Paragon Press Shreveport

Newsletters are one of the most effective marketing and loyalty-building tools a business can use. We all know businesses that have produced their own in-house newsletters and have used them as powerful marketing resources for their company.

Newsletters “connect” potential buyers to your business in a way that most conventional advertising never will. People love to read them! Providing your customers with a monthly newsletter is an easy way to build loyalty, goodwill, and devotion to your company.

Here’s a list of three newsletter tips and ideas you might find helpful:

First, think about your content. Generally, the most popular newsletters don’t contain a lot of industry-specific, technical copy. This can seem boring and self-serving to your readers. It’s better to provide interesting articles that will appeal to most people. Use a strong nameplate masthead and a few display ads in your newsletter to “sell” your products or services.

Secondly, newsletters increase customer loyalty, so your mailing list should include customers as well as prospects that you would like to develop into customers.

Lastly, newsletters don’t have to be expensive. Our printing firm can offer several different printing options. You might start with a simple, inexpensive, one-color newsletter, and progress to two-color and full-color as your newsletter’s popularity increases.

Newsletters can help your business muscle through the mail stack with your company’s selling message. If you’d like the phone to ring more, we’ll help you make it happen with newsletters.

www.ParagonPress.net – Ranked #1 in loyalty & satisfaction – Print. Mail. Design. Social Media. Marketing. – 318.868.3351

When it comes right down to it, what your company needs is increased sales, right? Your company exists to bring its product or service to the world, and your overall success is measured by how many people buy your product or service. Period.

That being said, your company is most likely looking for simple yet effective marketing ideas that will help get the word out about your company’s products or services. It may seem elementary, but product sell sheets are the answer. Simply put, they help you sell. Unlike brochures, which are big on detail, sell sheets tend to be more about an introduction to a product or service. This means an effective sell sheet depends on the right combination of a graphic that captures the essence of your company, text that will entice and engage the reader, and a well-placed logo and contact information that will easily allow interested people to get in touch with your company.

While creating a sell sheet with all of these elements may seem like an overwhelming task, it doesn’t have to be. Simply consider the personality of your company. What are your values? What is your target audience? How can you convey your company’s values to that target audience? Answering these simple questions will take you far when designing a sell sheet.

And, as always, our printing firm is ready to help you create the right look for your company’s sell sheet. We know you want to increase sales and get the word out about your company, and we are happy to work with you to achieve both of those goals through sell sheets. Give us a call today to get started designing a sell sheet that will make a great impact on your prospects and customers.

www.ParagonPress.net – 318.868.3351 – Leading provider of print, direct mail, graphic design, social media strategy, marketing services.

Generation Y, aka the Millennials or the Echo Boomers, are the children of the nation’s baby boomers or older members of Generation X. Born in the years 1977 to 1994, they are well educated, hardworking, technologically savvy and tend to be somewhat narcissistic.

By the year 2012, Gen Y will be the 18-34 age group and will comprise a major portion of the nation’s workforce.

In hiring or working with members of Gen Y, keep these points in mind:

• Gen Y places high value on work/life balance. They want flexible hours or the option of telecommuting. They want shorter workdays or weeks, but they won’t waste any of the time they spend on the job. They’re excellent multitaskers who expect efficiency. They won’t tolerate long, pointless meetings or anything else that strikes them as a waste of time. When they work, they work hard, and when they get away, they are gone.

• Gen Y expects a lot from employers. They respect authority and experience, but won’t take “Because I said so” as a reason for doing anything. They want fair and direct communication. They expect full disclosure—hide anything or operate unethically in any way and you will lose them. They also desire constant input on their job performance. Forget the annual review—more frequent reviews will be seen as more helpful. Gen Y understands money and expects a good retirement plan, starting from day one.

• Gen Y wants to serve. Give them opportunities to volunteer, to donate, to help others.

• Gen Y is high-tech. These people have used computers since they were in day care. They prefer email and phone calls over in-person meetings. They know all about “second life” (living their “second life” via Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube). Provide them with the latest and most relevant technology and they will work wonders with it for your company.

• Gen Y communicates best with itself. The best person to train a new Gen Y employee is a member of Gen Y. The best go-to person for Gen Y employees is another Millennial like themselves.

• Gen Y is narcissistic. These young people tend to think that everything is about them. They may have a certain sense of entitlement, expecting high pay and high respect even as new hires. While some of these expectations need to be talked down, the truth is these workers come with college degrees and heavy school-loan burdens that realistically do need to be paid off. High pay is more than a selfish desire for members of Gen Y.

Pay them fairly, communicate with them clearly and, if you can, get used to their flip-flops. There is unlimited creativity and energy to be harnessed in the thundering horde known as Generation Y, now heading toward your office.

www.ParagonPress.net – 318.868.3351 – Ranked #1 for loyalty & satisfaction – Print. Direct Mail. Design. Social Media. Marketing.

Remember the old days when social networking meant actual face time with people? Whether at a trade show, in the elevator, or at a business lunch, networking happened in a much different way. Even with all the online social networking that is available, it is still essential to know how to network face-to-face.

With all the social engagements that occur this time of year, the holiday season can be the perfect time to hone your networking skills.

Here are a few reminders about how you can network effectively:

• Be confident, but not pompous or arrogant. You are just as important as the person you are meeting, but you are not the star of the show.

• Get to know the person you are talking to, and save your agenda until you know the person better.

• If you are with someone, be sure to introduce them as well. The more interaction, the merrier.

• Don’t be afraid to share something you are passionate about. You may strike common ground and create a lasting impression.

• If you have an idea to share, make it brief. A drop in the bucket is better than a whole bucketful.

• An invitation to coffee or a drink is more inviting than a meal. If there is more to chat about, the conversation can continue over dinner.

• Don’t fake it. Just be you. Lasting business relationships must be grounded in the truth.

www.ParagonPress.net – 318.868.3351