage about, stats, and general human behavior. Based on what I’ve learned from the Printerverse in 2021 through my endeavors, here are 4 things to keep in mind as we enter a new year.
Your Company. There has never been a better time to critically assess what you do, what you do best, and who you can help. Stop trying to be everything to everyone, it’s clutter. Be specific. Make sure this information is crystal clear on company websites, and all customer-facing employees are on the same page with this messaging.
Your Audience. No matter what channel, platform, or method you communicate, your audience is your most important asset. Their time is limited, therefore precious. Serve them, and the rest follows. Serve yourself and see what happens. You have been warned!
Your Communications. Less is more. Don’t clutter inboxes and social streams with information about YOU. Share relevant, pertinent, and timely information about the market as it evolves in recovery, and solutions addressing those evolving needs that you can provide to help customers succeed.
Your Bottom Line. The future of your business lies in the customers you haven’t met, yet. Understanding that they are watching, and reading, and following without currently making contact is critical to your longevity. The three items above will help you keep that audience engaged until they are ready to reach out and attract new people in the process.
Goodbye and Good Riddance!
2020/2021 has been the longest year of my life (they have morphed onto 1) … and I am OVER IT. I am over Covid not being over, I am overworking from my apt and not being at events with all of you, and I am completely over anyone who is contributing to that – GET VACCINATED!
On a positive note, I am joyfully counting down the days to 2022!
#PrintLife is coming, the next evolution of #ProjectPeacock and #PrintChat is coming, a new format for my monthly News From The Printerverse is coming (please subscribe here), partnerships that have been dormant are springing back to life, and my partnership with Morten Reitoft and Inkish is going supernova next year… just you wait and see!
I am also bullish on the industry for the first time in 2 years. I think we will see the bigger printing budgets start coming back in the second quarter after the agencies and brands get their office and remote working situations into an employment policy. The Build Back Better plan in the US will be a gold mine for print! I infiltrated an organization for construction companies and I’m gathering intel to share.
My holiday gift for those who sell printing… Start researching companies that manufacture and/or sell solar panels, electric car parts, charging stations, robotics, start-ups that have a sustainability product, and companies that help other companies get green, and companies that have gone green. ALL of these people have a story to share. HELP THEM!
Until next year… thank you for making the Printerverse an ongoing adventure.
PRINT LONG AND PROSPER!
Deborah Corn is the Intergalactic Ambassador to The Printerverse™ at Print Media Centr, a Print Buyerologist™, industry speaker and blogger, host of Podcasts from The Printerverse, the cultivator of Print Production Professionals the #1 print group on LinkedIn, Girl #1 at GirlsWhoPrint, host of #PrintChat every Wednesday at 4 PM ET on Twitter, the founder of International Print Day and the founder of #ProjectPeacock. She is the recipient of several industry honors including the 2016 Girls Who Print Girlie Award and sits on the board of The Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi and is on the Advisory Board for the Advertising Production Club of NYC.
Deborah has 25+ years of experience working in advertising as a Print Producer. She currently provides printspiration and resources to print and marketing professionals through PMC and works behind the scenes with printers, suppliers, and industry organizations helping them create meaningful relationships with customers, and achieve success with their sales, social media, and content marketing endeavors.
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One Response
Hi Deborah,
I enjoyed reading your opinion regarding 2021and agree wholeheartedly with turning the page on this year. Print seems to have come roaring back for the end of this year and well into 2022. A blessing for all of us. Look forward to reading and listening to you in 2022. Here’s to a very successful and adventurous 2022!