Unless you’re terribly lucky, your customers have lots of choice where they buy from. The world’s never been more competitive.
It takes effort to persuade people to trust you. It takes effort to convince them you’re the right choice. Use all the tools you can muster.
Is it any wonder that books and catalogues are having a come back? In a digital world, even online retailers send printed brochures. Why? They’re digestible. They cut through the noise of an increasingly busy email inbox. And they convert prospects to buyers.
Our new 160gsm Uncoated Booklets are available in loads of shapes, sizes, page counts and quantities start at just 250 copies. If you’re in a hurry, we’ve reduced the prices of our Fast & Few Booklets – and 16 pages are despatched in just 48 hours as standard. And finally, you can save £50 off our entire range of Presentation Folders, including Fat Folders, Corporate Folders and Peel & Stick Folders.
To a stranger, that’s confusing. And confusion is a sales blocker.
You’re live in five, four, three…
Ok, so most of us don’t have to broadcast a rousing speech to the nation. But we do have to communicate with customers and prospects. Sometimes that’s face-to-face and sometimes that’s in writing.
With written marketing, bulk delivered to your audience, it’s helpful to imagine you’re giving a speech. By reading out your pitch and persuading listeners you’re credible. It helps refine your message.
That means ‘talking’ in clear, short sentences. With simple words. It’s not dumbing down. It’s just that long words and long sentences cause readers to pause, slow down and stop.
Use “you” and “we”. A lot. They help clarify things. A lot. They help you connect with the reader. And that builds trust.
On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog
Social media and online advertising is getting a tough ride. What with fake news, fraudulent clicks and foreign troll bots, trust is being eroded.
That’s worrying.
But more worrying is the fact that 48% of consumers choose not to buy from a company because they don’t trust them*. That’s a lot of missed business.
TNS MarketReach asked people about the post and email they get from businesses. Whilst folk see email as quick, printed mail is seen as more important, more secure and more believable.
It’s no surprise that people trust print more than digital. In fact, 70% of people said printed mail gives them a better impression of a business.
*Edelman Trust Barometer, 2016
Does your website look dodgy af?
Credibility extends online. You know your website needs to look beautiful. But it goes deeper, beyond the skin. From July, Google will mark sites as “not secure”, unless they have an SSL certificate. What’s that? You know the little padlock symbol you see in your browser bar? That shows whether a website is secure.
It technically means the website has an SSL certificate. (If you’re wondering, SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. Bet you’re glad you asked.)
Whether you’re storing any personal data on your website, or not, you absolutely must have an SSL certificate. This encrypts transmission of the data.
The good news is, we can add an SSL certificate from as little as £29 per year if we host your site, or £99 per year if we don’t.
Does it matter what paper you print on?
Believe it or not, people are influenced by the type of paper or board you use. It’s part of your brand. It subconciously signals whether you’re frugal or luxurious. Blingtastic or understated.
Uncoated paper is modern and trustworthy. It looks natural and feels honest. The uncoated surface is easy to write on and the thick finish is weighty.
Our new 160gsm uncoated booklets are available in loads of shapes, sizes, page counts and quantities start at just 250 copies. They’re available with 160gsm throughout (like this one you’re holding), or many people choose to add a thicker cover. We’ve put a 300gsm uncoated cover on this booklet, but there are loads of other options available.
Our fast just got faster
Our most popular leaflets, flyers and business cards are now delivered in just 48 hours. For the same low price as before.
Sign off your artwork by 3pm any working day, we’ll print and despatch next working day and deliver the following working day. For example, order Wednesday, get Friday. Delivery is now included in our prices.
If you absolutely must have them tomorrow, our SOS same day despatch service is available on a wide range too. We’ve extended the cut-off to 12 noon – that’s two whole hours longer to sign-off your artwork or get files uploaded.
Take the next step
Let’s meet. Let’s look at the marketing you’re using today. And work on a plan to make things clearer. To find a common voice and a consistent feel.
To convert browsers into buyers. To persuade passers by to buy. Mastering consistent marketing just needs a desire to be clear.