There are thousands of different paper options so how do you decide? First, ask these key questions.

1. Is the paper readily available?

2. Are there minimum purchase quantity requirements?

3. Are there various coordinating paper types for all my printed materials?

Other things to consider are weight, texture and coating. A cover weight stock is often called a card stock and most commonly used for postcards, business cards and other items that require a heavier weight. A text weight is typically used for flyers, brochures and light weight printed materials. A coated sheet can be glossy or dull but is very different from an uncoated sheet which is best for materials you need to write on. The texture can be smooth, linen, vellum or a variety of other textures. After these questions are answered and decisions are made, you’re basically down to price and preference. And a final piece of advice is to discuss your paper preferences with your printer before you design a piece around a specific paper stock. Paper selections and pricing change frequently so don’t make your paper selection an after thought.

Although it would take much more than a few paragraphs to explain all the ins and outs of printing, knowing a few basic principles can make print buying a little easier to navigate.

So what does it mean to have your materials printed offset vs digital?

Offset printing is actually the printing technique that transfers (offsets) inks from a plate to a blanket to paper instead of directly from plate to paper. This offset lithography process is based on the repulsion of oil and water. The image to be printed gets ink from ink rollers, while the non printing area attracts a film of water, keeping the non printing areas ink-free.The main advantage of offset printing is its high and consistent image quality and PMS color matching ability. It works on a wide range of paper or synthetic materials and is most cost effective for medium to high-volume jobs. Simply put, offset is ink on paper.

Digital printing is toner on paper. Digital is best used in short runs and for quick turnarounds. Since there’s no set up of plates or ink on the press, digital is more cost effective for low quantity print runs. And it is by far the most cost effective method for customization of print materials.

In a nutshell, although the quality of digital and offset is closer than ever due to advancements in technology, offset printing probably offers the greatest capabilities. Depending on the print specifications, quantity and application, a qualified printer can make the recommendation to produce the best quality and most cost effective piece with the best print production method. So the question isn’t whether offset or digital printing is better. The question is which one is better for your job.

It seems that today’s  marketing landscape is cluttered with cookie-cutter marketing pieces. Online options where people click and insert from over-used templates only create the appearance of a marketing plan. While that type service may work okay for independent home based businesses, it’s not what best represents most professional businesses.  Here’s three things to consider:

1. Develop a strategic marketing plan that is specific for your business, industry, market, etc. If you don’t have the right staff to do this, consider using an experienced consultant.

2. Design printed marketing materials, a stationery package, promotional items, etc… These should be creative, unique and follow your strategic marketing plan.  If you don’t have a trained graphic designer on staff, don’t take chances.  Have it done right.

3.  Produce these materials with a company that understands your goals and can suggest cost effective ways to implement your plan.

This may take a little more effort than an online quick-fix but will yield far greater results. It is important to get noticed but more important to be noticed for the right reasons.

Times have changed.  People have changed.  Business has changed.

Once upon a time, people made decisions based on value, quality and relationships.  Now it seems that price is the only decision.

Once upon a time, service mattered.  Now, only money matters.

Once upon a time working with honest people that value  integrity was important.  Now, only the bottom line is of importance.

Once upon a time, there was a sense of loyalty. Now, there’s only dollars and cents.

Why has this become the common business mindset?  In our personal lives, we seem to still understand value and honor it with our loyalty.  So why not in business? Do we place our children with the cheapest day care center?  Do we trust advice from the cheapest doctor? Do we feel secure investing with someone who is the cheapest today and likely gone tomorrow?  Do we hire the cheapest worker or the one who is trustworthy, reliable and will bring value to our business?  Price is a factor but it’s not the most important factor.  The same characteristics that make people great are what make businesses great.  When you think of the characteristics you’d like used to describe yourself, what comes to mind?  Honest, loyal, dependable, qualified, kind, pleasant, helpful?  There’s probably many adjectives that come to mind, but I doubt cheap is one of them.

So if we applied these same standards in business, our businesses would most likely continue happily ever after.

We’ve all heard the hype and received emails urging us to avoid printing and the use of paper products. Although I share the idea of being responsible with all of our natural resources, let me clear up the misconception that  surrounds the print industry. Actually, printing is good for the planet! Printing and paper companies are probably the biggest advocates for responsible forestry. Otherwise, their business suffers. Here’s a few facts you may not be hearing:

1. There are more than 750 million acres of U.S. forestland (that’s 1/3 of the U.S.) and of that, 56% is privately owned. These private landowners plant about 4 million trees every day. That’s 3-4 times more than they harvest.

2. In the U.S., the pulp and paper industry is the largest producer and consumer of renewable energy and generate more than 60% of its energy from carbon-neutral biofuels.

3. In 2009, 63.4% of the paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling.

4. Healthy forests provide a full suite of goods and services that are vital to human health and livelihood – natural assets called ecosystem services. Using paper helps landowners afford to keep these ecosystems intact and healthy.

5. Only 15 – 20% of electronics are recycled and 80-85% go directly into landfills and contain lead.

So don’t believe all the myths and get the facts on paper, go to www.GoPaperGrowTrees.com for more info.

And if you want…you can print this!

Imprinting your company logo, name and address, phone number and website on promotional products will go a long way in keeping your company in front of existing clients as well as generating a buzz among potential customers.

Some people ask, “That all sounds good, but how can I use promotional products and why?”

● Promotional products can be used in all situations, from a corporate uniform to business gifts, or even merchandise.

● Promotional products are tangible and have the benefit of being a long-lasting form of marketing.

● The success of using promotional products in your marketing campaigns is easily measured, with obvious results every time.

● Promotional products have a higher perceived value, so when your clients or potential clients receive a promotional product they feel important to your company or organization.

● Promotional products compliment targeted marketing campaigns, with the ability to be themed and customized to a specific campaign.

When considering promotional products, it’s important to remember the three C’s of Cost, Control and Connection.

The three C’s are the reason promotional products work so well in most situations!

Cost – Items like pens, key chains, and mouse pads that bear your company name are not pricey, but provide a great deal of advertising.  The bang for the buck is huge!

Control – Promotional products allow you to control how people view your brand and marketing message as well as the type of product presented.

Connection – Promotional products allow you to connect to your customers in a unique, memorable and lasting way.  Everyone likes a free gift even if it’s something as small as a coaster and gifts send a message of value to people.

Metrovista ( http://www.metrovista.com ) can print your custom information on over 400,000 promotional products.  Several common examples would be:

Coffee Mugs                         Drink Koozies                          Golf Shirts / T-shirts

Calendars                             Calculators                              Refrigerator Magnets

Note Pads                            Golf Tees or Balls                    Ball Caps

So what product should I decide upon for my company info?

Well, the best answer to that is if you can think of something, it’s most likely available.

From pocket hand sanitizers and USB Jump Drives to dry erase door hangers, the possibilities are endless.

How to get started:

The best thing to do is to decide what you would like and then contact Metrovista to get a quote on the items you have in mind.  We are also more than happy to give free and experienced advice on what might work best for your type of industry.  A small investment in a promotional product can yield big results over a long period of time.

Metrovista, Inc.

http://www.metrovista.com

866-725-5100 (toll free)

There’s a constant buzz these days with social media networking. Question is…does it work to bring in business? Yes, but it depends on your business, your industry, how you use social media and how you manage it.

So what about face-to-face networking? Social networking in person. There’s nothing new about that concept so same question. Does it work to bring in new business? Well, are you more likely to go see a movie that a friend tells you is great or after reading a critique in the paper? Do you tend to buy from people you know and like? Are you more likely to believe a friend or a stranger? Yes, face-to-face networking works but (there’s always a but) it depends on several things. Some businesses or industries are more suited for it than others. A defense contractor probably won’t close any business at a general after hour’s social gathering. But a salon and spa owner might. The following steps will help set you on the right path for networking.
1. Discern what type groups work best for your business.

2. Networking works when you develop relationships. You can’t show up once and expect to get business.

3. You have to give in order to receive.  You have to be willing to help others, connect others and give referrals.

4. You have to enjoy the group you network in. If you don’t, it’ll show.
So these days it’s best to cast out both nets (both social media and face-to-face networks) in order to increase your sales and grow your business. Try it…it works!

Increasing sales sounds good, but what is New Media?  Some people call New Media, Social Media and that would be correct on a basic level.  But running your own Facebook page or Twitter account isn’t necessarily going to drive people to your website unless you know what you are doing and have a great deal of time dedicated to managing the myriad of media sites that can turn generated traffic into sales.

Isn’t Facebook free?  Well yes, most all media sites are free to set up and manage as you have time, but Managed Media is something much more complex because it involves a mind blowing amount of information directly related to your business and increasing your sales through leads that are driven to your website via SEO (Search Engine Optimization), SEM (Search Engine Management), Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr, SlideShare, and Blogs.  There are even other recourses available not mentioned here that may be more specific to your industry.  When you hit a specific target, that target is much more likely to become a customer when they visit your website.

Traffic generates leads and leads generate sales. For the average small to medium sized business, the task of managing all this would be overwhelming and that’s where Metrovista can help.

The process is simple and painless.

There are packages that will fit any size business and budget.  Metrovista will listen to your needs and desires while helping to come up with solutions that work for your business goals.

You can easily get started or just find out some more information by visiting www.metrovista.com/media