Navigating the Agency-Printer Relationship

In the fast-paced world of business, collaboration and synergy are key ingredients for success. One very important partnership that often is underestimated is the relationship between your company, your marketing agency and your commercial print partner. In an era where digital marketing dominates, the tactile power of printed materials can be overlooked. Yet, there’s an undeniable charm to holding a beautifully designed brochure or receiving a thoughtfully crafted direct mail piece. This is where the partnership between a marketing agency and a commercial print partner shines. Seamless interaction between these two entities can greatly impact the effectiveness of your marketing and the overall success of your business. In this blog, we’ll explore setting expectations, defining roles, choosing the right partners and the benefits of using a well-connected print partner.

Setting Expectations and Defining Roles

The foundation of any successful partnership is clear communication and well-defined roles. When it comes to the relationship between your marketing agency and print partner, the following points need to be established:

• Design Needs & Deadlines: Clearly communicate your design requirements and deadlines to ensure your agency can meet the artwork deadline and your printer can achieve the desired quality in your timeframe.
• Print Types: Discuss the specifics of the print job, including paper type, color options (full color or black and white), and any bindery, folding, collating or finishing required. Ensure your printer has the capabilities for a wide range of print types, i.e., newsletters, postcards, brochures, handbooks etc. Consider whether you need mailing services as well.
• Responsibility for Fulfillment: Determine who will handle the fulfillment process. Some print partners, like Preferred Direct, offer comprehensive services that include printing, mailing, and even kitting for promotional campaigns. While some marketing agencies are responsible for kitting specialty client gifts and will need the print piece sent to them for fulfillment.
• Budget: Transparency in budgeting is essential. Evaluate all costs involved, from the marketing agency’s fees to the printing invoices, shipping charges and more. This holistic view helps prevent surprises down the line.

Choosing the Right Partners

There are several factors to consider when choosing the right marketing partner. The first factor to consider is industry knowledge. A marketing agency that understands your industry can hit the ground running. They’ll have insights into your target audience, competition, and trends specific to your field, all of which will greatly impact the effectiveness of your campaigns. You can also request samples from a marketing agency, this will help you to evaluate the quality of their work and help to determine if they are a good fit with your brand. If the samples include case studies or metrics, you can gain insights into how effective the agency’s campaigns were for their previous clients in your industry. This can give you an idea of the potential ROI you might achieve by working with them.

When looking for the right commercial print partner, you will want to consider things like data security, equipment and technology, customer service, and experience. Protection of sensitive data is paramount. Make sure your print partner has security measures in place to protect your information and maintain client confidentiality. As a HIPAA compliant and HITRUST certified printer, Preferred Direct values the level of security required when dealing with personal information.

Preferred Direct is committed to quality at every step of the way. We use advanced print, fulfillment, and data technology to deliver custom communication solutions, on time and on budget. We take pride in being a highly skilled business partner who can deliver on your most pressing marketing and communications needs. Whether your project is transactional, informational, or promotional, Preferred Direct has over 30 years of experience in delivering engaging, secure print pieces for companies in a variety of industries.

Preferred Direct: A Multi-Faceted Partner

With years of experience in key industries such as healthcare, insurance, finance, energy & utility, and not-for-profit sectors, we have collaborated closely with various marketing agencies. Our extensive capabilities, renowned customer service, swift lead times, nationwide print services, and a data-centric approach have earned a reputation as a reliable, technology-focused print and direct mail partner for companies across the nation. As a family-owned business, we prioritize personalized care and are well-equipped to assist you or connect you with an excellent marketing agency tailored to your industry needs.

The partnership between your marketing agency and commercial print partner is a cornerstone in your marketing strategy. Clear communication, well-defined roles, and selecting the right partners, like Preferred Direct, can elevate your campaigns, simplify the campaign process, and drive substantial results. Teamwork makes the dreamwork!

Printed Collateral is Here to Stay

With the constant push for higher digital engagement, perfectly curated social feeds, and algorithm optimized content, it’s easy for businesses to focus their marketing budgets into the digital space. But is it really worth it? Digital marketers estimate that the average person sees over 4,000 ads in a single day and spends only 0.7 seconds “gazing” at each social media ad. In this massive sea of digital ads, how can businesses differentiate themselves or stand out? Short answer: Printed Collateral.

Digital Marketing vs. Print Marketing

Before we take a closer look at the advantages of print marketing, let’s quickly compare the two. The term “digital marketing” covers a broad range of marketing channels such as, social media, email marketing, google ads, and more. Every day up to 500 million people browse their Instagram feed, 600 million people scroll through TikTok, and 2 billion users log onto Facebook. With the potential for reaching a broad audience and its cost-effective nature, it’s no wonder why companies gravitate to this form of marketing.

Where digital marketing lacks, printed collateral thrives. Rather than creating content for the masses, print marketing campaigns are highly targeted, more memorable, and bring credibility to your business. Print marketing includes physical marketing pieces such as newsletters, catalogues, postcards, direct mail, brochures and more.

• Just opened a new brick and mortar location? Send a Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) invitation to all households within a 15 mile radius to your grand opening.
• Releasing a new product line? Give your customers a first look in an exclusive catalogue.
• Have exciting news, upcoming events, or a change in leadership? Send a newsletter to keep your internal team up to date and the public in the know.

Preferred Direct is a family-owned commercial printer, operating for over 30 years in direct mail printing, binding and delivery. Ready to get started in print? Our team can help! Click here to request a consultation or project estimate.

Advantages of Printed Collateral

So, how does print marketing differentiate your business in the digital age? Here’s a quick list of the advantages of printed collateral and why it’s here to stay:

Builds Credibility

The accessibility and ease of social media can be a double edge sword. Apps like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook have simplified account creation, meaning anyone can create an account and start marketing a product or service immediately, even if it doesn’t exist. Since most consumers are aware of fake or suspicious accounts, they err on the side of caution when interacting or purchasing products online. One way a company can build credibility as a trustworthy business is by sending printed collateral to their audience. According to a survey by MarketingSherpa, 82% of people trust print ads when making a purchase decision. Having a tangible print piece acts as an extension of your brand, putting the credibility of your product or services straight in their hands.

Memorable Marketing

In a study conducted by USPS and Temple University testing the effectiveness of print versus digital advertisements, they found that the physical ads were “more effective at leaving a lasting impression than their digital counterparts, regardless of the consumer age.” The research also concluded that the participants had quicker recall, stronger emotional responses, and a longer lasting impact from the physical ads. The physical aspect of holding a printed ad appeals to more senses than just scrolling through your phone. At Preferred Direct we have a team of graphic designers ready to create the artwork needed to make a great first impression.

Less Competition

Any company you name off the top of your head most likely has a prominent digital presence. This oversaturation of the digital space is what creates high competition and makes it very difficult to rank above larger companies with big marketing budgets. Even when you do prevail, there’s still that dreaded ad blocker in the way. In the U.S., more than a one third of internet users use some sort of ad blocker when they browse the internet. That means you’re paying money for 33% of the viewers to not even see your digital ad. These wasted marketing dollars could instead be used for a direct mail campaign where the consumer will not only see your ad but hold it in their hands. Rather than having to compete with the thousands of digital ads we see daily, your competition reduces to the handful of mail your audience gets every day.

An Omni-Channel Approach

When it comes to marketing it isn’t always a one size fits all. The best marketing strategizes take an omni-channel approach having a healthy mix of both printed collateral and digital marketing. While print marketing is effective for exposure and recall of brand information, digital marketing keeps your brand top of mind and can communicate to a broader audience.

With over 35 years of experience providing quality print and mail services to businesses around the country, Preferred Direct is the go-to direct mail printer for effective, data-secure print campaigns. We have the technology, capacity, and drive to assist you in your print marketing endeavors. From printer to post office, trust us to deliver high quality printed collateral pieces on time and within your budget. Contact us today to get started.

Remaining HIPAA Compliant with Third Party Printers

Are you truly HIPAA compliant? Maybe you’ve set up certain measures of data security and protected your processes internally, but what about your third-party vendors? As a HIPAA compliant and HITRUST certified printer, Preferred Direct invests in quality equipment and proven processes to ensure printing projects for healthcare, insurance, finance and other data sensitive industries comply with HIPAA requirements. From securing sensitive digital files to choosing the right third-party vendors, we put together a quick list of ways to ensure your organization remains in compliance.

The 3 HIPPA Rules

Before getting started with HIPAA compliance, we first need to understand the three HIPAA rules which all compliance best practices build upon:

HIPAA Privacy Rule

The HIPAA Privacy Rule establishes a federal standard for safeguarding the privacy of individuals’ personal medical records and other identifiable health information.

HIPAA Security Rule

The HIPAA Security Rule establishes a federal standard for safeguarding electronically stored personal medical information of individuals to ensure the privacy, confidentiality, and security of these records are maintained.

HIPAA Breach Notification Rule

A HIPAA data breach is defined as an individuals’ protected health information (PHI) being disclosed or used without permission that compromises the security and privacy of the information in any way.

Once the breach is discovered, the organization has 60 days to notify the individuals whose information was exposed and submit a report to the Department of Health & Human Services. If the breach exposes over 500 individuals’ PHI, the organization must also notify a notable local media outlet.

Technology Security

With technology becoming more advanced, it’s important your organization takes the necessary precautions to prevent data leaks or PHI breaches. Digital ways to secure access to sensitive data is encryption, creating secure access portals, and managing user roles/admin levels. Physical ways to protect this information include computers automatically log out when not in use and personal logins for all employees. For facilities with portable devices, conducting device inventory checks frequently could prevent these devices from leaving the premises without permission.

Ensure your outsourced print & mail vendor also maintains secure access, provides secure file transfer options, and encrypts all data transferred. As a HIPAA compliant and HITRUST certified print and mail vendor, Preferred Direct offers healthcare customers individual client logins for secure FTP file transfers and encrypts all print and mail data.

Facility Security

You can’t protect devices with secure data access or PHI records, without having a secure facility around it. Ways to prohibit unauthorized access to protected health records is having alarmed security systems throughout the building, storing records and files in authorized personnel only areas, and tracking devices with ePHI access. Knowing who is coming in and out of your facility at all times makes it easy to identify a potential breach point if a data leak does occur.

Training

An often overlooked practice of securing PHIs is training staff and faculty. Having quarterly or annual HIPAA compliance training keeps experienced staff up to date and gives new hires HIPAA compliance best practices. Holding training sessions on staff security, ethics, integrity, data breaches, and more will empower employees to speak up if they see malpractice occurring and remind them of the proper protocols when handling sensitive data.

Audits & Compliance

It’s important to complete the proper audits annually. Completing risk assessments, policy reviews, contingency plans, and vendor audits will ensure your organization remains HIPAA compliant. Allowing protocols or policies to “slip through the cracks” is where HIPAA compliance is more likely to be compromised.

Also, be sure to audit your third party print vendors and other outsourced organizations. Requesting information on their security protocols, testing for vulnerabilities, and having policy conversations with your vendors will help prevent a third-party data breach.

Print Security

HIPAA compliance also applies to your outsourced commercial printer. When it comes to choosing your third-party vendors, it’s important they also take the necessary precautions when printing and distributing sensitive data. One way to remain compliant when printing protected medical records is by using HIPAA compliant print vendors with secure data transfer portals, HITRUST certified common security framework, and secure digital and inkjet VDP technology – choose Preferred Direct.

As a HIPAA compliant and HITRUST certified printer, Preferred Direct has invested in top print and fulfillment technology and follows the strictest data security standards to ensure the safety of your data. If you’re looking to get one step closer to ultimate HIPAA compliance, contact Preferred Direct for third-party medical bill printing and mailing services. See for yourself why Preferred Direct is the trusted health industry print partner – contact us to get started on your next print project today!

Why Now is the Perfect Time for Print Newsletter Marketing

When was the last time you received a newsletter…that was not sent to your email? Keeping your clients, customers or patients consistently informed is a big key for brand engagement. And it simply makes sense to reach them where they are… online, right? Not exactly. Due to changing standards in online privacy, a large influx of email marketing, and increased competition in the digital marketing space, a printed newsletter may be the best medium to attract and engage your true audience base.

As a provider of commercial printing and mailing solutions for over 35 years, the team at Preferred Direct knows a thing or two about the consumer landscape. Although direct mail has been around for centuries, there are many reasons why now is the best time is to invest in printed newsletter marketing campaigns for your business.

Get Out the Cluttered Email Inbox

We’d like to think that customers eagerly await our emails for the latest promotions and news. Realistically, their email inbox looks just like ours— cluttered, with hundreds of unopened e-newsletters dying a slow death in the automated “Promotions” folder. With email providers implementing changes effecting deliverability rates and SPAM categorization, it’s likely that your audience isn’t receiving your emails in the first place, wasting the time and effort of your marketing team.

What makes print different? Printed newsletters offer a tangible experience using a marketing medium that has statistically become much less cluttered than the average email inbox. As many companies shift their marketing to online channels, the opportunity to be noticed in the mailbox has grown tremendously. However, there’s still a possibility of your newsletter going directly into the trashcan. That is where brand recognition, quality print materials and professional design come into play. Treating print newsletters like a tangible extension of your company’s product or service quality will differentiate your print marketing in a way that cannot be captured in a short email headline.

To cut through the email clutter even further, reference your most recent digital campaign in your print newsletter (or reference your newsletter in an email!) with a special incentive. You do not need to abandon one method for another, but rather, have them work together for best results. For customers and prospects that you simply are struggling to reach via email, printed newsletters through Preferred Direct may be the way to go!

Reach Clients in a New Way

With most of our daily communication taking place digitally, there is something refreshingly different about receiving mail that speaks directly to our wants and needs. A printed newsletter can be a unique space that elaborates and highlights your company story like no other. Whether through special print promotions or coupons, exclusive insider stories, or unique event incentives, there are plenty of opportunities to surprise and delight your newsletter subscribers in a way they are not accustomed to.

Are your competitors using a printed newsletter to reach their customers? If not, then this is a perfect time to reach your shared audiences in a way that your competitors do not. Your loyal customers will be pleased to see your direct communication and your competitor’s audience may be intrigued by this new touchpoint and the effort you put into the campaign. Though we may not think of the mailbox as “new”, we should. Print marketing is in a modern-day renaissance and this old medium could be the new way to communicate to your audience, effectively.

Forgo Online Privacy Barriers

Online privacy protection laws are actively being passed on national and local levels, highlighting the growing scrutiny on how personal information is found and used. Companies, such as Apple, Google and Microsoft, have responded by introducing various privacy features, that ultimately limit many marketers’ ability to effectively target audience segments. With these changing privacy laws, it may become harder for businesses to collect accurate email information. This has also impacted the number of bogus emails created for the sole purpose of downloading digital content through lead forms, without giving true, personal information.

On the other hand, It is much less common for your audience to set up P.O. boxes for junk mail. Therefore, when you deliver to a given address, you’re most likely reaching a real person and not a junk email bot. Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) campaigns can also help you target an audience by location. At Preferred Direct, we work with our local USPS office to designate the best geographic location for your campaign and pull accurate mailing lists on your behalf.

Here’s a common EDDM newsletter example:

Local veterinarian contacts Preferred Direct to send a print marketing newsletter to its 200+ existing customers and to every residential home within a 5 mile radius of their office using EDDM.

Customer – Jane opens her mailbox and sees the familiar logo of her local veterinarian’s office. The front page features a photo of two dogs posed in front of a holiday display, inviting readers to come in for a special pet photo event. Jane places the newsletter in her “keep” file and quickly texts her friend about the pet photo event. Later that evening, Jane reads the newsletter, adds “Make Fluffy a Vet appointment” to her to-do list, and clips a coupon for dog food.

Email alternative – Jane opened your email, forwarded to her friend’s email (where it hit the junk box) and forgot to follow up for a vet appointment since the email wasn’t consistently visible in the real world.

Prospect ­– Bob is new in town and has been researching veterinarians for his 8-year old Lab mix. Though he had his eye on another practice, he received a quality newsletter in the mail from this local veterinarian. This prompted him to check their online reviews and prices. After reading through their website and newsletter, which features more customer testimonials, health tips and a local dog park guide, he decides to call and set an appointment using his “FREE consultation” coupon clipped from the mail.

Email alternative – Your email went directly to junk mail because Bob does not have you on his email contact list.

In our example, the local veterinarian was able to engage different types of audiences, more than once from one newsletter. They may not have had the same return on investment if they sent out an email newsletter only. In our 35 years of experience with direct mail campaigns, it is not unheard of that a recipient might share a physically printed mail piece with a friend or family member – extending a campaign’s ROI.

Though you may be hesitant, we can confidently say NOW is the time to invest in print marketing and overcome the privacy barriers found in the digital marketplace. With a name and address, you can send professional, informative newsletters with 100% deliverability rates. No cookies, trackers, bots or privacy policies in sight!

Benefits of Newsletter Marketing

Not every printed marketing newsletter will yield the same results as our hypothetical veterinarian’s office example. But for those who work with a professional Print & Mail shop, the odds are in your favor. Here are a few advantages print marketing has over other forms of digital marketing:

• More Qualified Leads – Client addresses are updated regularly to send invoices and charge payments, so you know your print newsletters are sending to the right address. Through our partnership with USPS, you can verify mailing addresses and even target an audience you do not currently have access to, using EDDM.
• Longer Engagement Rates – The average ad is viewed for mere seconds. The simple act of holding a newsletter outlasts these digital methods exponentially. On average, a print piece will have a more lasting engagement than a digital marketing ad. Customers interested in your content may save it to read later, use as a bookmark, clip it on a fridge magnet etc. to keep it top of mind. You can increase the likelihood of this by choosing specialty bindings, paper sizes, and finishing options.
• Reaches a Broader Audience – Not all customers are online, and for those that are, the digital landscape is constantly changing (and so are their email addresses). Through printed newsletter marketing, you can reach a larger audience than just those with working emails. You can also target new audiences by locations relevant to your business, casting a wider net for future clientele.
• Direct Ways to Measure Impact – Whether it’s through a coupon, event/sale, or connecting print and digital efforts through a campaign-specific landing page, there are multiple ways to measure the success of your printed newsletter without relying on third-party metrics. Work with your print & mail provider to discuss the best way to track campaign ROI.

There has never been a more perfect time to add print newsletter marketing to your company’s mix. With all the clutter and privacy concerns occurring in the digital marketing realm, the mailbox is a very attractive marketing channel that has already been proven to engage, communicate, and inform your audience. Start NOW and solidify your spot in the mailbox before your competitors begin flocking to the post office. Keep in mind, every business has unique marketing goals and abilities. Therefore, it is important to partner with a knowledgeable print provider to discover the right newsletter marketing option to meet your goals.

As a HIPAA-compliant and HITRUST-certified printer, Preferred Direct has invested in top print and fulfillment technology and follows the strictest data security standards to ensure the safety of your data. Partner with Preferred Direct today to get started on your company’s next marketing newsletter campaign today!