Your small business — whether a sole proprietorship, franchise, partnership or professional corporation — has plenty of competition and must work hard to stand out from the crowd. When looking at offline solutions, you need to take advantage of cost-effective products to advertise your products and services. A key is to procure items that will consistently be seen by multiple people over an extended period. Because you are a “small” business, financial limitations may price certain advertising products (such as billboards) out of reach, but there are many less expensive products that can equally spread your brand without breaking the bank. Here are our suggestions to focus your budget to market your small business through print: 

Business Cards

The most important advertising product in which you can invest is business cards. The reason they make such an excellent marketing tool is because they contain all your pertinent information in a small amount of space. This ensures your message is clear and concise. Business cards are so small, in fact, that potential consumers have no qualms about taking one. Most importantly, business cards are inexpensive to obtain. A well-designed business card includes most of the following key elements:

• Business name
• Logo
• Contact information (address, telephone, email, website)
• Company slogan
• A brief description of your products or services

Signage

Business storefronts and subsequent signage are as old as stores themselves. Your sign provides you with a 24/7/365 advertising opportunity. Like a business card, the minimum elements are name and logo, but you can also include your hours, website and phone number. This allows potential customers who see the sign after hours to learn about your company the moment they interact with your storefront on their own time.

Posters and Flyers

Depending on your business, posters and flyers for distribution among busy local gathering areas (such as shopping malls) can pay huge dividends in getting your business found. This print collateral can be created with software found on most PCs and free online templates. Or, you can have them professionally designed with print in mind. It is important to capture the viewers’ attention with:

• A catchy heading
• An attractive image
• Easy-to-read text
• Most importantly, what action you want them to take (call you, visit your website, visit your store)

Promotional Items

Promotional items are additional products that small businesses like yours can purchase to advertise their brand. Apparel merchandise such as jackets, caps, t-shirts and pullovers, as well as other useful goods such as travel mugs, pens and notebooks, are all products that consumers will use in their daily lives. Having your business’ name and logo on them makes them walking billboards for your company. You can give them away to reward current clients, raffle them off, or even sell them if there is intrinsic value and interest.

Post-Press

Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard can work with you to create the right print marketing campaigns for your business. We specialize in graphic design for all your printing needs. Contact us today to bring your brand to life in print!