The debut of the Marketing Pavilion at Graph Expo may herald the services that will save the printing industry, or at least outline the shape of its future. In today’s print environment, sales growth seems to be in marketing-related printing and these companies were there to show that simple marketing services can grow a print company’s business. Printers need to take a hard look at how they can use these services to increase their own sales and demonstrate the benefits of the tools to their customers.

There were a number of companies displaying cutting edge services that printers could integrate into their print offerings. They dealt with lead generation, Web development, social media, customer engagement, and other communication tools that dovetail perfectly with a printed message. If you didn’t make it to Graph Expo, you can find a complete list of vendors at www.MyPrintResource.com/graphexpo. Here are a few examples of marketing service vendors available to printers.

• InterlinkONE and Grow Socially have been pushing the power of integrated marketing for a while. interlinkOne provides multi-channel marketing services that measure the success of marketing campaigns. It integrates print, mail, and the Internet to take advantage of the new communication tools. Grow Socially helps customers focus on their social media, in order to generate leads and build brand awareness. Personal URLs, QR codes, social media platforms, and mobile marketing are mainstays in the services the firms offer to printing companies. interlinkONE: www.myprintresource.com/10006062; Grow Socially: www.myprintresource.com/10170648.

• MMI Solutions helps clients create new leads by integrating PURLS, direct mail, e-marketing, surveys, and e-newsletters. Users can follow their clients’ interaction in real time and make contact while the prospect is engaged. MMI Solutions: www.myprintresource.com/10228768.

• CodezQR uses advanced QR code technology to track and monitor the information delivered to the customer by mobile marketing. QR codes are typically distributed by print and drive a printer’s sales. CodezQR provides interactive information to get closer to the customer. CodezQR: www.myprintresource.com/10334209.

• eMAGC is a website development company that helps print companies get into website creation for customers. Since websites are now part of most businesses’ marketing strategy, a logical source for website development is their local printer. The printer already helps customers with delivering their marketing message by print, so having the printer manage their website can be a simple transition. The product was designed specifically for print designers, and eMAGC allows them to build complete, feature-rich, and powerful websites without the need for complex coding, programming languages, or special training. eMAGC: www.myprintresource.com/10334255.

Practice What You Preach

Many companies can help printers gain a stronger foothold in the world of marketing. But to be successful, printing companies have to start using these same tools and seeking the same results as their potential customers. Printers have to start using these tools to get more leads so they can make more sales calls and close more sales.

By using print, direct mail, and the Internet, a company can create a buzz about its services and start collecting the information needed to better target customers. The tools offered by vendors such as the ones listed above make finding qualified leads easier. The hard part is going to be showing customers how to use the services in the real world. Printers must learn how to sell.

Printers are just like other companies when it comes to increasing business. You just can’t open your doors every morning and hope someone wanders in wanting to buy what you do. You have to get out and sell your products and services. To be successful, you have to spend your time communicating with the people who really do want to buy your products and services. The challenge for any business is finding the right audience to sell to.