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Although you may not have thought of it this way, in addition to being educational institutions, schools are businesses too. Every business needs print materials, including K-12 and higher education institutions; though, the print materials may differ a little bit in their message and purpose. Schools can use print for more than handouts and assignments. Printed materials can be used for events, promotional products, and more. Here are some of the most important printed materials for schools: Institution Materials Institution materials can include both informational and promotional items. These materials will be used in and around the school, as well as mailed or sent home with students. Printed institution materials may consist of posters, handouts, brochures, flyers, coupons, yearbooks, report cards, planners, calendars, forms, certificates, labels, stickers, decals, magnets, student ID cards, notepads, letterheads, envelopes, and signage. All institution materials should include identifiable elements of the school, such as the school’s name, logo, mascot, colors, slogan, or other identifiers. Event Materials Special events are an exciting social aspect that enhances the school experience. Using printed materials, both before and during events, build excitement and participation, and can improve the visual experience of the event. Consider print materials for events such as open houses, proms, graduations, theater, sporting events, and others. There is a wide variety of printed materials that you may need: banners, signs, invitations, flyers, tickets, programs, cards, wayfinding signage, displays, and more. Marketing and Fundraising Materials Schools cannot solely rely on digital marketing efforts, like a website and emails, for promotions and fundraising efforts. Schools need to take a multimedia marketing approach to maximize the response rate. That means both digital and printed materials. Print solutions for school marketing and fundraising can include informational mailers, postcards, brochures, flyers, professional documents, greeting cards, and promotional packages. Educational Materials Educational materials include items used for learning, teaching, and classroom functions. Printed educational materials that are needed by schools include packets (welcome packets, course work), worksheets, booklets, window or table clings, learning cards, posters, whiteboards, and more. In addition to paper materials, Omega offers printing on multiple substrates, as well as lamination and finishing services for a variety of educational materials. Operational Materials Operational materials are often overlooked. However, these materials are just as important for schools as they are for any other business. Operational materials for schools can include directories, employee handbooks, newsletters, disciplinary slips, hall passes, contact cards, and safety/emergency plans. Why you should choose Omega High-Impact Print Solutions for your school’s printing: Omega High-Impact Print Solutions has been providing commercial print solutions for over 70 years and has experience working with educational institutions from Pre-K to colleges and universities. Omega has the ability to create all of the above-printed materials, customized to individual needs and match school colors. Additionally, Omega specializes in unique finishes, shapes, and large-format printing. Our experienced team of print experts can help guide you to the best solution for your next print project! Contact us to get started on your print project today! Written by Omega High-Impact Print Solutions’ Marketing Intern, Ava Hoch.

Social media platforms have become a must-have for businesses of all sizes to connect with their audience and establish a solid online presence. But let's face it, in a sea of content, it can be quite a challenge to create material that truly catches people's attention. In this blog post, we'll explore some practical tips on how to make social media content that people actually want to see. Know Your Audience First and foremost, you need to know your audience to know what they want to see. To create content that really strikes a chord with them, it's crucial to understand who they are, what they care about, and the challenges they're facing. Take the time to develop detailed marketing personas that capture their demographics, interests, pain points, and motivations. And don't forget to tap into social media analytics tools to gather data on their behavior, preferences, and engagement patterns. This information will be your secret weapon in tailoring your content specifically for whom you want to reach. Be Genuine Another important factor for creating content people actually want to see is being authentic. For the most part, people naturally know when someone is being fake or insincere. That's why it's essential to be honest and relatable in your content. Share your brand's story, values, and personality in a way that feels natural and genuine. You don’t want to give your viewers a used car salesman spiel by force-feeding them over-the-top sales pitches. Instead, focus on providing value, education, or entertainment to your followers. Utilize Visuals Visuals are your best friend when it comes to making captivating content. They're much more engaging and memorable than plain text. So, it’s imperative to include eye-catching visuals in anything you post. Maintaining a consistent visual style that aligns with your brand's aesthetic and tone is also a great idea. This will create an attractive feed that your audience will be compelled to explore. Provide Value Delivering value is crucial when it comes to fostering trust and cultivating loyalty amongst users. Sharing useful tips, tutorials, or resources that address your audience’s pain points is a great place to start. Alternatively, you could choose to educate them on subjects pertaining to your industry. By offering solutions to their problems or responding to their frequently asked questions, you establish yourself as a reliable and valuable resource they can count on. Creating social media content that truly resonates with your audience takes time, effort, and creativity. By understanding your audience, being authentic, using visuals, providing value, and engaging with them, you can create content that stands out and sparks engagement. Just remember, social media is always changing. So it's important to experiment, learn, and adapt your content strategy to keep up with the evolving trends and preferences of your audience. Written by Omega High Impact Print Solutions’ Digital Marketing Manager, Emily Steel

It's no surprise that color impacts a consumers purchase. In fact, Digital synopsis concluded that 93 percent of shoppers purchase a product based on it’s visual appearance . From the packaging on your favorite brand, to the luxurious styles of your living room - you made a choice based on how these colors look and make you feel. But, what is more important is understanding why you actually chose such colors. To start...Color is not owned by artists! All marketing professionals should understand the psychology of color because no matter what - color will always be used. Properly utilizing colors in different marketing and advertising materials is very important. The importance is not only for the brand identity of businesses, but to the consumer they are appealing to. Here are 8 colors we looked into and how understanding them can increase your sales in 2021. Red Red is the most powerful color to be used in color marketing. Since it is very dynamic; it has the ability to show affection, love, fear and survival. Because of red’s powerful nature, it comes off as an energizing color; making it portray strong feelings. If your business is looking to have a strong presence over your consumers, red will be the go-to color for your brand. Moreover, many businesses will use red when they want to create a sense of urgency. Such as a flash sale, or a percentage off an item/service. Keep in mind though, because of this color’s overwhelming power, it can represent demand and aggression. Therefore, the context of red's use should be examined thoroughly. Blue Blue is one of the most used colors in the world; even outside the realm of marketing and business. This is because blue is well known for the trust and dependability it showcases. To add, blue is a mentally soothing color for consumers because of it’s reliable and responsible traits. Blue sparks a mental reaction., allowing consumers to be calm, decompress and function in a more ideal mental state. But, with all this good, there are some downsides. Blue is the hardest color to see on the color spectrum, because it requires the most light to be seen and takes the longest to identify. This can lead to this color sometimes being distant or cold if used in large amounts. In short, blue is a favored color by masses because of its stabilizing mental states. In marketing, blue imulates trust, and strong relationship building. Green The color green represents harmony, balance and health. Green holds the ability to create a balance between emotional and logical thinking processes, making it easier to decipher between right and wrong. Since green is the most common color of nature, it represents peace, life and rest. The feeling of growth is also described when looking at this specific color. Such growth can be showcased through objects or even wealth. Green holds little to no negatives, such as materialism and greed; but it is overall a positive color for representation. Yellow Yellow stands strong as the foundation of all things cheerful and optimistic. Almost always, yellow will be the color to represent overall happiness. Going off of the color spectrum, yellow possesses a long wavelength. This makes it one of the most powerful colors to use in marketing, especially when attempting to target the psyche of consumers. Because of the long wavelength, yellow is the easiest color to see. It's even the first color infants are able to respond to! The downside to too much yellow is it can lead to consumers feeling fear, anxiety and even inflict self esteem issues. Being able to find the proper dose of yellow will lead to your brand making consumers feel confident, lifted and feeling inspired. Orange Orange is different, but impressive because of its psychological effects. Since Orange is a combination of red and yellow; it possesses red’s power and yellow’s fun energy. This combination provides excellent representation of comfort in shelter, food and warmth. Orange is also a motivational color, leading to positive attitudes and enthusiasm in consumers. Making orange an overall great color for providing comfort to consumers in all situations. Purple Purple is best associated with brands that are known for royalty, imagination and spirituality. Like yellow, purple balances red and blue. This balance is between the spiritual and physical feeling consumers get when seeing purple. The many wonders of purple is that it represents a glimpse of mystery, while also providing consumers with a soothing aura - which is why spirituality is often associated with this color. Do keep in mind that the overuse of purple can invoke distraction from what you are actually selling to your consumers. Black Black is known to be portrayed as controlling, sophisticated and serious in terms of colors. On the color spectrum, black lacks all forms of light, making it a very reserved color to select in marketing. Black tends to stay separated from other colors. This separation is good when brands are going for high contrast and legibility. Being cautious when using black is a must due to how powerful it is. Overusing black can lead to your brand and marketing look negative. White The color white represents peace, cleanliness and new beginnings. The blank slate color also gives way to refreshment and the creation of new ideas. White can take on multiple different meanings, but the strongest meaning white represents is equality. If your brand represents simplicity, creativity and or cleanliness - then white is the color for you. Be warned, too much white can evoke the feeling of isolation and emptiness in your consumers. Understanding and properly interpreting color should be in your marketing and sales tool belt because of it’s impact on consumers' behaviors and their thought process. From where consumers look, to what they do and how they interpret things- it is all relative to color. Color helps us decide what is and isn't important, which is why as a marketing professional, understanding what colors mean to consumers is very important. Want to know which product works best with certain colors? Contact us here or call us directly at +1(609) 645-1940 https://www.business2community.com/marketing/10-colors-that-increase-sales-and-why-0366997 https://digitalsynopsis.com/advertising/psychology-of-colors-in-marketing/

There is more to a business than owning physical assets. Digital assets, like curated content, is just as important. Content is a valuable asset in a marketing strategy. From expressing your brand message to keeping website visitors coming back, there are various forms of content. But the kicker is that one piece of content can be upcycled and repurposed. Something that was relevant to your messaging in the past might still hold true in the current environment. In this blog we will dive deep into what is content repurposing, and how you can prospur from it. WHAT IS CONTENT REPURPOSING? Content repurposing is when you take a previously created asset and reuse it in a different way. Just like when you turn an old piece of furniture into a new decor, a blog post can easily be turned into a new infographic. This marketing tactic comes in handy, because it can increase your online presence and save you time in the art room. Buffer , a simpler social media tool for authentic engagement, goes into detail about how a business can create multiple blogs or articles from one previously written peice. WHY SHOULD YOU REPURPOSE YOUR CONTENT? Depending on the size of your business, you might not have a large task team to complete all the marketing and exposure tactics you have in mind. And since there are only so many hours in a day, you should be repurposing your content to not only achieve multiple goals at once and reach a new audience, but ultimately, maximize your effort and time. There is a high chance that a piece of content performing well in one area might perform well in another. Maybe you have a social media post that is enticing customers to head to your website. Instead of thinking of a totally new way to drive traffic to your website, maybe create a Direct Mailer, highlighting the same information with a QR code, so you can track the progress! The digital world is growing! There are thousands of new users each day trying out new social platforms. But, simply reposting a blog or social media graphic with the same message; might not do as well as it did the first time. To reach new audience members , try making slight changes to the repurposed content and then upload it to your new and recurring followers. The last reason as to why you should repurpose your content is because it maximizes your effort and time! You can spend countless hours a day creating and editing content to release to the public. These tasks are pulling you away from other aspects of your business, and decreasing your ROI. By repurposing your content, your input decreases and your output increases and still upholds its quality - resulting in more time for you to focus on your business. HOW DOES IT INCREASE YOUR ROI? Your return on investment (ROI) will be higher than what you were previously doing based on your new efforts to integrate content repurposing into your marketing mix. The content you repurpose will lead to an expansion on your reach, diversify your content, improve your SEO and promote the purchasing stage of consumers. Repurposed content can expand your reach and diversify your content, because your target audiences have multiple similarities. However, your target may learn about your product in different mediums and styles. While some consumers are visual learners, others may be auditory learners. However, consistency with your messaging is key. Therefore, If you took a social media advertisement, and expanded it into radio, it should represent the same message on both platforms. Another reason it helps increase your ROI is because of the improvement of SEO. Search Engines, AKA google, prefer to crawl websites that are trustworthy. The more information that provides quality and true information, the easier it is to be recognized by the engine. The result makes your source easier to find. Lastly, repurposing content enables you to touch base on the buying stage more often than you think! Your audiences may be similar, but that doesn't mean they are all at the same stage in the purchasing journey. Customers that are teeter-tottering about making a purchase will look for strong content to help make their decision. Some consumers that are just becoming aware of your product/service may be looking for bite-size content that highlights key purchasing information. So, instead of thinking of multiple different ways to target these buyers, repurpose one piece that can double as bite-size or strong content. WHAT TYPES OF CONTENT ARE GOOD FOR REPURPOSING? Below are just some of the ways you can repurpose your content! Collected from hubspot and instapage ! Recreating a new blog post or article Turn internal data into case studies Turn blog content into video content Source content for an ebook Offer guest contributions to previously covered topics Create a round-up post Turn a blog article into an infographic Create instagram reels out of content Create instagram guides out of content Use statistics for social media content Turn a webinar into a presentation Create a pinterest board from infographics Turn a blog into a podcast episode It's a lot to take in, but trust us it is worth it to repurpose your content. The most important takeaway is that there isn’t always a need to create brand new assets. The repurposing process will not only save you time, but help you expand your audience’s view and ultimately, increase your ROI. If you would like to learn more, contact us here! Or call us directly at +1 (609) 645 1940 Written by Danielle Elia, Omega High Impact Print Solutions’ Graphic Design and Digital Marketing Strategist https://www.sitecore.com/knowledge-center/blog/2020/01/why-content-repurposing-is-the-key-to-positive-roi https://medium.com/@triberr/how-to-repurpose-content-for-maximum-roi-52f106d4e03d https://thrivehive.com/benefits-of-repurposing-content/ https://instapage.com/blog/repurposing-content https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/examples-repurposing-content

In a world where everything and anything can be possible-we recommend integrating catalogs back into your marketing mix. Continue to travel down the path of digital, but don’t shy away from the tried and true forms of print marketing. Infact, Catalog print marketing is one of the most effective ways to market your business, on top of all the benefits we will go over below. THE BENEFITS OF CATALOG PRINT MARKETING Catalogs are tangable Holding something in your hands and being able to not only flip through it, but examine it, is far more satisfying than scrolling on a cellphone. And yes, you can always go back to your cell phone, just like a print catalog, but that requires you to physically remember the web address. Where as print catalogs are most likely being held on to for future use. The longer the catalog stays in your consumers’ possession; the more exposure your business will obtain. “Except for the laborious task of turning pages, dealing with something printed is almost passive; you don’t have to sit in front of a computer, type anything to search. You can hold a catalog in your hands, mark it up, put it down and pick it up again a day later. It can, and often does, stay in the house for weeks.” Source: Forbes Catalog Print Marketing is High Quality When taking advantage of catalog marketing, you are letting your customers know that your business is the premier solution when it comes to the type of products/services you sell. Print marketing, in whole, is more expensive than digital marketing. It takes more effort and more teamwork to go from conceptualism to fruition. But, the take away from going that extra mile is that your brand will stand out in a crowd of competitors. Catalogs offer exceptional quality and high appeal. Catalogs allow your business to highlight all your features and important selling points to your customers easier than a digital advertisement. Plus, the imagery on paper is displayed at a higher DPI (Dots per inch) than digital. Overall, you are showing that your business is doing things at the highest of quality and standard-never settling for anything less. “Even with everyone on the Internet, catalogs are still mailing in the billions and the reason from the marketers’ perspective is the foundation of direct marketing: catalogs work! They more than pay for the costs of getting them into the hands of customers and prospects.” Source: Forbes Tracking Catalog Results are Easy This is the part that everyone dreads, but it's easier to do than businesses think! Print catalogs that are being directly sent to your target consumers also provides a lot of data that can be analysed for better results. From the mailing information, to your call-to-actions; these allow you to better identify the trends of your sales. Once the data is collected, your business can then review the information and make decisions to perfect the future release of your catalogs. Refining and improving on your collected results will better build your brand identity and increase sales. One Catalog for your Entire Product Line Catalogs allow you to showcase your entire product line, all at once! This is where print beats digital advertising. Digital advertisements are easily scrolled over or never opened to begin with. In fact, this study published by Return path, explains that out of 5 millions consumers, 22 percent actually opened and read a digital advertisement directly sent to their email inboxe s. Where as the article published by Entrepreneur , showcased that 77 percent of consumers will sort through their mail immediately and 98 percent of people check their mail boxes daily! The likelihood of a consumer seeing your brand in print is higher than it would be in a digital form. Digital advertisements become more costly over time; especially when attempting to advertise an entire product line. Lastly, digital advertisements are limited on space; overcrowding the digital advertisement will look messy or confusing to your customers. Print catalogs, however, are being displayed to your customers in a fluid layout. Catalogs are a tried and true marketing channel that can help increase your customer base, grow your business and overall increase triple bottom line. The extra marketing expenses you inquired over catalog print marketing will counterbalance based on the impact of print marketing to your consumers. The returns are endless. Interested in catalog print marketing for your business? Contact us here or call us directly at +1 (609) 645 1940. Written by our Graphic Design and Digital Marketing Strategist, Danielle Elia https://www.marketing91.com/catalog-marketing/ https://www.conquestgraphics.com/blog/conquest-graphics/2019/03/28/20-advantages-of-catalog-marketing https://www.forbes.com/sites/loisgeller/2012/10/16/why-are-printed-catalogs-still-around/?sh=3728774579c6

When looking for the best binding solution for your printed materials, there are many factors that need to be considered before sending your project to production. Some of which involve choosing between Saddle Stitch or Perfect Bound bindery techniques. This decision can’t be based on simple aesthetics either, there are advantages and disadvantages when choosing one technique over another. BELOW ARE THE MAJOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SADDLE STITCH AND PERFECT BOUND BINDERY METHODS! SADDLE STITCH BINDERY: If you’ve ever stood in the check outline and squinted at some of the magazines’ screaming the latest fake news, then you have seen saddle stitching in the wild. Saddle stitching is one of the most popular bindery techniques on the market today. The theory behind the name “saddle stitching” comes from the folded sheets of paper being manipulated over the holding apparatus, waiting to be stapled. Each side of the sheet, hangs over the sides, giving Saddle Stitching its name. After the sheets have been set and folded properly, staples are then “stitched” through the paper, creating a booklet-like structure. Typically, two staples are the standard when saddle stitching substrates, but if the substrate is larger; more staples can be stitched into the spine as needed. HOW MANY PAGES CAN BE SADDLE STITCHED TOGETHER? When it comes to making booklets, magazines, catalogs or anything of that nature; one folded substrate is equal to four “pages”. This is because the front and the backs are counted as a page. So, for every sheet added to the process, the page count will increase by 4. Depending on the thickness and weight of the substrate you are going to be printing, 64 pages (16 sheets) is a good limit. However, if the substrate is very thin, you could print approximately 100 pages (25 sheets) before the booklet can not lie evenly on a surface. WHY CHOOSE SADDLE STITCH BINDERY? Saddle Stitch binding is one of the most cost effective binding methods on the market. Saddle Stitched magazines or booklets still look professional and presentable. Moreover, Saddle Stitching does not add excess weight to the project; shipping costs will remain lower. Saddle Stitching can be used for both long and or short runs, as it is less costly to print and bind projects this way. EXAMPLES OF SADDLE STITCHING BINDERY: Magazines Seasonal booklets Books Catalogs Brochures Maps Pocket pamphlets PERFECT BOUND BINDERY: Perfect bound bindery involves the application of glue to construct the pages and the spine together. To create a perfect bound, our print operator stacks the pages together to create a clean block. After, our operator distorts the spine edge of the block; exposing paper fibers so the glue will hold strong. Next, the glue is added to the distorted spine and lastly wraps the cover around the block. Our print operator makes sure the glue has adhered to the spine while the perfect bound binding is curing. After curation, any trimming and touch ups are made. This binding method does not have a seam, which makes the Perfect Bound more flexable and aesthetically appealing to consumers. WHY CHOOSE THE PERFECT BOUND BINDERY METHOD? There are many advantages to consider when using the Perfect Bound technique for your print job. The primary advantage when utilizing the Perfect bound method over Saddle Stitching is its’ professional and visual appeal. Perfect Bound Bindery is not as cost effective as Saddle Stitching, but it is less expensive than producing hard cover books. Perfect Bound books also stack easier than Saddle Stitched books. The best advantage of Perfect Bound is having unlimited customization options. Any color and or finish you'd prefer to use is available when choosing this method. Lastly, Perfect Bound Bindery allows you to print on the spine, giving your business another surface to reach potential customers through. EXAMPLES OF PERFECT BOUND BINDERY: Annual and corporate reports Thicker product brochures Magazines Catalogs Soft cover books Journals If your business has any questions regarding what method of binding you should consider, contact us here or call us directly at +1 (609) 645 1940. Written By: Danielle Elia, Graphic Design & Digital marketing strategist https://www.soloprinting.com/blog/saddle-stitch-vs-perfect-bound/ https://calitho.com/what-is-saddle-stitch-binding/ https://www.formaxprinting.com/blog/2010/02/book-printing-lingo-what-does-perfect-binding-mean

There are many benefits of choosing Digital Printing as your go-to printing method for your business. Not only is digital printing at the forefront of printing technology, it is also the most efficient way to print. Digital printing techniques do not use traditional inks and plates like Offset Lithography Printing . Take note of the different styles of digital printing we are going to cover, this way your business is prepared to print campaigns. TYPES OF DIGITAL PRINTERS Sheet-Fed Production Printers: Sheet-fed Digital Production Printing Presses are the ideal choice when a business needs printed materials in large volumes at high-speeds. This method is also best suited for graphic communications. The file formats that can be sent to the printer can be in various formats such as PDF, BMP and or JPEG. High resolution images can be displayed in fine detail when choosing this method. Cut-Sheet Digital Presses: Cut-Sheet Digital Presses refer to the substrates being “free sheet”. The Free sheet bundles can come in stacks of 500 or more and are often sold to businesses by the stack. Businesses can choose to have the free sheets vary in paper weights, colors and or paper coatings . Typically, the substrate size used in Cut-Sheet Digital Presses are 8.5 x 11, 8.5 x 14 and 11 x 17; but various sizes can be chosen. Full bleed sheets are also available for this printing method. Free Sheet substrates work on both inkjet and laser printers, if the paper tray accept various sizes. Production Inkjet Printers: Production Inkjet Printers are best known for being a single-pass inkjet system for printing. Production Inkjet Printers are capable of supplementing web and or sheet fed presses. This method of print enables businesses to utilize variable data print methods and or require fast turnaround times. Continuous Feed Printers: Continuous Feed Printers also go by the name of ‘continuous form paper’. This method uses substrates that are connected by a perforated edge. To add, this substrate takes on the appearance of an accordion, allowing the feed for the printer to be continuous. This method is often used in roll fed inkjet production printers that are producing high volume jobs. The best types of jobs for this method are typically personalized catalogs, direct mail campaigns, coloring books and variable data methods. DIFFERENT STYLES OF DIGITAL PRINTING On-Demand Printing Printing on demand is a new and upcoming form of digital printing. This technology is best suited for small businesses that do not have a warehouse or the facility to hold products. With On-Demand Printing, a order must be placed before the printing process can begin. This method of printing is perfect for smaller quantities of production. Variable Data Printing Variable Data Printing is the use of elements such as images, text and or graphics that can be changed from one substrate to the next. There is no need to stop and reset the printer from copy to copy, because the digital printer is aware of the variables prior to print. This type of printing is best suited for Direct mailers, calendars, Customize Postcards, Flyers, Brochures, & Letters. Be aware, when confirming your business needs variable data print, there must be a external file attached to your digital file indicating the variable information that needs to be printed. Web-to-print Printing Just like On-demand Printing, Web-to-print Printing is a new and upcoming digital printing style. This method is best suited for e-commerce business or a company that needs remote publishing. Take note that this is primarily for websites! Companies that utilize web-to-print are facilitated in services like web design, media marketing and or online/system as a service. According to the requirements of the business, there are different types of digital printing that can be chosen . Since the technology of digital printing is still new and continuously adapting; there are endless print possibilities. If you are is interested in digital printing for your business, click here or call us directly at +1 (609) 645-1940 Written by our Digital Marketing Strategist, Danielle Elia https://alwaslprinting.com/types-of-digital-printing/ https://www.xerox.com/en-us/digital-printing/insights/what-is-digital-printing

Regardless of the industry your business might be in, it’s becoming more and more difficult for companies to stand out. However, there are ways you can go about making your business unique enough to stand out amongst competition. From defining the brand's voice, to crafting interactive content - read below to find out how digital marketing can make a business stand out! Define Your Brand’s Tone of Voice The tone for your brand is a main influencer in how consumers perceive your message, personality and business values. From the words you choose, to the different types of digital content you put out, the overall tone of your brand should be consistent and cohesive across all marketing channels. With successful implementation of your brand's voice, a consumer should be able to identify the business through text alone. See below to assure your brand is on the right path. Consider how you have communicated successfully with current and former clients in the past. Recognize the type of tone you would like to execute in the future with new/potential clients. Examine your competitors and how they are communicating their brand/message to their customers. The Creation of Content Content marketing is a way to define your brand and build your company's credibility with current and potential clients. The content you create and release will help elevate your brand as an industry leader, and overall, differentiate yourself against current competitors. The creation of content and marketing it to consumers is also a substantial way to advocate that your brand is what consumers can and should rely on for enduring value. To show you how well content works for businesses, a survey by demand gen report concluded that 51 percent of business to business buyers rely on the content a business created to influence their buying decisions. The consumers also want shorter and more interactive content that educates them more than selling to them. Interaction is Key On top of making content that is ideal for the consumer; it should also be interactive on some level. In fact, the most popular way to market a business has been through the use of interactive and exciting campaigns. Why does this work? People want to interact with content they are viewing-rather than just look at it. Such content can be anything from polls and questionnaires to infographics, videos and more. The goal of having interactive marketing campaigns is to entice customers to engage ! Being able to engage with your customers also allows you to collect that information and curate more content that your customers find important to them. Implement Paid Advertisements Using paid advertisements across social platforms will help differentiate your business. The benefit of advertising on social media is that there are multiple styles of advertisements that you can test and see which perform better. The best way to see how your business would stack up against the competition when you are investing in paid advertisements would be to look at how your competitors are advertising. Look at what they are doing and implement a strategy to be more effective. Test different campaigns and review the data from each. This way, you are able to review what is working for your clients and what is not. This gives you the chance to optimize your content and really appeal to your customers. Interested in integrating your digital marketing campaigns with print? We have you covered! Contact us today to get started on your marketing integration by clicking here , or call us directly at (609)645-1940! Written by Danielle Elia https://www.demandgenreport.com/resources/research/2016-content-preferences-survey-b2b-buyers-value-content-that-offers-data-and-analysis https://www.semrush.com/blog/how-to-define-your-tone-of-voice/#header3

When printing on paper substrate, it is important to know what type of coating you are going to be investing in for your project. While cost might be one of the biggest factors in your decision- understanding what you are actually paying for is significant. Which is why businesses should take the time to understand the different coatings that can be offered to them. Not only does using a proper coating add a protective element to your substrate, it is also a great way to add creative finish to your work. The various types of coating include: varnish, aqueous, and UV coatings. Varnish coatings: Varnish is applied on the printing press like all other inks being used in the project. Varnish varies in the styles that are offered. It can be applied as a gloss, satin or dull finish. Varnish is also the type of coating that can be applied with or without tints. The benefits of using a varnish over the other types of coatings is because of the flexibility and ease of application of the product - which is why varnish is a lower cost method to coating your substrate. The downside to using this method is that varnish offers the least amount of protection for your substrate - making it more susceptible to ink blemishes and finger-prints. Aqueous coatings: Aqueous coatings are a water based option for coating your substrates. This is the most commonly used type of coating, because it provides great protection against blemishes and fingerprints. Just like the application process involving varnish; Aqueous is applied directly to the printing press. The benefit of choosing aqueous coating is that they are less likely to yellow than varnish. Businesses also chose this method, because it is an eco-friendly solution to coatings. Aqueous can be applied as a gloss or dull finish. UV Coatings: Ultraviolet , or UV for short, is the strongest coating you can apply for protecting your substrates. The application process is different then Aqueous and varnish coatings. The UV coating is added either in-line or off-line by converters, printers or finishers. The coating starts out as a liquid, and once applied, the uv is exposed to ultraviolet lights to thicken. UV coatings come in the options of a high gloss, matte or satin option. The benefit of ultraviolet coating is the various finishes it offers. The UV also can be applied with glitter, special tints and even scents- how cool is that! When should I use a coating on my project? Even though you might want the fancy look of a finish for all of your business needs, it’s important to know when you should use a coating like UV, varnish or aqueous. Writing materials like note cards or postcards will not be able to be written on easily because of the applied finish. If you have any questions about coatings, or are interested in using a special finish on your next print job, contact us here or call us directly at +1(609) 645-1940! http://the-print-guide.blogspot.com/2012/03/choosing-right-print-coating.html https://www.summitprintingpro.com/resources/paper-coatings.html

Gone are the days of boring packaging designs that collect dust on shelves. Technological innovations in digital printing have changed the way package printing is fulfilled. There are many advantages of choosing digitally printed packaging - regardless of the size of the business. Here are the ways digital printing can provide notable advantages to your business. Personalization The print packaging design does not have to be the same over and over again. With digitally printed packaging, businesses are able to print personalized pieces. Our Digital printing presses are equipped with variable data. Variable data allows our customers to create layouts to alter the names, images and/or addresses. Digitally printed packaging is ideal for your packages that are being geared towards direct marketing campaigns, customer relationship management and advertising campaigns. Print what’s Needed Digitally printing your packaging allows for your business to have flexibility in frequency and quantity. Unlike large format printers, digital printing presses do not need printing plates - making it possible to run short and or medium size jobs. This method of print for your packaging is ideal, because it allows businesses to have more cash on hand, and diminishes the risk of excess inventory and waste. Businesses that are testing out market preferences and target audiences benefit from short run printing methods, which are widely available via digital printing. Running and testing how the packaging will perform in certain marketing conditions, is achieved through short run printing. Environmentally Friendly Solutions Digital printing machines do not require plates to be set up. It also allows for proofs to be reviewed and sent to press electronically, making this stage in the process totally paperless. Quick Turnaround Time Digital printing has little to no set up; because there are no large plates being used. Once the digital file for your print packaging is sent over, it takes minutes to initiate the printing process, whereas large format will take longer to set up the plates for each individual package design. Plus, when you choose a local printer, like Omega , shipping time and costs are significantly lower, allowing you to receive your print packaging as fast as we produce it! When choosing digital print for your packaging needs, your business will benefit from a multitude of advantages, most importantly when it is being compared to traditional print practices. Check out how Omega High Impact Print Solutions utilizes their digital printing fleet to provide innovative print solutions to the world here . If you are interested in starting your print journey, contact us directly at +1 (609)- 645-1940 or click here . Written by Omega’s Digital Marketing Intern, Danielle Elia https://www.soloprinting.com/blog/advantages-of-package-printing/ https://epacflexibles.com/7-advantages-of-digitally-printed-flexible-packaging/

When you think of sustainability, the first thing that comes to mind is to probably stop using paper, so we can save the environment. Well, we are here to tell you that implementing print solutions into your marketing mix, can not only help your marketing strategy overall, but also help you contribute to sustainable solutions. The reason to print The world wide pandemic has turned everyday life into an apparent uncertainty. The result of uncertainty is people losing trust in online advertising. More importantly, the information overload of digital advertisements is making customers concerned. Infact, a study conducted by GroupM expands on how 6 in 10 consumers are less inclined to use a product if their data is used for any purpose. Twosides also released a compelling article that provided in-depth insight on how advertising and marketing communications perform better as print media instead of digital media. Two sides concluded in their research that… 52% of consumers prefer to read product catalogs 45% of consumers like receiving personally-addressed advertising mail 68% of consumers do not pay attention to online advertisements 57% do their best to avoid them Consumers want to choose how and when they receive communications - rather than them randomly popping up on their screens and *accidentally clicking them*. The sustainable solutions of print Now that you’re aware print is in fact effective - businesses should also know that modern print making has evolved to being sustainable. When print markets saw a decrease, companies were forced to downsize, consolidate and reinvent their brands. This meant printing companies needed to enforce streamlined processes, that not only automated the print process, but also eliminated excess waste and emissions. Industry trends also lead print solution companies to comply with industry standards - the management of color, quality and ink consumption. The industry trends, and of course technology, resulted in the creation of digital printing machines. Digital printing allows print companies to perfect their skills, produce an unmatched quality in print products, and cut down on waste/excess emissions. Therefore, print has improved the environmental sustainability of not only marketing purposes, but the actual environment itself. In Summary: Adding print solutions to your marketing mix is not only a sustainable solution, but also a trusted and physical representation of effectiveness. Print still holds true as a strong competitor in the marketing world, and should be considered in your 2021 marketing mix. Ready to take on print? Contact us today to learn everything you need to know about our capabilities and solutions! WRITTEN BY OUR DIGITAL MARKETING INTERN, DANIELLE ELIA https://blog.drupa.com/de/sustainability/ https://www.groupm.com/new-groupm-research-examines-consumer-trust-digital-marketing/ http://printinthemix.com/Research/Show/125 https://www.twosides.info/UK/print-should-be-part-of-your-marketing/

We all know 2020 has been a year for the books, and as much as we are all looking to see this year far in our rearview mirrors, Covid-19 seems to be ringing in the new year’s passenger seat. Businesses are currently in fight or flight mode; they either have the fight to implement and embrace the new marketing environment, or they are shutting their doors for good. And we, as a business, have seen more of the latter than the former. Which is why what you do/make of your business during a crisis like Covid-19 is crucial. Branding your business to adapt to the “new normal” is essential to the fight. Revamp your brand This pandemic has changed consumers; and you should take note of these changes in order to revamp your brand to appeal to them. Customers engage with brands differently, purchasing habits have shifted to primarily online, and loyalty to brands have decreased. In fact, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) recently released a survey that demonstrated online purchases have had a steady increase of 6-10% in most product categories since the start of the pandemic. To accommodate this information and the new type of shopper, your business’s brand should focus on… The customer experience Value to customer relationships Implement credibility and trust through shared values if you incorporate the focal points; your company can come out of this pandemic pain-free and have a strong customer base. The customer experience It’s hard trying to reach and communicate with customers without seeing them face to face. Which is why your brand needs to be on digital in some way. When you have made the shift towards digital branding , the communication you have towards your customers should be thoughtful and swift during the covid pandemic. Doing this would involve your business portraying its brand, the brand message, and the brand promise at the forefront of it all. Brand marketing should consist of constantly showcasing that promise and message, to better grab the attention of your customer base. Address the Covid-19 pandemic, your guidelines to staying safe, and your businesses social responsibility. Value to customer relationships Even though customers have been shifting to online purchasing methods, they still want to purchase items that provide them with value. Which is why showcasing the value of your products online is important. Proper brand marketing that touches base on what the customer will receive when shopping with you can be done with simple marketing tactics like…. Free-shipping Quality assurance Live chats Product-specific tutorials Consulting Email marketing Blogs Newsletters Remember your brand lies in the perception of your current and potential customer base. Good branding and branded content leaves a strong and healthy perception of what you have to offer your customers that provide them value. It sets the standard and expectation of the products you are selling. Implement credibility & trust through shared values . Customers want to buy from businesses they trust. Which is why your business’s brand needs to reinforce your credibility that aligns with your targeted customer’s values. Positive transactions that happen online, can result in trust and brand loyalty. With that said, the branded content you deliver through online platforms should be relative to customer-experiences, and inspire them to re-engage with your brand. This can be achieved by... Assuring that your brand messaging/promise stays consistent across all marketing platforms and throughout the customer’s purchase path. Brand messaging/promise needs to be appropriate for each step in the buying process The way businesses engage with their customers will continuously change as we continue to shift towards a digital world. But for the sake of this pandemic, and possible post-pandemic; re-evaluating your brand, it’s message and promise, and optimizing to be accessible on digital interfaces will help position your business for a strong fight; rather than having to enter flight. WRITTEN BY OMEGA’S DIGITAL MARKETING INTERN, DANIELLE ELIA https://unctad.org/news/covid-19-has-changed-online-shopping-forever-survey-shows https://princetonmercerchamber.org/why-digital-branding-matters-during-covid-19-beyond/ https://www.signalgraphics.com/eggharbortownshipnj217/blog/why-branding-matters-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/