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What to Look for in a Direct Mail Printer

What to Look for in a Direct Mail Printer

by | Direct Mail Marketing

What to Look for in a Direct Mail Printer

When choosing a direct mail printer for your organization’s communication projects, there’s much to consider. Not all printing providers have the expertise or equipment to handle the demands of full-color, secure, variable data printing. 

direct mail printerBelow are some key characteristics to look for:

  • Ability to handle a wide array of variable data printing applications
  • Flexibility in how they can receive your data
  • Experience with variable data printing applications in your industry
  • Compliance with HITRUST and HIPAA data security standards
  • Advanced printing technology to ensure the utmost accuracy and print quality
  • Supporting solutions

Ability to handle a wide array of variable data printing applications

Your needs may evolve over time, so look for a direct mail printer that has the knowledge, experience, and equipment to handle all types of variable data printing applications. No matter what your organization requires, at Preferred Direct, we are equipped with the expertise and technology in-house to create all varieties of personalized print pieces.

Flexibility in how they can receive your data 

Find out if the commercial printer you’re considering will allow you to send your information your way. When you work with us, we will accept your information via a secure FTP (file transfer protocol). We aim to make the process convenient for you and secure for your business. 

direct mail marketing estimate

Experience with variable data printing applications in your industry 

Every industry has unique concerns and nuances to address. Therefore, industry experience matters when selecting a print partner for your variable data, direct mail projects. Preferred Direct has vast experience and a proven success record in many industries that rely on direct mail, including those that must meet strict privacy and security requirements.

  • Healthcare providers
  • Insurance companies
  • Financial services providers
  • Colleges and Universities
  • Franchises & Dealerships
  • Businesses and Retail
  • Energy & Utilities
  • Nonprofit organizations

Compliance with HITRUST and HIPAA

Preferred Direct is a HITRUST CSF certified direct mail printer. We approach every project with the HITRUST Common Security Framework (CSF), the most widely adopted security framework in the U.S. healthcare industry, in mind. Following HITRUST CSF standards means we handle our customers’ data in a way that meets regulatory compliance requirements and reduces risk. [DM1] We also adhere to the latest HIPAA regulations for protecting sensitive patient data. We apply the necessary security measures so that organizations have compliance with peace of mind.  

Advanced printing technology to ensure the utmost accuracy and print quality

Technology changes at a rapid pace. To ensure you get the best quality outcomes and efficient pricing from direct mail production runs, make sure your direct mail printer has the latest equipment and software. Preferred Direct has cutting-edge digital and inkjet printing technology. Our HP T240 HD and Xerox® Impika®, presses deliver optimal production speed and cost-effectiveness for continuous feed inkjet printing. We specialize in accurate, high-speed lasering and ink-jetting, with the flexibility to communicate custom, personalized messages, thanks to our state-of-the-art equipment, software applications, and skilled team.  This is Why Direct Mail Is Still Effective.

Supporting Solutions beyond printing 

In addition to mailing database management, customization, and printing of your direct mail, we also offer:

  • Match mail
  • Fold
  • Perforate
  • Insert
  • Postal discounts
  • Deliver mailings to the post office
  • Manage inventory

We also offer expert design services to give your direct mail the visual appeal needed to attract your recipients’ attention and engage their interest.

 

Choose the Preferred Direct Mail Printervariable data printing HP

With over 30 years of experience in commercial printing and mailing fulfillment, Preferred Direct is the preferred direct mail printer for many companies nationwide. We have the technology, capacity and drive to assist you in your communications efforts. From design to delivery, we handle your data with care, delivering your direct mail on time and on budget. Contact us today to request a project estimate and let’s get started!

About the authors

Bill Nee Jr. is the CEO of Preferred Direct Marketing, where he oversees all aspects of administration, operations and business development. He has guided the company’s overall strategic growth since he stepped into the leadership role in 2015. Bill has been with the company for nearly three decades, joining Preferred in 1996, shortly after it was started as a mail house by his parents, Patricia and Bill Nee Sr. Bill launched and developed the offset printing side of the business before moving into production management, marketing and other leadership positions. His emphasis has been on technological innovation to position Preferred as an industry-leading and customer-focused print, direct mail and digital communications partner.

Request a Direct Mail Estimate from the experts at Preferred Direct!
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How Creative Commercial Printing Can Elevate Marketing Results

How Creative Commercial Printing Can Elevate Marketing Results

by | Direct Mail Marketing, Direct Marketing Solutions, Printing

How Creative Commercial Printing can Elevate Marketing Results

Tips for Elevating Marketing Results with Creative Commercial Printing

Creative commercial printing can make a difference in how customers perceive your company. Think about it; every marketing and sales piece that you print represents your brand. The more polished and professional your print marketing materials are, the more prospects will view your business as credible and trustworthy and the more your marketing results improve.

Benefits of Commercial Printing Services and Print Marketing

preferred direct commercial printingPrint marketing pieces by a commercial printing company give people a well-prepared, tangible way to learn about your brand and have your contact info close at hand. In this digital age, commercial print services supplement your online marketing messaging—which makes you more memorable as the print pieces reinforce what customers see online.

Moreover, print marketing collateral helps build awareness of your business’s online presence. By sharing your website URL, email address, and social media profiles in your print communications, you can steer people to connect with you online and more accurately track marketing results digitally.

 

How to Use Creative Commercial Printing Services to Boost Your Marketing Results

Here are some tips for how to get optimal results from print marketing products created by a  commercial printer:

– Partner with a reputable, experienced commercial printing company that understands what it takes to create marketing materials that will have a maximal impact.

– Use a professional graphic designer if you don’t have that expertise and skillset in-house.

– Use a professional copywriter if you don’t have that expertise and skillset in-house.

– Make sure that your brand elements (logo, colors, terminology, etc.) have consistency across your print marketing materials.

– Opt for specialty finishing and binding services to achieve a more professional look.

– Make sure all of your contact information is on your print products.

– Include social media information so that people will know where they can connect with you online.

– Proofread your print marketing materials.

– Consider print-on-demand and inventory management services to save your business money and time.

At Preferred Direct, we offer a full suite of graphic design solutions and advanced print technology. We can create a number of bound booklet print pieces like catalogs, magazines, pamphlets, brochures, and more!

Examples of Print Marketing Materials That Work

Rack cards

Rack cards have many uses and do well where there’s a lot of foot traffic. Some of the locations where you may have seen them include visitors’ centers, restaurants, hotels, and landmarks. Many different types of businesses have success with rack cards. For example, they can help efforts to promote fundraising events, live entertainment acts, charitable causes, tourist destinations and attractions, food festivals, and more. Rack cards are an inexpensive way to attract attention and communicate the most important information about what you want to promote.

Brochures

Brochures deliver a means to include more details than rack cards while still in a print format that’s convenient for people to take with them. They are cost-effective and easy to distribute at events or locations where you want them to be accessible to your target audience. Also, brochures allow you to communicate your brand’s value and essential details about your products and services in a tangible form.

Catalogs

Catalogs are critical drivers of sales and brand loyalty. Often, print catalogs are the catalyst for getting prospects to visit a retailer’s website or visit a store. Also, many retailers have found that sending catalogs to customers who have made online purchases often results in additional sales from those same customers.

Flyers

Flyers offer a simple, short-and-sweet way to grab people’s attention and impel them to learn more about your business. They’re easy to hand out or leave as a take-away at trade shows.

Newsletters

Print newsletters allow businesses to provide more in-depth information to readers than do e-newsletters. Moreover, a print newsletter is convenient for readers to pick up and read it at their leisure. People can enjoy them when they have time and aren’t distracted by a barrage of online notifications and emails.

Direct mail postcards

Personalized direct mail postcards can be highly targeted, enabling your company to reach ideal prospects easily. Moreover, they’re very affordable to produce and mail. As more and more customers are becoming inundated by email marketing messages, print marketing postcards help make brands stand out.

Signs and posters

For local events and fundraisers, signs and posters can help raise awareness and generate word of mouth. When strategically placed within communities, they serve as a powerful grass-roots marketing tactic. Of course, the more attractive they are (professional design and superior print quality), the more attention they’ll attract.

Sales packets

Usually consisting of folders with a variety of sales and marketing collateral, sales packets help move potential B2B buyers one step closer to making a purchase. An exceptional sales packet will reinforce the positive impression your sales team made during their sales visits.

And there’s more

These are just a few samples of the types of print marketing materials that your business might benefit from. Meanwhile, your imagination and creativity expand the possibilities. And you can count on our team at Preferred Direct to help you brainstorm ideas to differentiate your company from your competition. 

direct mail marketing estimate

 

 

The Preferred Marketplace of Ideas

Our collective experience over the past 35 years has reinforced the values that were exemplified at our founding: Service, Value, and Creative Response to Client Concerns. 

We practice those principles every day in every way, embrace new technology and modern materials, and continue to focus on creative problem-solving. We value your collaboration, comments, and service evaluations, and rely on your feedback as we move in new directions. We value the ongoing relationships we have established with our customers. We will Boost Your Marketing with Variable Data Direct Mail and Commercial Printing.

For each project, Preferred Direct will provide a project manager to work with you to guarantee fast, efficient, accurate and confidential processing of information for your commercial printing or direct billing project. Our Commercial Printing and Direct Mail Platform provides for medical billing services, municipal utility bills, statement generation, e-billing, and transpromo marketing, a company’s direct billing is completed in a timely and professional manner.

 

Request a quote online or contact Preferred Direct toll-free today. 1-833-425-7007

Request an Estimate today!

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The Versatility of Digital Printing in Your Direct Marketing

The Versatility of Digital Printing in Your Direct Marketing

by | Printing, VDP

The Versatility of Digital Printing

Savvy marketers know that their audience is looking for messages that are inherently speaking to them. In an age of data, people want their information used in a way that will benefit them, not the companies that collect and hoard everything from their nickname to their social security number.Digital printing makes use of digital files rather than a printing plate, and it allows marketers to collate their data so they can change the message of their commercial printing based on the person who receives it. If you’re using variable data, digital printing is usually your best choice.

direct mail servicesPreferred Direct can give you ways to integrate segmentation into commercial printing, so you’re not wasting time or money. Even if you’re using variable data for commercial printing, digital is both fast and cost-effective. It does have a downside, though, in that it can’t always provide the same degree of resolution as other forms of printing. The colors, bleeds, text, margins, and finishing for digital print will be different from traditional options, so marketers may need to focus more on the idea they’re trying to convey. Beyond merely filling in each person’s name, you can do so much more to individualize your more significant point.

Preferred Direct can provide the advice and guidance you need to maximize digital printing. So if you’re attempting to advertise a drop in interest rates, you may want to divide your lists based on the most likely reasons your customers would want to take out a loan. For example, new college graduates may be looking for a starter home while families may be looking for ways to finance their children’s education. Digital printing gives you the chance to alter each image to pique the recipient’s curiosity. 

Print On Demand

Digital printing makes use of print on demand services, making it simple to change information without slowing down the printing process easier. Let’s say it’s time to order directories in bulk to promote a new service at your school. Your larger institution has five locations and slightly different services and pricing for each one. While you could print off a general flyer that lists the information for all five sites, you can also print flyers that are specific to each branch.

This way, people can glance at the flyer to get the information they need rather than having to hunt through the text to find their specific school. Or maybe you want to send out an FAQ regarding a new type of insurance plan, but you want to include a customized quote for each person you send it to. You can use your collated data to generate different quotes for each new piece of direct mail. Whether your list is 5,000, or 50,000, Preferred Direct has the expertise and technology to perform print on demand services without bumping up your budget 

Combining Physical and Virtual Media

Your marketing is an open book for you to fill. However, you’d like it. Following the rules of marketing can certainly get you far, but breaking the rules may get you even farther.

Commercial printing is a tried-and-true way to open a customer’s eyes to a new opportunity, but there are ways to integrate commercial printing campaigns with the rest of your marketing efforts. So if you’re already investing plenty in your digital strategy, there’s no reason you can’t use digital printing to strengthen virtual campaigns for an even more impactful message. Preferred Direct is not only familiar with these techniques, but we also understand how and when to incorporate the best. Here are just two ways we’ve seen marketers get results:

QR codes

Much like commercial printing focuses your marketing on one message, QR codes can do the same.digital printing QR codes

Once the customer scans the image, they’re taken directly to the information they need to know. But QR codes can do even more for a company by giving marketers real-time information about how the customer is using your marketing collateral.

direct mail marketing estimate

Once a QR code is scanned, it’s stamped with both the time of the scan and the user’s general location. This is a great way to understand the true reaction of your customers. If everyone is scanning the code immediately, it’s a sign that your campaign is creating a strong impression. If they’re waiting to scan it, it may signify that customers feel they need more time to peruse the data. It’s a sign that you’re marketing to people who are invested in what you have to offer. And of course, if no one is scanning the code, it’s an indicator that you may need to rethink your marketing segmentation.

That is why it’s important to personalize. Digital printing using variable data allows your to tailor each message using names, birthdays, colors, etc. to create a bigger impact with your print. With this marriage between print and virtual mediums, you’re collecting an awful lot of information about your customer. And yet, somehow, data slips through the cracks of companies all the time.

To avoid asking the same question to your customers, you really need a way to combine all the details you receive — regardless of where it comes from. Print can be a great way to engage your customers first before deploying a pop-up ad that practically demands their email address.

Once you have the information in hand, you can start filling in the details of your customers that ultimately drive their decisions. They may be more likely to fill out a more involved form online once they’ve received information in print form and chose to scan the code.

Preferred Direct two people pointing to a laptop computer with a man in the backgroundYou can then measure the responses from each group to see which one made a bigger impact. If the pamphlet had more interest, you could focus on how to improve the content, so it generates an even higher response rate. Saving Money on Creative Solutions It’s not always easy to justify spending money on commercial printing, especially not when an email is essentially free to send. To make the risk feeling a little less precarious, Preferred Direct can ensure a virtually wasteless campaign.

Our technology includes the Xerox Impika and HP T-240 HD digital printer, both of which produce remarkable results. It’s full-color, high-speed, and true roll-to-roll perfection, eliminating the inconsistencies that can make your commercial printing look unprofessional. In other words, we’ve invested in the machinery, so you don’t have to. If you’re considering a piece of direct mail with complex folds, the technology makes it possible to design the folds without direct intervention from staff. This helps us keep our costs down (and yours by extension) while giving us the means for better inventory control.

The Ideal Digital Printing Partner

variable data printing HPPreferred Direct has been in business since 1990. We may not know everything, but we do know quality printing.

Over the years, it was only inevitable that we’d become expert marketing strategists too. We make it possible for you to find smarter ways to use the leverage you’ve already built. Your clientele, mission, initiatives, staff: these are all assets that can make your bottom line go through the roof. If you’re interested in vertical integration, we understand and anticipate your needs long before you even realize you have them.

Creative solutions in digital printing can jazz up even the most basic of marketing, but sometimes it takes an outside eye to notice new ways to lure customers in. No matter the budget or deadline, we find ways to color within the lines you set for us while still providing new ideas and strategy choices. From the initial contract to the last leg of the project, we let you set your level of involvement. And if you happen to change your mind at the last second (maybe you’ve decided that you need A/B/C testing instead of just A/B), we’ve got you covered there too.

Contact us today to receive reliable digital printing services and creative solutions to your toughest marketing questions.

Let's Get Started! Request a Quote Today!

About the authors

As President, Chris Nee is responsible for connecting the many aspects of PDM’s operational organization. His focus is on bringing together people, processes, and products to drive performance. Chris facilitates the key drivers for PDM’s success as a print and direct mail company, including engaging and retaining employees, and perpetually innovating to drive top-line revenue, and enhancing productivity across the company. Chris brings a wealth of experience to this role, previously driving sales, leading teams, and negotiating deals with some of the largest companies/brands in the US, including The Hershey Company, Clorox, and Dole Foods.

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Five Creative Ways to Spice Up Your Marketing Print

Five Creative Ways to Spice Up Your Marketing Print

by | Direct Marketing Solutions, Printing, VDP

Five Creative Ways to Spice Up Your Marketing Print

direct mail servicesThe value of your marketing print pieces are dependent on both its content and presentation. Anyone can send a brochure or an explanation of benefits, but not every company can make the recipient wake up and take notice. Creative solutions for commercial printing are a way to overcome the saturation that your customers feel on an everyday basis. (This way, your audience doesn’t have to feel as overwhelmed as you do when you’re considering how to create a more effective marketing strategy.)

Some marketers may believe that the physical media they send will only end up tossed in the trash, but contrary to popular opinion, print can still be the best way to talk to your audience. But that doesn’t mean that companies can send direct mail, print posters, or design swag without thinking about the implications of their graphics, words, and choice of media. Preferred Direct has witnessed marketing campaigns succeed and fail based on the creativity of their commercial printing.

If you’re interested in how to extract the most value from your print, we’ll give you both the information and advice you need to get it right.

Why Marketing Print Matters

Commercial printing is the cornerstone for successful marketing today because it has the ability to cut through the virtual noise out there.
There’s no doubt that having a web presence is vital to your business, but with so much content out there, your message can easily lose information in a sea of text and graphics.

Your customers are used to ignoring ads online, but it’s not quite as easy to close out of something that’s in your hands or directly in front of your eyes. If you have a particular message you want to get out, it may even work better as a markting print piece. Instead of having to search for the right keywords or navigate through several sections of the website to find the information, you can say exactly what you want to say in black and white (either proverbially or literally).
Companies can use marketing print in an infinite number of ways today. From new digital technology to improved die-cutting techniques, it would be easier to list the things you can’t do! Once you understand the options available, you can determine how to apply them to nearly any campaign you run. Preferred Direct can show you how to do this without crushing your budget in pieces.

Conservation of both time and money starts with identifying the goals of each campaign. No matter how much you save on printing services, the money you spend won’t be worth it if no one remembers what you have to say. 

direct mail marketing estimate

Creative Solutions

Here are five creative ways to add some spice into your next marketing print or transactional print piece:
#1. Perforation: Instead of including a separate form, perforate your direct mail and let your customers interact with it a little more. Or score the letter so after they’re finished reading it, they can turn it into an origami swan or paper airplane. To stand up to the US Postal Service, you’ll need a printer that can design mail that can withstand the pressure without complicating the design and functionality of your letter.

#2. Graphic Design: The graphics of your marketing print can include anything from your logo to a sketch of a famous artist. When a picture can tell a thousand words, you typically want the visual components to reveal an easily discernible story.
Another tactic is to include an image that’s intriguing enough to spark the reader’s curiosity about the larger message. A 90-year old graduating from college may be unusual enough for people to stop and pay attention. If you happen to be advertising night classes for adults, this can be just what you need to get them invested.
#3. Bindery: This general service can refer to either the stapling or binding of your materials. If you need commercial printing for a presentation at a major conference, you can use a spiral or loose-leaf binding to give attendees a different way to interact with your company. Considering many professionals are visual learners, the right commercial printing can reinforce and drive home the key points of the presentation. Preferred Direct a man leaning over with his hands on a stack of colored printed materials
You can also use wire-bending for booklets and catalogs. If you want an even more lasting medium, a visually stunning calendar can be inspiring enough for customers to hang up at home or work.

#4. Finishing: Finishing includes die-cuts, collation, creasing, laminating, and gluing. Die-cuts are used to give your direct mail a unique shape. For example, inviting the form of a birthday cake to celebrate your company’s anniversary. Or maybe you want to print out coasters as a way to underscore a person’s transition into retirement. Preferred Direct can help you decide which finishing technique will strike the right chords with your audience.

#5 Inserts: Seeing a little tab peeking out from between an envelope can win customers over in spite of themselves. They may know it’s a marketing ploy, but that little tab presents an itch that nearly demands to be scratched. These kinds of creative inserts can be exact without a lot of time and hassle with the right printer.

Choosing the Right Marketing Print Partner

direct mail servicesThere are so many ways to change up your marketing without changing your brand or voice. If you’re struggling with how to present your ideas, the right printer can be the answer. Preferred Direct has the staff and the experience to help you strike the perfect balance. One of our main specialties is finding ways to bring a little imagination to more traditional businesses, such as insurance and healthcare.

So we know just how important it is to avoid violating HIPAA regulations without letting it slow us down. We print, insert, and mail your explanation of benefits, so customers get what they need.

Our direct mail connects with people on a different level because we take the time to understand both your company and clientele and offer creative ways to engage them. We give you the means to capture people’s limited attention span with marketing print, so you don’t waste a single cent of your marketing budget.

When choosing a commercial printing company, you can count on Preferred Direct to be cost-effective, speedy, and customer-friendly.

Call us toll-free today at 1-833-425-7007 or click here for an online quote.

Request a Commercial Printing Estimate Today!

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Your Top 3 Concerns When It Comes to Choosing a Commercial Printing Company

Your Top 3 Concerns When It Comes to Choosing a Commercial Printing Company

by | Printing

Top 3 Concerns When Choosing a Commercial Printing Company

Outsourcing any job can be nerve-racking, especially working with a commercial printing company for your sensitive and engaging print needs. The finished product reflects your company’s brand and message. The time it saves you is worth it, if you pick the right company.

When you send a job to a commercial printer, you are counting on them to make a quality product that reflects your company and meets your important deadline. Preferred Direct is known for its reputation and expertise. With an A rating and as one of the top commercial printers we can be trusted with any job, big or small. In this blog, we’ll discuss the top 3 concerns when it comes to choosing commercial printing, and what commercial printing companies should be doing to meet and exceed your expectations. 

direct mail marketing estimate

Top 3 Concerns

#1 Cost

When selecting a commercial printing company, one of the first things you need to consider is cost. Is the printer affordable? Does the company offer different printing options to cater to your budget? Is the quality of the print material compromised because of cost?

You should select a commercial printer that keeps its cost low due to the efficiency of the printing process. This means selecting a printer that uses the latest in printing, sorting, and finishing technology. When the cost of print projects is low due to efficiency, the quality of your print materials is not compromised. You receive the best product for the best price, and as a bonus, you receive your items faster.

 

#2 Late Deliveries

Companies rely on commercial printing for many different reasons, including marketing, billing, and print materials for the day-to-day functioning of your business. Therefore, it is crucial that it is done effectively and efficiently. If a marketing item goes out late it could mean the difference between a successful campaign and an unsuccessful campaign. If bills go out late, you don’t get paid in a timely fashion.

A reputable commercial printing company will always deliver your materials promptly. They will keep in touch, so you know the status of your order. It is important that a commercial printer allows you to track your order, and updates you on each stage of the printing and delivery process.

 

#3 Poor Customer Service

Commercial PrintingAre you struggling to get someone on the phone? Do you have questions regarding your project? Do you need help selecting materials and the best printing method for your project? Some online printing companies will communicate via email or chat, but they don’t always have someone available over the phone. Poor customer service makes it more difficult for you, their customer. When selecting a commercial printing company, you need to find a company that has a project manager assigned to your company and project. A project manager can help you select what methods of printing are best for each project, and they can help you find the most cost-effective way to print and deliver your job. Project managers can offer updates on the status of your project and communicate any issues that arise to keep your project moving forward in a timely fashion.

Choosing the Right Commercial Printing Company

direct mail servicesAt Preferred Direct, we make sure to keep your cost down. You will have a project manager who keeps your print jobs on track. Our project managers stay on top of your print jobs and can answer any questions you have along the way. We even provide emergency print services for those fast approaching deadlines. We also provide tracking so you can be assured that your shipment is arriving in a timely manner. Our digital and offset printing technology are top-of-the-line and print quality materials fast, ultimately saving you time and money. When choosing a commercial printing company, you can count on Preferred Direct to be cost-effective, speedy, and customer-friendly. 

Call us toll-free today at 1-833-425-7007 or click here for an online quote.

Let's get started! Contact us today!

About the authors

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