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How Stickers Can Help Build a Brand
A brand represents a promise to your customers that you will live up to the values of your business. And when you have a powerful brand, it means consumers agree with you because you have consistently lived up to, or even exceeded, their expectations. Building a brand is essential because it sets you apart from the competition and helps you build a relationship with your target market. Remember, a brand isn’t just your logo. It’s everything from the customer experience you offer to the design of your packaging. For example, when you think of Mercedes, what do you see? You see the logo, but also think of a German-made luxury car that is famous for being pretty much awesome, right? It’s a lot more than just the logo. But because they’ve done a great job building their brand by making sure they deliver on their promises, when you see the Mercedes logo, you know what it is. While building a strong brand takes time, you can start the ball rolling by using stickers, which have proven to be powerful branding tools. Stickers Draw Attention Most stickers are relatively small, which often means that the designs have to be pretty amazing to make them stand out. And since you want people to display them, these strong visuals tend to attract attention, helping to build brand recognition. In the beginning, you might be tempted to go with just your logo. However, consider what you are trying to achieve. If you are Apple, then you can get away with just a logo because of what it signifies. However, if no one knows who you are and you want to build brand recognition, then you need to think a little more creatively. You need to give people a reason to display your stickers, which means creating attractive designs that mean something, whether they’re entertaining or inspirational. Let’s just say that a picture of a cat yawning with a funny quote and your logo will have a much better chance of being displayed and remembered than just a sticker of your logo. Stickers Build Trust People like logos. Combine a logo with a professional-looking, quality sticker and you have instant credibility. Even if you’re a one-man show, you can make your brand much bigger just by printing stickers because of the way people perceive them. Remember, the better the quality, the more powerful the impact. And there’s nothing that can contribute to a strong brand like credibility. People do business with companies the like and trust. After all, they have plenty of choice nowadays, and most consumers end up buying from companies they have an emotional connection to – one they have a relationship with. The first step to building a powerful relationship is, of course, establishing credibility. Stickers Are Easy to Distribute You can hand out stickers to people at the mall, or stand on a street corner and give them away. You can send them out to your existing customers, or you can put a stack of them in a physical location for people to pick up on their own. This ease of distribution means that it’s much more likely for your stickers to end up being displayed somewhere. And the more people affix them to their products, the more exposure you will gain for your brand. And when you give them to your existing customers, you are not only increasing brand exposure when they display the stickers, but you are also reinforcing the brand with them as well. You’re also building a reputation for offering value and going the extra mile for your customers, which will be even more of an incentive for them to display your stickers. Stickers Can Be Put Up Practically Anywhere As long as it’s not illegal, you can pretty much put stickers up on any surface. You can blanket a whole area with stickers, thanks to the low cost of printing them, so you can make sure you reach your target market wherever they hang out. Put them up in restroom stalls, on windows, in elevators, and any other place you can think of to make sure your brand stands out. Stickers Help to Build Relationships with Customers and Prospects In today’s economy, you have to offer prospects and customers value. The more value you offer, the better they will perceive your brand. Luckily, most consumers perceive stickers as value, which means that by handing them out, you are taking the first step in building a powerful relationship. With prospects, you can use stickers to entice them to learn more about your brand. Include QR codes to make it as easy as possible for them to learn more. With existing customers, use stickers as a reward, and to make it easy for them to advocate your brand. Stickers Hang Around for a Long Time By their very nature, stickers tend to hang around for a long time. Once someone has affixed a sticker to a laptop or their car or another personal item, that sticker will be around for a while. This means that a lot of people will see it, making it one of the most cost-effective ways you can increase brand exposure. After all, it’s rare for someone to remove a sticker, especially since it can be difficult. So, you’re very likely to have your sticker hanging around at least until that person gets rid of their laptop, or sells their car or so on. In other words, you’re going to have free advertising for a long time. Stickers are a great branding tool, especially because of how consumers perceive them and because they are cost-effective. However, remember that you need a great design that is suited for the stage of your brand. When you have a well-known brand people love, a logo might be enough. But if you are just starting out, you will definitely need to be quite a bit more creative to make sure your stickers are getting displayed.
Learn moreWhy the Biggest Companies in the World Use Stickers
The next time you go out for a drive or for a walk, take a moment to look around you. But really look. You’ll find stickers from Apple, Reddit, GoPro, Under Armour and many other large companies all over the place. It’s natural to assume that these large companies have armies of people going around putting these stickers up all over the place. The fact, though, is that in most cases, their customers are the ones putting up these stickers. It’s obvious for the stickers you see on laptops, bike helmets, cars and other personal items, but even those on street poles, walls, and bulletin boards and in other public areas have often been put up by customers. But why would a company like Apple use stickers? After all, they probable have a bigger marketing budget than the GDP of many small countries. They can definitely afford to be more creative, right? Of course. However, the marketing team at Apple is smart enough to use every effective promotional tool at their disposal, including stickers. Stickers Straddle the Fine Line Between Advertising and Gift People perceive stickers differently to most other forms of advertising, and companies like GoPro and Under Armour understand this. If you go on eBay now, you’ll find people selling Under Armour and Apple stickers, among many others. And there are quite a large number of listings, which means that people are buying them. In other words, people value these stickers so much that they are willing to pay for them. So, when a company hands out stickers with their brand, especially a large company that has created a culture around their products, they know those stickers will be perceived as a gift rather than an advertisement. Stickers Act as Validation Apple has built a brand that’s focused on lifestyle and prestige. They’ve built the idea that if you own an Apple product, you are part of an exclusive, prestigious club. Thanks to this positioning, many people buy Apple products precisely for the prestige. And what better way to prove to the world that they are part of this prestigious club than to put up stickers of their favorite brand on their personal items. That’s why you see Apple stickers on people’s cars. They want to be validated as an owner of an Apple product. Apple makes it easy for people to feel validated too. They make sure that with every product you buy, you get two stickers included, which further encourages people to make a statement and show the world they are part of the Apple family. Stickers Put the Decision in the Hands of the Consumer When handing out stickers, you are putting the decision in the hands of your customers. You aren’t telling them to put up the stickers. You aren’t bombarding them with TV ads or billboards. You aren’t interrupting them with flyers. You’re giving them a gift and the decision of what to do with it is theirs. Large companies understand how powerful it is to put the power in the hands of the consumer. By letting them control the situation, you gain a lot more because people want to tell others about this awesome company that makes great products and empowers them. It might not seem like such a big thing but when people are constantly bombarded by ads from external sources, the ability to support their favorite brands when and where they choose is priceless. Instead of being told you should buy this, they’re saying “I choose to buy this brand.” And by putting this power in their hands, it’s guaranteed that others will perceive a brand stickers on someone’s personal items as a personal endorsement. After all, they had to actually put the sticker on their car or on their laptop, which means it was a personal choice. They were in control and others will see it as a glowing recommendation for the brand they are advertising. Stickers Work Online Too In the era of camera phones, people post a ridiculous number of photos online. And when someone receives a free gift of stickers, you’ll often find them taking photos and posting them online, whether it’s a selfie with the sticker, a photo of the product along with the sticker, or even just the stickers themselves. They might want to show the world what an awesome freebie they got, or just to validate that they are part of the in-crowd that purchased the product in question. Regardless of the reason, companies like Apple know that their stickers will not only end up being displayed in the real world, but also online. And they love it even more when those stickers are used creatively and people display their art because it attracts even more eyeballs. Stickers Can Be Used in All Stages of Marketing Stickers are effective whether you’re trying to acquire new customers, keep existing customers, or build loyalty by ensuring an amazing experience. By handing out stickers to prospects, you introduce yourself in a way that provides value, creates an emotional connection and ensures people will want to learn more about your brand. Once you’ve invited people “in”, you can offer higher quality stickers to cement the relationship. You can use stickers to create a community of like-minded individuals who are passionate about the same thing, and stickers are the “secret handshake”. When someone has made a purchase, you can include special stickers as a gift, which validate their purchase and their membership in your “special” club. Reddit increased their exposure by plastering their alien stickers all over the place. Once the community started growing, members were putting up the stickers, and now, people are getting tattoos of the alien. The biggest companies in the world know precisely how powerful tickers are, beyond just being cheap compared to other marketing channels. Stickers can be used to build powerful communities, offer validation, and they give people a choice, which is so much more than any other marketing tool can do.
Learn moreHow to Use Stickers to Attract Customers
Customer acquisition is important to every business, no matter how large or small. However, research shows that customer retention is just as important. In fact, it’s often even more important seeing as repeat customers spend more per transaction than new customers, and they also have a much greater lifetime value. Furthermore, they also cost less, which helps your bottom line significantly. The great news is that stickers are a cost-effective way to both attract and retain customers, if you know what you’re doing. So, read on to find out why stickers are so effective and how to use them to improve customer acquisition and retention rates. Why Do Stickers Work So Well? When consumers are being sold to, whether it’s through traditional ads in magazines, on TV, or online, or via direct marketing, promotional articles, or so-called genuine reviews that you can tell from a mile are actually promotional, a massive barrier fraught with dozens of obstacles goes up. Skepticism, distrust, and downright hostility are just some of the issues you have to deal with, which can make acquiring new customers complicated and expensive. People perceive stickers differently, though, even when they are being used as advertisements. As children, we learn to love stickers and see them as rewards and gifts. And most people carry that with them into their adult lives, which is why you see adults with laptops, cars and other personal items covered in stickers. For this reason, when stickers are used as promotional tools, people don’t put up the same barriers. In fact, many feel as if they’ve been given a gift, which makes them more open to doing business with the company that gave them the stickers. How to Make the Most Out of Stickers While you’re already starting out ahead because of the way stickers are perceived, there are a few things you can do to maximize your positive results. Know Your Target Market The first thing you have to do is get to know your target market well. You need to know what they want, what they need, what motivates them, what keeps them up at night and so on. Ideally, create a customer persona, including every little detail, from demographics to their fears and desires. To be able to attract customers, you need to understand them. The more you know about them, the easier it will be to develop sticker designs that will offer value and help build a connection. And that’s the key. Every step you take in your business needs to be focused on your customer, from product development to deciding on the design of your stickers. Decide on a Strategy There are a number of ways you can use stickers to attract customers, depending on your business. For example, if you run a physical store, you can use decals and outdoor stickers, which are large stickers that can be affixed to windows, floor, walls and so on. You can use them to attract foot traffic by piquing people’s curiosity, like an Apple store did with a sticker that mimicked broken glass to advertise the iPod Hi-Fi. People didn’t know what the ad was for until they entered the store, but the broken glass drew them in because people were curious to find out what had happened. TV2 also got creative with outdoor stickers when they launched Batman Begins by placing them on footlight paths so that when the lights were turned on, they shone through the sticker, creating the bat signal. This type of approach can be used by any business looking to increase brand exposure. Then there are the standard stickers that you can hand out to people, which also work for any type of business. They aren’t just great at increasing brand exposure, but they also help create a connection because you are, essentially, giving your prospects a gift. And everyone loves a freebie. Create an Effective Sticker Design Once you’ve decided on the approach, it’s time to consider the design. If you’re going for decals and outdoor stickers to increase brand exposure, you need to step a little outside your comfort zone and come up with something that will stop people in their tracks. If you’re going to be handing out die-cut stickers, you should consider a slightly different approach. While a sticker of your logo is all well and good, if you really want your brand to stick in people’s minds, you should consider a design that entertains, is inspirational, or is useful. For example, a cute kitten meme with your brand and logo off to one side will get more mileage than a sticker of just your logo. Likewise, a calendar will get more attention than a simple photo of your product. Remember when creating the design to take into account everything you’ve learned of your target market, but also consider how you want people to use your stickers. Do you want them to put them up on their refrigerators to glance at all the time and never forget your brand? Then a calendar or a cooking conversion table would be great options. Do you want them to put them on their laptops? Then maybe an inspirational quote might be the way to go. The one thing you need to keep in mind is to make sure that your stickers are offering your prospects value. By offering them value first, you start to build a relationship – you start to earn their trust – and that makes customer acquisition much easier. Don’t Forget Distribution If you’re going the gift sticker route, you have to consider distribution. There are a few avenues you can explore, but they depend on your target market, location and timing. For example, getting someone to hand out stickers during the day in an office building might not be the best approach. Using interruption marketing techniques isn’t a great idea when people are busy thinking about work or hurrying to get to a meeting on time. However, putting a stack of stickers in a stand near the elevator is a much better idea because people will be more likely to pick them up while they’re hanging around, just waiting. On the other hand, giving out stickers in the mall on a Saturday afternoon tends to engender better responses because people are out relaxing and are much more open to a little interruption, especially if they’re getting a gift. The key to attracting and retaining customers is building a strong relationship with them. And stickers are a powerful, cost-effective approach because even a small sticker will be perceived as a gift rather than advertising. If you take things a step further and make it something that your prospects would really love, based on the data you gathered about them when researching your target market, you’ll find that it will the beginning of a beautiful and mutually beneficial friendship.
Learn moreWhy Tattoo Artists Should Use Stickers For Marketing
Designs created by Charmanderchar. Tattoos are becoming more mainstream every day. In fact, it sometimes seems as if everyone and their grandmother is getting tattooed. This trend means, of course, that there are an increasing number of tattoo parlors popping up, which means more competition for you. In this sea of tattoo parlors, you need to find a way to make yours stand out and draw in more customers. Sure, you could buy billboard space in your area, advertise in local publications, or create a site. Well, you should definitely do that last one, no matter what. However, there’s also another way you could market your brand that’s more effective than most, namely by getting custom stickers made. Custom Stickers Showcase Your Talents Convincing someone to let you ink a tattoo on them isn’t all that easy. It’s a design they will have on their bodies for the rest of their lives. So, you need to show them that you’re the perfect artist to do it. Telling them won’t work. They will need to see proof. You can say that they’ll see the quality of your work once they visit your shop, and that’s true. But that means getting them through the door in the first place. Getting stickers made of some of the best tattoos you've inked is a great way to showcase your talents and show people what you can do before they walk through the door. You can hand them out to people in your area, put them up in public places, and give them to your customers as a bonus. That’s the cool thing about stickers. People don’t perceive them as advertising, so when you give someone a couple of stickers, it’ll feel like a gift, which will make them happy. And, of course, happy customers will tell all their friends and family about you. They’ll probably hand out a few stickers, too, further helping to increase the exposure of your brand. Of course, make sure every sticker has at least your website URL on there so people can find you. After all, you never know where a sticker might end up, so it’s essential that you ensure people have a way of getting in touch. You Can Be Just As Creative with Your Campaign As With Your Ink You can also be really creative with stickers, and we’re not talking just about the design. They allow you to advertise in areas and in ways you might not have considered. For example, a tattoo parlor came up with an awesome campaign where they put up stickers of tattoos on mirrors in public restrooms. They were positioned in such a way that people could stand in front of the sticker and see what they’d look like with a tattoo. Now, that’s not only a cool and memorable idea that people will have fun with, but it’s also a great way to get people talking about your brand. Stickers Are Affordable To get the most out of your marketing campaign, you want to get as many of your designs in front of your prospects, and stickers are a great option because they’re affordable. Depending on the quantity you order, die-cut stickers can cost as little as 10 cents a piece. When you consider how many people can end up seeing them, the price is ridiculously low. And even if you order fewer stickers per design so you can advertise more of your tattoos, the price is still extremely low when compared to any other marketing channel. Stickers Have a Long Life When someone puts a sticker on their car or their laptop, or wherever else, those stickers will stay there for years – usually as long as they have the car or laptop. In other words, people will constantly be seeing your brand for years to come. And you don’t have to pay anything for all that exposure. If you also get different stickers made regularly, that’s even more reason for people to display even more of them and get even more exposure for you. Also, don’t forget, that when someone displays your sticker, they are giving you their personal endorsement. In other words, it’s a form of word-of-mouth marketing, which is one of the most powerful ways you can get your brand out there. After all, people are more likely to follow the recommendations of someone they know, and putting up a sticker featuring your tattoo parlor on their personal belongings is definitely a recommendation. Don’t Forget to Use Them Yourself You should be setting a good example, so make sure you’re using your own stickers. Put them on your car, on your laptop, on your tablet and on everything and anything else you own. Turn yourself into a walking advertisement for your tattoo parlor to increase brand exposure as much as possible. And always have some on you to hand out whenever someone expresses interest, whether it’s in your stickers or your tattoos. Even if they just ask what you do, you can hand out a few stickers when you tell them you’re a tattoo artist. As we’ve already said, people really like stickers, so feel free to hand them out to all and sundry. Even if that person doesn’t seem like someone who’d get a tattoo – though you never know nowadays – they could very well have friends or family who’d love one, so don’t miss out on any opportunity to get your stickers in people’s hands. Stickers are a great way to showcase your talents and convince people to visit your shop. They show potential customers that you are a great artist with proof rather than just a clever tagline. They’re also very affordable, which means you can make existing customers even happier by giving them a free gift, and turning them into your advocates. Once they start displaying your stickers, they’ll help increase the exposure of your tattoo parlor, while also giving you their tacit personal endorsement.
Learn moreDiscover Why You Should Be Using Magnets to Promote Your Brand
Are you looking for a cost-effective way to increase brand awareness? Do you want a promotional tool that keeps on giving … for years? Do you want your customers to love you? If you think it’s impossible to achieve all of the above, the good news is that you are wrong. Dead wrong. There is a promotional tool out there that can help you increase brand awareness, build customer loyalty, and maximize your sales. And the best part is that it won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Yes, we’re talking about magnets. Read on to find out why and how you too can take advantage. The Benefits of Promotional Magnets Customized magnets are a great way to promote your products and/or services for a number of reasons, including the fact that people really do use them and they also tend to keep them for years. People Really Like Magnets Most people love magnets and are more than happy to put them up on their fridge. Where a brochure or a flyer or even a pen might end up in the trash, you can be certain a promotional magnet will end up on the fridge – or some other metal surface in a person’s home or office. Magnets tend to have a higher perceived value than many other promotional products, and if they’ve been designed properly, there’s little chance someone will throw your magnet out. In fact, if it’s a fun-looking magnet, you can be sure it will be displayed prominently. People Keep Magnets for a Long Time So, not only are people more likely to put a magnet up on display, but they also tend to keep them much longer than any other types of promotional materials. In fact, a study found that people tend to keep magnets for as long as 8 years on average, with some holding on to them for a decade or longer. Again, it comes down to perceived value, and people simply consider them too valuable to throw away. So, essentially, you’ll have a constant advertisement in someone’s house for a good number of years. There really is no other promotional tool that can achieve that, especially not at the comparatively minimal cost of a magnet. You Get a Ridiculous Number of Impressions Purdue University in the U.S. conducted a study of how often people open their refrigerators every day. We have no clue why it would be considered an important topic to study, but it did generate some interesting statistics for advertisers. So, according the study, it seems that a person will open their refrigerator between 10 and 12 times per day. Now, if your magnet is in a home with a family of 5, that means you’ll be getting between 50 and 60 impressions per day, or between 18,250 and 21,900 impressions per year. And that’s not counting other people who might have access to the same refrigerator – like when extended family comes to visit. Considering that a small promotional magnet can cost as little as $0.2, we dare you to find a more efficient form of advertising. If we take into account how long people keep magnets, you’re looking at between 146,000 and 175,200 impressions over 8 years. There really is nothing else that can compete. You Can Get Really Creative Unlike other promotional tools, you can get really creative with magnets. You not only can create visually appealing designs, but you also have plenty of room to add whatever information you like. Try putting your company name, tagline, and even just a phone number and web address on a pen. You’re either going to end up writing in a font so small people will need a magnifying glass to read it, or you’re going to give up altogether. Want to keep up with the digital world by including QR codes? Great idea. Just don’t try it on a pen because it’s not going to happen. With a magnet, though, you have much more room to expand. Get the Most out of Promotional Magnets If you really want to maximize the benefits of promotional magnets, you can also take things a step further. Instead of creating any old magnet, design one that is useful too. For example, a magnet with cooking measurement conversions will constantly be consulted, which will further increase the number of impressions. And will probably be kept till the end of time. Likewise, a magnet with stain removal advice will be frequently consulted, but it will also mean your magnet will be placed in the laundry room. If you are in a B2B industry, you can create magnets with featuring industry relevant advice, marketing tips, or even things like basic computer maintenance advice. Anything that will prove useful to your customer or prospect. So, if you create a variety of magnets with advice for various areas of the home and/or office, you can have your brand displayed all over that person’s home or office. Another option is to create calendar magnets, but you do have to take into account that once the year is up, they become obsolete. So, unless you are ready to invest in a new batch of magnets every year, you’re probably better off picking something else. However, you can be certain that calendar will be consulted frequently, so you have to decide whether the investment is worth it or not. Other possibilities include photo frame magnets, clock magnets, checklist magnets, notepad magnets and more. Remember, the more useful the magnet is, the more your brand will be seen. Magnets are a powerful promotional tool. The cost-to-impression ratio alone makes them worth it, but when you consider that they are highly effective at building loyalty too because of their perceived value, you really can’t go wrong with promotional magnets. And if you get even more creative and make that magnet useful, the perceived value skyrockets and your magnet will be around for many, many years.
Learn moreDie Cut Stickers vs Sticker Sheets: Which Option Is Better for You?
You know stickers are valuable promotional tools. You know you can get whatever design you like, and whatever size you prefer. But now you have a problem. You’re not sure whether to opt for die cut stickers or sticker sheets. In fact, you’re not even sure of the difference between them. In this article, we’ll look at the two types of stickers, as well as when to use them. Understanding the Difference Between Die Cut Stickers and Sticker Sheets Sticker sheets are, as their name pretty clearly states, sheets with multiple stickers on them. These sheets can feature all the same sticker or multiple sticker designs, depending on your preference. Essentially, what happens is that the designs are printed on a sheet, and then, when the cut is made, it’s only made through the sticker itself and not all the way through to the backing. So, what you end up with is a rectangular sheet of backing material and vinyl on which the stickers have been printed, and only the latter has been scored so you can peel the individual stickers off the sheet. This type of cut is referred to as a kiss cut, seeing as the blades only lightly “kiss” the vinyl, and don’t go all the way through. They can be cut to any shape you choose, including along the contour of the design if it’s not a standard shape. Conversely, die cut stickers have been cut out of the sheet completely, usually along the contour of the design but they can also be cut out as standard geometric shapes, if you prefer. These tend to be slightly more expensive than sticker sheets, but are great at making an impact. How to Decide Between Sticker Sheets and Die-Cut Stickers In terms of which one is better, the fact is that it depends on the situation. Sticker sheets are more suited to some applications, while for others, die-cut stickers are more appropriate. Determine the Application The first step in figuring out whether to get die-cut stickers or sticker sheets is to determine what you’ll be using them for. Below you’ll find a few examples. Package and Product Stickers If you are going to be using the stickers to put on your packages when shipping to customers, then you’re probably better off with sticker sheets. It’s a more cost-effective option and since you won’t be handing them out individually, it doesn’t matter how many stickers are on a single sheet. Keep in mind that they don’t have to be identical to one another, so even if each label has a custom message on it, you can still get them on sheets. Another advantage to sticker sheets is the ease with which you can peel them off the sheet. It might not seem like a big deal, but if you have a large number of packages to brand, anything that makes it easier and less time-consuming definitely helps. Stickers for Customers When you’re giving out stickers to your customers, you should probably stick to die-cut stickers, even if you are sending more than one. Yes, a sticker sheet would be more efficient if you are sending out a few stickers to each customer, but the fact is that die-cut stickers look more professional. The last thing you want to do is to make your customers think you’re cheap. So, investing in die-cut stickers is definitely more beneficial to your reputation in the long run. Plus, if you sent multiple die-cut stickers, your customers can also hand them out to friends and family, further promoting your brand. If you take the sticker sheet route, this would be a lot more difficult for your customers to do, meaning you’d be missing out on a valuable promotional opportunity. Remember, you want to make it as easy as possible for your customers to be your advocates and recommend you to their friends and family, so send them die-cut stickers. Promotional Stickers If you will be putting up promotional stickers in your area, or at an event, you’ll probably want to go with sticker sheets. Once again, it saves time as peeling them off is much easier. Furthermore, it’s a lot easier to transport 500 stickers, for example, when they are still attached to a sheet, than when they are loose. There’s also less of a chance of losing them because it’s easier to notice a whole sheet flying off than it is a 2”x2” sticker. Consider the Design When deciding between die-cut stickers and sticker sheets, you also have to take into account the design. If it’s a very delicate design with lots of “bits” sticking out, a contour die-cut sticker might not be the best option because it’s easier for those areas to get damaged. For example, if you have a ribbon waving in the wind, it’s more likely to get bent or even torn off, despite the additional strength the backing material provides. However, when the same sticker is on a sheet, it won’t be exposed so there’s less of a chance of accidents happening. Don’t Forget Your Budget Budget is certainly a consideration, despite how cost-effective stickers are in general. So, if you are sending out multiple stickers to your customers, you might opt for a sticker sheet as it will be slightly cheaper. However, remember that you’ll be missing out on a great opportunity to increase brand awareness because your customers won’t be able to hand out stickers to other people. Plus, there’s also the risk that you’ll seem cheap. It’s often a better idea to get fewer die-cut stickers than opting for sticker sheets when trying to make your customers feel special. Die-cut stickers and sticker sheets are both popular options, but the approach you choose really depends on your circumstances and how those stickers will be used. In some cases, a die-cut sticker is mandatory if you want to put your best foot forward and really impress your customers. In other situations, like when you have 300 packages of your homemade cookies to brand, you want to go for sticker sheets to make your life easier.
Learn more6 Ways to Use Promotional Stickers for Businesses from Stickerbeat
Stickers are a great way to promote your business because most people don’t perceive them as advertising. In fact, most people really like stickers and when you give them one, even if it just features your brand, they’ll consider it a gift rather than an ad. And people like using stickers, which is where the power of this marketing tool comes in. When someone places a sticker featuring your brand on a personal item, they are telling the rest of the world that they support your brand. Few forms of marketing generate the same level of results that word-of-mouth marketing does, which is why stickers are so powerful. Furthermore, when you are giving out stickers to your customers, you are also promoting loyalty. They feel special because you’re giving them a gift, which will endear your brand to them even more. Below, you’ll find a few more ways to effectively promote your business with stickers. Include Fun and Interesting Messages What’s someone more likely to stick on their laptop? A sticker with just your brand on it? Or a sticker with your brand on it that also features a fun, quirky, or even inspirational message? The latter, of course. So, if you want to increase the chances of people using your stickers on their belongings, and getting as many eyeballs on them as possible, get a little more creative than just slapping your brand on them. You could even have stickers printed with blank areas where people could write in their own messages. However, keep in mind that a professionally printed sticker with the message already on there is more likely to get used because it’s more convenient. Give Out Useful Stickers People love stickers, so they’ll put them on everything and anything, as long as they like the brand. But what if those stickers were more than just fun ways to spruce up laptops, phones, cars and more? What if they were actually useful? Well, people would be even more likely to use them. While they might not show up everywhere, you can be sure people will remember your brand even better when the stickers you hand out have a useful purpose. For example, you could print attractive labels for organizational purposes that include your brand. People could use them on everything from their jars to their in and out trays at work. Yes, these stickers wouldn’t be seen by as many people, but they are just as effective at keeping your brand front and center for the person using the sticker. Send Them to Your Customers When sending out orders, always include a few stickers in the package. Not only will customers love the extra little “gift” – that’s what they will perceive it as and not as a promotional tactic – they will also end up handing them out to friends and family, as long as they’re well designed and attractive. So, make sure you don’t miss out on this great opportunity to make your customers feel special, but also to turn them into advocates. And that’s why you should always include more than one sticker in each package. If your business is service oriented, you can still send out stickers with a thank you card to your best customers. They aren’t all that expensive, and neither will the cost of mailing them be all that high. The result will be very grateful customers who feel valued, which will help build loyalty. Put Them on your Packaging Simple packaging is definitely cheaper than getting it specially branded, but it certainly isn’t as effective at promoting brand awareness. Stickers are a great middle ground as they’re much more cost-effective than getting specialty packaging, but they still offer the benefits of more interesting packaging for your customers while promoting your brand. And since stickers can be cut out in a variety of shapes, you can get really creative and get some stunning stickers made that will impress your customers. Spruce Up Those Store-Front Windows Store-front windows are valuable promotional real estate that can be used to great effect with some great quality stickers and decals. Whether you’re running a sale, or simply want to let customers know your opening hours, putting up stickers on your windows is a great way of doing it. So, whenever you have a special offer or get new products in, put stickers in your windows to let people know. It’s just as effective at drawing in foot traffic as having someone standing outside handing out flyers. Put Them on the Floor Floors aren’t often used as advertising space, which is why placing a series of stickers on the ground is such a great way to draw attention. People won’t be able to help but notice something they’re stepping on, so it’s definitely a great way to promote your brand using stickers and decals. Like with any other type of sticker, the more creative you get, the more you’ll draw people in. You can do things like advertising sales out in the parking lot or sidewalk, with arrows pointing to your store, and more. Regardless of where or how you are using these stickers, remember to always include contact details. At the very minimum, you want to have your web address on the sticker. This way, people who see the sticker and want to learn more about your brand don’t have to go to too much effort to do so. On larger stickers, like those you use in shop windows and on floors, you can even include QR codes, which make things even easier. On those types of stickers, also make sure to include a call-to-action. Where smaller stickers that you send out to customers and hand on the street are more about building brand awareness, large stickers or decals should have a call-to-action so you can increase conversion rates. At Stickerbeat, we offer a wide range of high quality stickers that you can use to easily promote your brand. We even offer a free graphic design service so we can help you turn your highly creative idea into reality. So, get in touch and let us help you promote your brand with stickers.
Learn moreHow to Make Marketing Package Inserts That Stick
It’s common knowledge that existing customers are more likely to buy from you than a new prospect. In fact, Forbes Entrepreneurs tells us that you only have a 5% to 20% change of getting a new prospect to make a purchase, whereas with an existing customer you have a 60 to 70% chance. In other words, any tool that will allow you to connect with your existing customers and strengthen the relationship is invaluable. Marketing package inserts are a powerful tool to help you not only build a stronger relationship with existing clients, but also to increase your sales. The have a very high open rate because people are usually eager to open the package you sent them. There’s also the advantage that people are more open to your marketing materials when they’ve just received a product from your company, especially if the entire experience was positive. So, how can you create effective marketing package inserts? Get to Know Your Customers This goes for everything you do in regards to marketing, including creating package inserts. The better you know your customers, the easier it will be for you to figure out what will work best. Some things work better for certain audiences than others, so you have to make sure you know as much as possible about your customers. Be Personal Personalization is the name of the game nowadays, and that holds true for package inserts as well. Regardless of what you choose to use as a package insert, you have a much better chance of getting it to stick if you personalize it. For example, use the customer’s name on the message you send, and even consider including what they purchased, to really show that you are paying attention. Also, sign off with your name rather than a generic customer service team, which feels cold and impersonal to most people. Compare the two messages below. Which do you think will work better to build customer loyalty? “Dear Sally, Thanks for buying the Abracadabra green widget. We really hope you enjoy it. Jillian of Abracadabra Widgets. ” …Or… “Dear customer, Thank you for your purchase. Customer service team, Abracadabra Widgets.” We guarantee you that the first message will have a much greater impact and stick with the customer more because you aren’t sending out an impersonal message that they know everyone else will be getting too. Pick Up a Pen Writing a note or a thank-you card by hand will do wonders to impress your customers, especially if you personalize it like in the previous tip. Seeing a handwritten note is extremely rare nowadays, thanks to the internet. So, if you write out your notes by hand, it will have an impact. A big one. If writing out all your thank you notes by hand isn’t feasible – like if you send hundreds of packages every month – another option would be to print the notes but sign them yourself. Another option would be to mix it up. Send a handwritten not to your best and most loyal customers, and send a printed version to everyone else. For example, Brandon Eley, the founder of 2BigFeet, personally writes out a thank you note and sends it, along with a coupon for a future purchase, to all the company’s best customers. Offer Them a Discount If you really want to see your sales figures go up, then a discount offer along with a thank you note as a package insert is an opportunity you shouldn’t pass up. First of all, it’s a brilliant opportunity to cross-sell your customer on other products they might like and thereby increase awareness, but it’s also a great way to generate more business, even if you offer a generic discount on their next purchase. Most people simply can’t pass up a discount, especially if it’s from a company they already buy from. Even if they had no plans to make another purchase any time soon, if you include a discount coupon, their plans will change, especially if it’s a limited-time offer. And if you take it a step further and personalize the offer – for example, offer them a discount on a product in their wish list – it will stick even more because people like to feel special and cared for and nothing says “I care” like showing you took the time to find out what they’re interested in. Include a Small Gift People love gifts, no matter how cheap they are. And they love it even more when they get a little extra in their package that they didn’t order. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy and you don’t need to spend a fortune. Something small and simple will not only please your customers, but it’ll get them talking all over social media about how great your company is. For example, Ryan French, the founder of GameKlip, included a small bag of candy in every package. Soon after, everyone was talking about the awesome surprise they received all over the net. If you ran a search at the time, you would have found tens of thousands of results of people mentioning the candy they received. Not only does this approach build loyalty, but it also tends to encourage people to spend more money with you. Two experiments were conducted in 2002 on how receiving a small gift affected the tips servers received in restaurants. In the first experiment, it was discovered the customers left a larger tip when receiving a small piece of chocolate with their check compared to customers who received nothing. The second experiment found that the size of the tip differed based on how much candy the customer received, as well as the way the candy was given. It’s the principle of reciprocity. If you reward your customers for doing business with you in some way, they will feel the need to do the same. Remember, marketing package inserts are a highly powerful and cost-effective tool if used right. They can build and cement customer loyalty, increase your revenues, and improve your bottom line substantially. All you have to do is make them personal and show your true appreciation by making your customers feel special, which will earn you their loyalty for life.
Learn more10 Creative Packaging Ideas for Shipping
Product packaging is a critical component in the buying process, with 64 percent of consumers stating they will sometimes buy a product, even if they had no prior knowledge of it, due to the packaging. Furthermore, a Pro Carton study found that one of the most essential elements in a marketing campaign to consumers is the packaging of the product. According to Dotcom Distribution’s eCommerce Packaging Study 2016, 40 percent of consumers are more likely to purchase the brand again if it features gift-like packaging, 68 percent feel it makes the brand look more upscale and 61 percent are more excited about getting the package. So, clearly, getting your product’s packaging to stand out and look good is critical. Here are 10 ways in which you too can set your packaging apart. 1. Understand Your Target Market The first step to setting your product’s packaging apart from the crowd is to really get to know your target market. Putting together an awesome design that will draw eyeballs isn’t as hard as you might think. There are plenty of very creative and imaginative designers who can create wonders. But if the packaging is drawing the wrong eyeballs, what’s the point? For example, if your product is aimed at children but your packaging is sleek and sexy, looking more like something designed for a corporate executive, you can be sure it’s not going to be attracting the right people. So, the first step to getting your packaging right is to understand who your audience is and design with them in mind. 2. Apply the KISS Principle Keep it simple, stupid. The U.S. Navy coined the phrase in the 1960s in an effort to remind that simple systems worked better than complicated ones. Well, this design principle also applies to packaging. If you overload your design with too many elements and colors, you could end up with something that is a little too strange for your customers. Instead of overdoing it, stick to a simple design that’s attractive and is in line with what’s expected of your industry. Remember, you want to draw eyeballs, but you don’t want people pointing out your packaging as the weird kid on the block everyone avoids. 3. Go for Professional over Easy Printing a label at home or using a stamp on a box might be easy and cheap, but it won’t attract customers, no matter how great your product is. It might be an extra investment, but getting your packaging professionally designed and manufactured will pay off in the long run as it will attract many more buyers. 4. Use Imagery Effectively Keeping it simple is essential but that doesn’t mean that you can’t use imagery effectively. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, and when you’re dealing with only a few seconds that consumers take to look at a shelf, you definitely need to come up with something that draws them in quickly. A wall of text won’t attract them, but a relevant image that sends the right message definitely will. 5. Establish an Emotional Connection A person will make a purchase when the brand elicits some form of emotional response. If your packaging makes someone smile, or creates a warm and happy feeling, people are going to buy your brand. Another good approach is to have someone making eye contact on your packaging, because people can’t help but investigate further. 6. Make Sure Your Packaging and Product Match You can have the most amazing packaging in the world, but if it’s not relevant to your product, you’re wasting your time. For example, a humorous label on a high-end perfume won’t cut it, just as a stylish, sleek label isn’t exactly appropriate for a bag of potato chips. It establishes the wrong expectations and customers can’t help but be disappointed. So, always make sure that your packaging meshes with your product. 7. Make Your Packaging Reusable If you really want to set your product apart, then make the packaging useful. Not only will it attract consumers because they can reuse the packaging, but it will also keep your brand front and center, even after they’ve used the product. For example, if you sell cosmetics, you could use branded makeup totes to package sets of products, which customers can then reuse. Or, if you sell homemade kibble, you could package it in tins or stiff ziplock bags that people can keep storing dog food in. 8. Make It Memorable and Easy to Identify You want people to associate your packaging with your product. Just like whenever you see a shiny red can with a white stripe, you know it’s a can of Coca-Cola, you want your customers to have the same reaction with your product. So, it needs to be memorable. Also, Forbes states that packaging needs to pass the five-year-old test. Essentially, this means that you should be able to describe the package to a five-year-old and the child will be able to pick up precisely what you want. For example, tell a five-year-old to get the blue package with a cookie and milk on it and you can be sure she’ll come back with a pack of Oreos. This also ties in with being memorable but also simple. 9. Use Top Quality Materials Packaging has a massive impact on how people perceive your brand, and if you’re using poor quality materials, it will send the wrong message, no matter how stunning the design is. People will eventually handle the packaging, whether it’s to take a closer look or to put it in their cart, and if you’ve used cheap cardboard, for example, you can be sure they’ll put it back. Cheap materials send the message that the product is cheap, which is precisely what you don’t want. 10. Choose the Right Colors The impact of color on people’s buying decisions has been studied for a long time and it has been repeatedly proven that different colors attract different people and affect people differently, as well. So, take your time to pick colors that are relevant to your target market and will elicit the right emotions. Packaging can make or break your product. Poorly designed packaging using low quality materials will keep your product on the shelf, no matter how great it is. Packaging that looks just like everything else on the shelf will lead to your product going unnoticed. So, follow the above advice and don’t be afraid to be a little adventurous too. Sometimes being different pays. But make sure that you’re not so different that people have no idea what your product is.
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