Summer is almost over, and Q4 is right around the corner.
We want to share with you five ways to tell if you need a simple refresh or a complete makeover. There’s no better time than now to take a good look at your printed marketing materials to determine if the information they present is accurate and up to date.
This especially holds true as we are feeling the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Perhaps your office policies or store hours have changed in response to the new social distancing policies required by the state or best practices suggested by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Company Info Has Changed
This is the most obvious reason as to why you should refresh your printed marketing materials. Whether it’s due to new store policies and COVID-19 or even a new website address, if your company info has changed, it’s time to update your materials.
Before you do—have you any new information to inform your customers? Perhaps you got a new social media handle, or maybe you opened a new location across town. Now is the time to let them know of the updated info.
Your Pictures are Worn and Dated
Do the models or pictures in your catalog look like they haven’t been updated since the 1980s? Whether it’s human models who are wearing outdated clothing from another era, or images that look like they’re from 30 years ago, you should really consider updating your photos.
For example, if you own a restaurant, the pictures that are on your menu boards and menus can make or break your business. As trivial as it seems, if you have an image of a steak that doesn’t make the mouth of the person who’s looking at it water with anticipation, you’re most likely not getting as many sales as you could.
That steak picture should make the person who’s looking at it imagine the sizzling sound, and the accompanying menu design should reflect best practices to increase your average order value.
Marketing Collateral is Dog-Eared
If your company is like most businesses, you probably ordered several hundred or thousand sell sheets, catalogs, or other printed marketing materials and left them in a storage room. Go to where they’re kept and take a good look at their physical condition. Due to humidity and temperature changes, there’s a good chance that they could look worn and tattered.
Are your sales reps still giving these printed marketing materials out to customers? If so, what do you think your customers will think when your rep hands them a sell sheet that has faded colors, and the paper looks wavy and yellow? The same sage advice goes for business cards and anything else that you pass out to clients or prospective customers.
No Online Presence Mentioned
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Are your social media handles, website URLs, and other online contact info listed clearly on your catalogs, training manuals, and stationery? If not, you’re missing out on a huge marketing opportunity.
People want to learn more about the company that they’re doing business with and will inevitably connect with your business via social media if you have your online info printed on your marketing materials.
What about your company website? Granted, it’s not printed—as such—but it’s still an invaluable marketing tool. If you haven’t updated it in a while, perhaps it’s time for a partial or full website refresh?
Using Old Branding
Having old branding on your printed marketing collateral can cause more harm than good. For starters, it reflects poorly upon your brand as your customers might get confused and wonder if your business is either too poor or lazy to update your materials.
For example, if your sell sheets or catalogs have your old logo and your packaging has an updated logo, it can cause a lot of confusion on their parts. This can lead to distrust and them wondering if your business has its act together.
In some cases, you might want to update your branding to reflect the products, services, or direction of your company. By keeping your branding congruent across all marketing channels, you’ll help instill trust and increased brand recognition in your customers.
Printed Marketing Materials in Downtown Raleigh
We hope this blog post has given you some insight into why it’s so important to ensure that your printed marketing materials are updated and looking crisp and clean. If you need a refresh or have any questions, give the experts at AlphaGraphics of Downtown Raleigh a call.
At AlphaGraphics of Downtown Raleigh, we’re much more than a print shop. We’re also marketing experts who you can count on to help you when it comes time to market your business. To learn more about how AlphaGraphics of Downtown Raleigh can help with your content graphic design and marketing needs, you may
email us,
request a quote, or call us at
(919) 832-2828.