We’re all feeling the pinch; we get it! And so we totally understand the temptation to slam on the spending breaks, rein in the marketing, and lie low until the choppy waters of uncertainty pass us by.
And yet, when we stop and think about it, the most successful businesses don’t head for the hills when the going gets a little tough. Instead, they stand their ground, continuing to invest in their marketing so they can show up, connect with and deliver to their audiences. Because, let’s face it, consistency is key to pretty much any effective marketing strategy.
So, how can we follow their lead in today’s challenging economic climate? During a time when most of us have fewer resources, less time, and, of course, tighter budgets, and when we’re being asked to serve multiple marketing channels, satisfy more demanding consumers and react to the speed of change in our unpredictable markets.
Feeling the squeeze, both financially and from a resourcing perspective, generally results in looking to traditional ways of achieving more with less, though these can often be painful and challenging strategies.
However, we’re here to assure you that cost-cutting doesn’t have to hurt…and it’s not all about excessive penny-pinching either. Instead, it’s a case of getting smart with your budget by being innovative, switched on, and challenging the status quo - something we at Precision Proco just happen to be experts in!
So, to help you take a fresh approach to your budgets, here are five things to consider if you want to get clever with your print marketing costs:
Are you working with a print partner who will offer you alternative production methods for your job? For example, have you considered a print-on-demand solution so your costs are variable and you only pay for what you use? Whether it be brochures, flyers, magazines or catalogues, only printing what you want when you need it stands to save you a hella load of money whilst minimising waste and reducing your impact on the environment. Oh, and it’ll also free up oodles of space in your office. Bonus!
Does your supplier have standardised formats for products like yours where you could benefit from economies of scale? Print facilities with large-scale machines and innovative production processes that increase productivity will help you produce more in less time and at a lower cost, all whilst maintaining quality. Better still, these speedy, tech-smart workflows are scalable, so they can adapt to changes in the market and effortlessly align with your growth plans, taking care of jobs quickly and cost-efficiently.
Can you utilise different substrates, formats or finishes that still pack a punch but are more cost-effective? Lowering the budget doesn’t have to mean scaling back the creativity or dialling down the impact. With the right production partner, you can seize the exciting opportunity to explore all the glorious possibilities of print, taking advantage of state-of-the-art tech and digitally driven printers and presses that can transform something from standard to stand out without breaking the bank.
Are you printing more than you need? A controversial thing for a print company to say (please don’t tell the boss!), but seriously, your waste levels could be severely draining your budget. And so a little database spring cleaning could go a long way to topping up your marketing funds. By checking if your data is up to date and removing obsolete info, you’ll save yourself time, effort, waste…and, you guessed it, money! No more targeting uninterested audiences and much less ‘return to sender’ mail.
Can you automate the procurement of your printed items? Perhaps one of the most powerful tools for reducing costs (and stress!) in the print marketing world is automation. Once in place, super slick automated workflows mean your print partner will take care of jobs from order to production to delivery, reducing admin headaches and giving you the valuable gift of time. Time that you and your team can invest in hooking, converting and retaining customers for game-changing business growth.
Are you benefiting from the power of personalisation? As mentioned, sometimes it’s not about reducing the budget but using it in a more innovative and switched-on way to gain greater returns. Say, for example, personalising your marcomms for skyrocketing engagement. As highlighted in this previous blog post, companies with an advanced personalisation marketing strategy are far more likely to see significant ROI when compared to those that don’t take a customised approach. And now, thanks to modern tech, consumer data can be used to replace generic print marketing messaging with fully tailored campaigns that speak directly to the individual and include precisely what lights them up.
The above outlines just six of the key considerations our team at Precision Proco discusses with our clients when they challenge us to get clever with costs. And we’ve got plenty more ideas up our sleeves too!
You see, our 21st-century print management proposition runs rings around traditional budget solutions by using our specialist knowledge and superior print capabilities to add incredible value rather than simply stripping out costs.
Furthermore, our consultancy approach means we continually work with our clients to address their pain points while hooking them up with our industry-leading automation and workflow integration. Add to this access to our limitless creativity, innate geekiness and endless innovation, and it’s easy to understand how we get our clients the very best bang for their buck…in the good times, and the challenging ones too!
Want us to get clever with your costs? Then contact our print management experts on 0114 272 8888 or email hello@precisionproco.co.uk for more information or to discuss your individual requirements.