Maui Printing Company

It's that time of year again: Time to re-evaluate your life, business, and goals. Setting intentions for this year will help you fulfill them and be more successful than setting a resolution. Both practices require looking at yourself and making changes. But an intention isn't as harsh as a resolution. Rather than setting goals for where you want to go, creating intentions shifts your attitude and mindset toward how you want to be. It allows you to take steps and be proud of them. How does one do this? Take a look at these four steps to setting intentions. 4 Simple Steps to Set Intentions  1. Evaluate Yourself If you want more knowledge, energy, and creativity, you have to start by taking a step back and looking inward.  This is true even for leaders who don't have time, perhaps, especially for them! "Spending time casting our thoughts back over the past day, week, or month and sitting down to regularly set goals for the future feels like a luxury of tim

Metallic, matte, recycled. If you want to create direct mail marketing that stands out from the crowd, these three types of paper are the ones you want to know about.  While it might sound simple, there are implications to using each type. So let's take a closer look. 3 Top Specialty Papers for Your Print Marketing 1. Memorable Metallic This paper is shiny, durable, and oh, so sophisticated. The metallic finish almost creates a 3D effect and gives your designs a warmth and depth that no other paper can. Metallic tones add a bold and elegant touch to your designs, from projects as simple as homemade cards to more sophisticated endeavors like business cards, stationery, or even your wedding paper suite. Use metallic papers to create a line of business marketing materials that pop. Try pairing metallic envelopes with non-metallic paper printed with metallic ink for a subtler look. 2. Earthy Matte Why choose matte? It's chic and earthy. Matte can make your mat

"When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude," writer G.K. Chesterton said. It's that time of year: The perfect opportunity to show appreciation to those who have helped you this year and those you don't know. It will do your heart and head well to increase your gratitude this holiday season. So here are some practical ideas. 7 Great Ways to Show Gratitude During the Holidays 1. Volunteer Help at local hospitals, libraries, homeless centers, nursing homes, animal shelters, churches, or parks. You can also go much more personal, helping friends in need by babysitting, doing their yard work, or taking them a meal. Whatever you do, you'll help the community and improve your sense of thankfulness. 2. Count Your Blessings Make a list of things for which you're grateful. For example, instead of making a list of items you want for the holidays, make a list of what you have. Count y

2023 is just around the corner, and a new year comes with new graphic design trends.  Graphic design matters because it captures the attention of your audience, aids in memory, and influences the consumer's first impressions. This is why the global graphic design industry was worth $45.8 billion in 2021. Make sure your business stays up-to-date with the latest graphic design trends.  5 Graphic Design Trends to Look Out for in 2023 1. Science Fiction-Inspired Designs  Many businesses are aiming to look futuristic with science fiction-inspired graphic designs.  Certain elements are common within science fiction designs. Color . Shades of blue- like cyan- and neon colors are prevalent. There's often a contrast between light and dark. Shapes . Sharp lines, circles, and geometric shapes give off science-fiction vibes. Fonts . Science fiction fonts are an entire genre, often showing distorted letters that look stretched, chopped, or duplicated with inconsistent lett

An abundance mindset is when you believe there are enough resources in the world for everyone and are grateful for what you have.  This is in opposition to the scarcity mindset, which believes the earth contains limited resources. This mindset creates an overly competitive lifestyle and envy for others because the person tends to focus on what they don’t have. This mindset is damaging because it promotes unhappiness and less fulfilling relationships.  Why You Should Develop an Abundance Mindset Having an abundance mindset helps you create a happier, more fulfilling life for yourself.  It comes with many benefits . An abundance mindset …  Promotes personal and professional success by letting you focus on the many opportunities. Helps you feel confident and capable. Generates creativity and motivation through a more proactive approach to life. Makes you feel better about yourself. Deepens your relationships.  If you’ve been struggling with a lack of motivation, envy

Direct mail is naturally advantageous when getting people to notice your business.  85% of consumers open their direct mail, and 62% act after receiving direct mail, according to a recent report. However, your business can take action to increase further the number of people opening your direct mail.  1. Use a Call to Action in Your Direct Mail  The best call to action, or CTA, follows the format “Do something simple, get something great.”  In this scenario:  Do something simple = open the envelope. Get something great = receive a credit card, special discount, or a gift or sample. Creating a sense of scarcity works exceptionally well when prompting people to act. For example, try advertising a limited-time offer or a special discount while supplies last. Fear of missing out or not being enough gets the customer to act soon. However, don’t create a false sense of scarcity.   2. Send Your Direct Mail in a Unique Envelope  The envelope is the first thing people see when

The holidays are a busy time of year for you and your customers, but print marketing has the power to get you noticed and boost sales. How do you accomplish this? Here are seven ways to use print marketing to boost your sales this holiday season! 7 Print Marketing Ideas to Boost Holiday Sales 1. Creative Packaging  Use beautiful boxes, papers, and images when you send out items to customers. They are more likely to hang onto them and remember you in the future. Plus, it creates a warm fuzzy feeling when customers receive such packages. 2. Door Hangers Create fun, whimsical door hangers to put on customers’ doors. These will receive a lot of attention and will solicit a response.  3. Coupons Send coupons to customers on fun, holiday-centered postcards. Include fun images, pictures, and sayings that will grab their attention during the holiday hustle and bustle. 4. Holiday Newsletter Time and attention span may be limited this time of year, but a compelling and

We're proud to inform you that the reports of the supposed death of direct mail have been, as Mark Twain once said, "greatly exaggerated." Not only is direct mail just as effective as it ever was - it's positively thriving. According to one recent study, the market for direct mail advertising is anticipated to grow from $71.57 billion in 2021 to a massive $72.67 billion by the end of 2022 . Much of this has to do with the average return on investment for direct mail collateral is $4.09 for every $1.27 you spend getting those marketing materials out into the world. But it can be challenging to know where to begin if you've been out of the direct mail world for a while or are wading into these proverbial waters for the first time. With that in mind, here are three winning direct mail campaign ideas that you can start using immediately. 3 Winning Direct Mail Campaign Ideas You Can Start Using Today Taking Advantage of the Holidays One of the best direct ma

There is much room for creativity in graphic design for print marketing.  However, if you aren't a graphic designer, there are some definite no-nos you want to avoid in order to create a visually compelling design. Here are a few to keep in mind. 8 Common Design Mistakes To Avoid in Print Marketing 1. Centering Everything  A beginner design mistake is to center everything: Large chunks of text and more. This approach makes it harder to read because the left and right margins are ragged. 2. Imbalanced Elements Balance is one of the fundamental principles of design. It refers to how elements are distributed throughout a layout, providing a sense of order and stability. But too much symmetry can get boring so try adding asymmetry to create visual interest.  3. Not Leaving White Space  Make sure you don't pack everything into your design. You may have great design ideas, but you don't need to use them all in one place. Instead, save some for future proj

When you advertise, you need to know your target audience. And the same is true in print marketing. A target market is the set of consumers that a company plans to sell to or reach with marketing activities. A target audience is a group or segment within that target market that is being served in advertisements. The target audience, therefore, is a more specific subset of a target market. Your target audience is united by common characteristics like demographics, e.g., men, women, teenagers, or children, and interests, like reading, running, or soccer. To get your marketing message to reach this specific group of people, you need to know the decision maker and who supports them. Therefore, it's vital to examine your target audience, so messages are exciting to the reader.  This exercise will help define who to target in your marketing efforts.  6 Steps to Find Your Print Marketing Target Audience  1. Determine who already buys your product.  Look at the demographics

It's time to decide if you're sending holiday cards to your clients! Sending cards in the mail to your clients and customers does a lot more for your company than you might think. Take a look at five reasons you should extend the extra effort to send out holiday cards. 5 Reasons Every Small Business Should Send Holiday Cards 1. Elicit Joy Emotions play an integral part in the buying decision, and sending a holiday card will boost those feelings. It makes people happy to receive fun mail in their mailboxes. And a card is a lovely, elegant touch. 2. Send Thanks Thank your customers for their continued support throughout the year. The wording should express your thanks or seasonal greetings in a way that highlights your relationship with your client.  3. Stand Out Raise above the competition. Many businesses digitally wish people holiday greetings, but those get lost in the junk email category. By sending an actual card, people will notice and be more appreci

How do you maximize your investment in marketing?  Utilize unique offline marketing techniques to get people's attention! There are countless ideas for getting inspired with offline marketing, from traditional to off-the-wall. Take what you can and let it spur some creativity in your minds.  7 Top Tips to Get Creative With Offline Marketing 1. Get Creative With Your Business Card  A business card is often the first impression, and you want to make it last. Try printing it vertically, adding rounded corners, or creating a die-cut image. Use bold colors that stand out against the competition. 2. Hold In-Person Events  According to the Event Marketing 2018 Report, 95% of marketers agree that live events give attendees a valuable opportunity to form in-person connections in an increasingly digital world . Give people a chance to talk to you and others from your company, and create bonds that will last a lifetime.  Don't forget to have flyers, rack cards, brochur

Gratitude is a great skill to possess. "I think gratitude is a big thing. It puts you in a place where you're humble," said Andra Day.  And humility is a wonderful attribute, primarily when serving the public. When you meet up with prospective clients, gratitude is vital. We receive a much better welcome when people see how thankful we are to meet with them and to have their continued support.  Research has proven that returning customers spend 67% more than new customers, and 82% of customers are brand loyal. So, what else can you do to show appreciation besides saying thank you?   Here are some ideas to show your gratitude.  7 Top Ways to Show Appreciation to Customers 1. Send a Thank-You Note Send a thank-you note in a letter, hand-written and signed by you. Sure, it takes a little time, but keeping current customers happy is worth it—especially the ones you genuinely want to maintain a relationship with. 2. Make a Donation Donate to something clo

Contrary to popular opinion, print is not dead, and it remains an integral part of marketing and advertising.  Today, you can't rely solely on digital ads to increase customer traffic. Likewise, you can't just rely on old-school advertising to do the job. Writing words on paper is tactile and fun to hold. It also creates a feeling of value that a pop-up ad can't do. Paper is something that has to be reckoned with. You can't just turn a blind eye. You have to physically throw it away--after reading it.  Once it's your customers' hands, you have the advantage of grasping their attention. Be forthcoming about what you are selling or trying to call their attention to. Using high-quality paper and fine print can give the impression of prestige and quality, and with the physical item in your hands, it is way more engaging for readers than an email or a pop-up. Digital helps expand on the conversation you started with the customer. It allows for more informat

When you think of the holidays, what colors come to mind? Red, green, white, or maybe even blue and gold. These festive colors can evoke emotions from consumers by drawing them to colors they might not naturally be drawn to outside of the holiday season.  Using color theory, the study of how color impacts perceptions and behaviors, we can help get customers in the mood for the holidays and, hopefully, buy your products. Here's what the experts say about the holiday colors we love. How to Use Color to Impact Holiday Campaigns Red We know red as a warning: fire, stop signs, danger, and so forth. But it is also a powerful color representing love, passion, importance, and hunger.  Red can raise blood pressure and respiration rates and enhance human metabolism. We think of things like red berries, Santa, and more. Use this color as an accent, and you'll be doing well. However, if used in abundance, it tends to get overwhelming.  Green Green has both the calming att

Automation has helped many small businesses become much more fluid and, in turn, succeed. Automation has become one of the keys to success: nearly 80% of top-performing companies have used marketing automation for more than two years. Although they might not have the resources of their counterparts, small companies can and should incorporate automation in every aspect of business: From capturing leads to closing sales and serving customers to checking routine office tasks off the to-do list. Research has shown that while small businesses are less likely to invest in automation than large ones, they have more success when they do. Here are a few common areas of automation where small businesses can get big results. 6 Automation Tips for Your Small Business 1. Lead and Contact Management Dealing with leads and contacts manually can be a hassle. Consider replacing that complicated spreadsheet with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) automation. A CRM platform can auto

Direct mail is a simple, cost-efficient way to reach your target market.  The response rates for direct mail are about five to nine times higher than other advertising channels. However, five to nine times is quite a range. Getting your direct mail to reach the nine times higher statistic requires certain elements.  Here are four things your direct mail piece needs to convert direct mail into sales.  1. Personalization Recipients respond well to personalized advertisements.  The more personalization, the better your target market can say, "Wow! This is for me!" One study showed that 93% of businesses that incorporated an advanced personalization strategy experienced revenue growth. Personalization starts with data. The more customer data you have, the more personalized your direct mail can be. Gather data regarding geographic, demographic, and behavioral characteristics so you can…  Include the recipient's name in all outgoing marketing materials. Referen

In its simplest form, a call to action tells the recipient to buy now.  However, sometimes saying, "buy now!" won't be quite as effective as an alternative, more creative strategy.  Below are some tips for crafting a call to action for your print marketing campaign so you can have a better response rate than the average of 4.23%.   1. Be straightforward  Tell the reader what they can expect if they complete the advertised action.  No games, no tricks. If you say this is what will happen, then advertise it accurately. If the deal only holds if they buy $X in merchandise, then clearly communicate that. You're not doing yourself any favors by making a misleading call to action. It'll just frustrate the client.  Avoid misleading calls to action by including relevant numbers, such as pricing and discounts.  2. Use strong command verbs Begin your call to action with a strong command verb.  Strong command verbs can help people follow your call to action

Interactive print marketing allows more engagement from the receiver, upping retention.  Interactive print marketing is any print that allows engagement beyond reading from the user. It can have digital or non-digital aspects.  Non-Digital Interactive Print Marketing Non-digital interactive print marketing uses creativity to enhance print, creating a unique experience.  1. Scents Sending scents through the mail is especially helpful when advertising the wonderful smell of your perfume.  However, even if you don't sell perfumes, sending a scent through the mail can still be helpful. By associating your business with good smells, you'll intrigue and please potential clients while influencing their emotions, as 75% of emotions are due to smell. Incorporating a particular smell could become part of your brand identity, boosting recognition. People are 100 times more likely to remember a smell than something they see, hear or touch. 2. Invisible Ink Make your campa

The holidays are coming, and you want to reward your clients (and possibly even your staff) with fun items that will benefit them and keep your name buzzing around. Utilizing giveaways helps people identify your brand and reminds them of your business when they’re ready to purchase . Here are some great ideas to help do both of these things.  11 Print Products That Make Great Holiday Gifts 1. Water bottles These are popular because they are reusable and reduce waste in landfills. Of course, we all want to stay hydrated, but it’s also a perfect canvas for your business logo. 2. Calendars We all use our phones but hang up our paper calendars to remind us of important dates. Add photos and your logos, and you’re set. Each month, there will be a different picture to admire. 3. Mugs Who doesn’t like to curl up with a good book or Kindle and read with a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? Mugs are perfect for winter months to warm hands up during a chilly business m

SMART goals help you identify areas you'd like to improve and clarify your objectives for a successful social media campaign. They act as a guide to data collection and help your team know which tasks to prioritize.  SMART Goals SMART is an acronym for…  Specific . Use statistical values to narrow down what and how much you'd like to achieve. Measurable . Attribute values to non-numerical indicators of success, being precise in how you'd like to measure.  Achievable . Look at past campaigns and use them as a base for how much you think your business can achieve. Realistic . Similar to achievable. Make sure your goal is relevant. Timely . Set a date for when you'd like the goal to be completed.  Setting SMART goals acts as a base for your social media campaign. Create a Social Media Campaign With SMART Goals SMART goals help create a stellar social media campaign that works for your company.  Step 1: Set a goal using the SMART goal method, making s

Color, color everywhere. But what does it mean? Believe it or not, color has a lot of implied meanings, and it imparts a lot of feelings. Color meanings stem from psychological effects, biological conditioning, and cultural developments. Color Talks... Are You Listening? Depending on where you do business, you’ll want to consider color. There are cultural differences, such as red representing good luck in China, but in South Africa, it’s the color of mourning. For this article, we will focus on meanings in the United States. Take a minute and consider what your color scheme means to the readers. Does it need to be changed so you can reach your business goals? Let’s learn. Red Red is the color of passion and energy. It’s an intense color that is supposed to motivate us to take action. (Remember, stop signs and signal lights use red for a loud caution. It is meant to move us in the right direction.) Red also stimulates appetite, which is why many fast-food restaurants use

Being an entrepreneur is challenging. In fact, 20% of small businesses fail within the first year. The world of business can be competitive and cutthroat. Follow these five tips to prepare yourself for success.  1. Mix passion with skill You’re going to be pouring many hours and a lot of energy into your business.  It’s crucial you not only find something you’re passionate about but also in which you have potential. Find the perfect founder, product, and market fit by choosing a business matching your unique skills, experiences, and personality.  This can be accomplished by zoning in on a unique niche.  2. Find the right niche Find the perfect “Goldilocks niche:” not too broad, not too narrow; just right.  Most successful businesses begin with a narrow niche. This helps you differentiate from your competitors and draw in customers. Once you’ve established yourself, then you can work towards expanding your business into other areas that make sense.  Be careful when cho