they are more technical and prefer in-depth research and whitepapers. Meet your customers where they are, not where you think they should be.” As already evident, brand and image are crucial to marketing your business, much of which can be communicated in your social media, your staff, your dress code, but also your website. Whether it be in a professional or personal capacity, everyone will have experienced an outdated or difficult to navigate website which itself becomes a reflection of the company you are trying to engage with. Biltcliffe, Copp, Rogers, and Harmon and your audience. Without this, the communications offering just won’t be truly authentic, and authenticity is crucial to fostering a genuine connection with customers. Collaboration is key. “Don’t think that hiring an external PR/ marketing professional or agency means your work is done. Businesses need to work closely with them to align goals, hone and tweak campaign strategies, and ensure a continued partnership that gets results.” Copp emphasises the creative potential of print and how you can communicate what a customer can expect through your previous work. “Focusing on the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of your offering’s impact is more dynamic than the ‘what’ of your product or service,” says Copp. “Look at customer case studies and testimonials for example. Tell the story of why your offering enhanced your customer’s business, and how it can do the same for others. Once you’ve got the story, a cross-media approach will help you maximise that strong message for incredible results; a great piece of written content can be repurposed into a social media campaign, blog copy, a press release, or thought leadership piece for your target media. Then there are opportunities for tie-ins with your event marketing, email marketing, videos, webinars, podcasts, and more.” With so many mediums and channels available, Copp adds: “Make sure you think about which tactics complement your brand and your story, maybe your audience responds well to video content and sharing the more social, personal side to your business and employees, or perhaps have all stressed the importance of communication and utilising the many channels out there. Apart from showcasing these platforms it's also important to ensure you aren’t highlighting older or unsuccessful parts of your business. Outdated news sections, old videos, and inactive social media platforms can be just as detrimental to the image of your business as not using these channels at all. Striking The Right Balance A big consideration for print companies is how to balance the many expectations that businesses and individuals face in the modern age. As well as what you do and offer, the ethics of your company and how it operates is just as important. The surging popularity of sustainable and ethical businesses shows how customers are changing where they are willing to spend their money. While cost is still a major factor for many decisions, how a company operates can also impact purchase decisions, especially as a lot of the public try to help local and high street businesses over giant corporations like Amazon. As founder and managing director of THEMPC, Paul Marsh has seen many of the hurdles print businesses have faced over the past few years. Founded in 2013 the company was created to provide high quality print management, packaging, and merchandise, as well as support and logistics solutions, all under one roof. The company has found success through the connections it has made with customers and the solutions it’s been able to provide. 96 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk September / October 2023 - Issue 344 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES / MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS ► Very Displays is exhibiting at this year’s Print Show on stand D07 ▲ THEMPC was founded by Paul Marsh in 2013. Emma Marsh came on board in 2018
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