Help Your Customers Set Up a Print Marketing Campaign

When a customer comes to you and says he wants to begin a print marketing campaign, but has no idea where to start, how do you help?

By following these five steps, you and your customer can plan, develop, and execute a successful campaign.  The result? A happy customer who will keep coming back to you for all his printed material needs.

1. Schedule a Meeting to Review Exactly What the Customer Wants to Accomplish

After a face to face consultation, you will be armed with the tools to set up a schedule, decide who will manage the account, and calculate an appropriate budget.

2. Find Out What Marketing Skills the Customer and His Staff Possess

You'll also need to determine if the customer is going to rely on your shop to execute the entire campaign, or if he will be providing part of the design and materials.

3. Determine the Timeframe for Executing the Campaign

Is this a one-time campaign, or will it be ongoing? It's important for you to realistically determine that you can meet the customer’s deadlines without stretching your resources so much that the quality of the product will suffer and the client will be unhappy with the finished product.

4. Agree on a Budget

Always be concise in presenting the customer a budget that includes a thorough list of exactly what is included in your price. And be sure the he understands that extras or changes to the original plan could incur additional charges.

5. Set Measurable Goals

Once you agree on goals for the campaign, make sure the client is kept in the loop, gets timely updates, has proofs on schedule, and, most importantly, receives a finished product launch that meets the agreed upon deadline–no surprises, no excuses.

The customer is going to count on you to help drive the appearance of the campaign, the products used, whether they are electronic or printed pieces, and who the targeted audience will be.

Print Marketing Campaign in Action

One local New Hampshire hospital was hosting a cancer awareness charity golf tournament and needed everything from the initial invitation to the welcoming package, gift items, and menus for the dinner after the tournament.

The printer stepped up and worked with the hospital to meet its criteria, delivering a complete package that was cost effective and met each deadline, creating a valuable partnership with the client.

And as a bonus, the customer was introduced to several new products like durable papers and carbonless laser paper, just to name a few.