Wednesday, February 11, 2015

How Much Value Are You Providing Customers Online?

Imagine you're a student struggling to understand a difficult concept in one of your classes. A friend who aced the class last semester offers to help but ends up just regurgitating the same information you already got from your notes. Frustrated, you ask if they can give you any insight that might help you better understand the subject. "Sure," they reply, "but that wouldn't be fair to the rest of your class because it would make it too easy for you."

Sound far fetched? It probably is. After all, who would show such little interest in helping their friend succeed? Yet, for many companies, that's precisely the attitude they take with their marketing content.

How helpful is your content?

We're all turning more and more online to learn about products and make intelligent and informed buying decisions. In response to this trend, many companies broadcast themselves as the expert and want people to turn to them.

Their content, however, is far less than helpful.

Rather than actually answer industry questions or help customers learn about their products, these companies simply repackage the same general information found elsewhere online and remain vague about the advice they give.

They're afraid that by 'giving away' too much information, customers will not have a reason to hire them. In the process, they're missing a key part of the marketing puzzle: building trust.

Instead of giving customers a reason to hire them, they're driving them away in frustration over the lack of information they provide. Potential customers end up visiting competitors' websites and getting the information they seek there instead. The unhelpful content meant to entice customers actually destroys opportunities to build trust and credibility.

How you can avoid this scenario

The solution to this problem is straightforward: provide valuable content. Listen to the questions that customers ask and use them to generate blog posts. Write helpful articles that will actually inform the reader and guide them in making better decisions. Use the Internet to build a reputation as an approachable leader in the industry.

Consumers today want answers and help navigating your industry. Like a student seeking help in a school subject, these customers aren't going to stick around someone who just tells them general information they already know. To convert your customers, you need to be the helpful authority.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Lowest Cost vs. Cheapest whats the difference?

With the current state of the economy, everyone is looking for ways to cut costs to keep their head above the water. Here at Duplicates INK, we have been fortunate to find ways to provide our customers with the same, or better, quality and service they have come to expect, without hurting their bottom line. Regardless, a majority of companies have been affected by the current situation, and as a result are looking for ways to save.

Many business, both large and small, have looked at reducing marketing as a potential way to cut costs. Is this wise? According to Harvard Business Professor John Quelch, business should not reduce their marketing efforts, although there may be ways to market smarter. For some companies, now may even be the optimal time to increase marketing and capture more market share.

Eliminating the option of reducing marketing to save money, what about trying to do the same with less? With companies competing more and more for your business's money, you may see some services offered at what seem like rock-bottom prices. While these prices may be enticing at first, they can carry hidden costs.

The marketing seen by your customers is a direct reflection of your company, so it is important to weigh the benefits of lower costs against the sacrifices in quality. With Direct Mail Marketing, there are a number of considerations to make in your selection process:

Production Quality: Have you selected a printer that will produce a consistent, high-quality finished product to present to your customers? This can be affected by anything from quality of pre-press preparation and proofing, quality of the production equipment used and knowledge of the operators, to the final preparation for mailing. Remember, if the quality of the finished product suffers, so will your company's image.

Direct Mail Knowledge: With the United States Postal Service also looking to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of its own operations in order to save money, changes to the way mail is prepared and accepted are happening faster than ever. For this reason, it is extremely important to work with a company that knows direct mail. The last thing you want to hear is that your mailing has been rejected due to improper preparation. In addition, a knowledgeable mail service provider can save you money by ensuring you get the best possible rates for whatever you are mailing.

At Duplicates INK, we are aware of the concerns of companies that do direct mail marketing, along with possible issues that may occur along the way. Since we provide all services from the generation of a marketing plan to taking a finished mailing to the post office, we can best advise our customers on how to achieve the greatest effectiveness with their marketing efforts, while ensuring quality will not be forgotten. If you are considering starting Direct Mail Marketing or just evaluating your current marketing offerings, we encourage you to contact us so we may advise you on how to best promote your company
 
Duplicates INK
http://www.duplicatesink.com/
info@duplicatesink.com

Friday, August 13, 2010

212° the extra degree®

One of the BEST motivating videos I have seen. Duplicates INK will be implementing the philosophy immediatly to be the best in the printing industry.

Sales Process Defined - Just Sell®... it's all about sales®

Want to really understand the Sales Process Check this out becareful after you read it a lightbulb may go off

Sales Process Defined - Just Sell®... it's all about sales®

Thursday, August 12, 2010