Spire Express

Stephen Beals discusses large format proofing

Mike — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:01:17 +0000

The problem with standards is they are intentionally designed to allow print providers to closely match color on a wide variety of media, printed on any device, no matter what technology is being used. That’s great if you want the poster printed on your 12-color inkjet device to match the same image coming off a web press. But often, that’s not the best way to sell wide-format output. If you are covering the side of a building with an image, you want the colors to pop…
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63-page Social Media Guide available

Mike — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:06:22 +0000

From: "Laura Wood" Date: July 16, 2010 9:31:32 PM EDT Subject: Social Media for Graphic Communications I enclose details of our guide to social media for graphic communications. This 63-page report defines social media, the growing importance of using media channels like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and others to network and communicate with present and prospective customers, offers third-party estimates of the growth of the importance of, and spending on, social media by marketers in all industries, and offers specific advice for companies in the printing industry. Social Media for Graphic Communications: is a Summary Report, explaining the difference between "outbound" and "inbound" marketing, and discusses the changing trends in advertising and marketing that are causing wholesale shifts in how businesses cultivate customers and build relationships that lead to sales. The report also offers a "primer" on the various new and social media channels, such as: - Web sites and e-mail - Blogs and podcasts - Twitter and other microblogging sites - Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social networking sites - Digg, StumbleUpon, and other social bookmarking sites - YouTube and other online video applications For more information please click on: http://www.researchandmarkets.com/product/77af22/social_media_for_graphic_communications For each of these groups of channels, the report explains, in a nutshell: - what it is - what is required to get started - what it costs - best practices for inbound marketing - how printers can use it for their own purposes - how printers can offer it to their clients According to the report: - A 2009 study by the Society of Digital Agencies found that 45% of senior marketers worldwide cited "social networks" as a "top priority" for 2010, with a further 42% citing it as "important." - A September 2009 survey, found that 84% of businesses don't measure the ROI of their social media initiatives. - Closer to home, the September 2009 Economics and Research Center survey found that 43% of print businesses are not involved at all in social media; and one-third of print businesses that call themselves "marketing services providers" are not involved at all in social media. - A December Economics and Research Center/CreativePro.com survey found that only 13% of creatives said they planned to offer social media management capabilities as a billable service for your clients in 2010. For more information please click on: http://www.researchandmarkets.com/product/77af22/social_media_for_graphic_communications Title Index: Introduction: Why Should You Care? Jumping On - What Are Social Media? - Just a Fad? Inbound vs. Outbound Marketing About the Present Report - How This Report Is Organized For More Information Section 1: Yelling in All Directions at Once - Social Network Advertising Spending - Social Media Usage Among Marketers - Reasons for Social Media Usage - Challenges to Social Media - Return on Investment - Print Providers and Social Media Activity - Onward Section 2: Web Sites and E-Mail Web Sites - What It Is - What Is Required to Get Started - What it Costs - Best Practices for Inbound Marketing - How Printers Can Use It for Their Own Purposes - How Printers Can Offer It to Their Clients E-Mail - What It Is - What Is Required to Get Started - What it Costs - Best Practices for Inbound Marketing - How Printers Can Use It for Their Own Purposes - How Printers Can Offer It to Their Clients Section 3: Blogs and Podcasts - Blog - What It Is - What Is Required to Get Started - What Does It Cost - Best Practices for Inbound Marketing - How Printers Can Use It for Their Own Purposes - How Printers Can Offer It to Their Clients Podcast - What it Is - What Is Required to Get Started - What Does It Cost - Best Practices for Inbound Marketing - How Printers Can Use It for Their Own Purposes - How Printers Can Offer It to Their Clients Section 4: Twitter and Other Microblogging Sites - Twitter - What it Is - What Is Required to Get Started - What Does It Cost - Best Practices for Inbound Marketing - How Printers Can Use It for Their Own Purposes - How Printers Can Offer It to Their Clients - Other Microblogging Sites Section 5: Facebook, LinkedIn, and Other Social Networking Sites Facebook - What it Is - What Is Required to Get Started - What Does It Cost - Best Practices for Inbound Marketing - How Printers Can Use It for Their Own Purposes - How Printers Can Offer It to Their Clients LinkedIn - What it Is - What Is Required to Get Started - What Does It Cost - Best Practices for Inbound Marketing - How Printers Can Use It for Their Own Purposes - How Printers Can Offer It to Their Clients Section 6: Social Bookmarking and Folksonomy - Digg - What It Is - What Is Required to Get Started - What Does It Cost - Best Practices for Inbound Marketing - How Printers Can Use It for Their Own Purposes - How Printers Can Offer It to Their Clients Other Social Bookmarking Sites - Wikis - What It Is - What Is Required to Get Started - What Does It Cost - How Printers Can Use It for Their Own Purposes - How Printers Can Offer It to Their Clients Section 7: YouTube and Other Online Video Applications - YouTube - What it Is - What Is Required to Get Started - What Does It Cost - How Printers Can Use It for Their Own Purposes - How Printers Can Offer It to Their Clients Section 8: Conclusions and Recommendations - Six Social Media Questions - Question 1: What Do You Want to Accomplish? - Question 2: What is the Best Social Media Channel? - Question 3: What's the Competition Doing? - Question 4: What's the ROI? - Question 5: Who in the Organization Should Be Responsible? - Question 6: Where Do We Go From Here? - Stop the World, I Want to Get Off! - The Last Word Appendix: Resources for Further Information - Books - Magazines and Web Sites - Interesting Web Links About the Analyst Pricing: Electronic (Single User) : EUR 155 Electronic (Site License) : EUR 791 Ordering - Three easy ways to place your order: 1] Order online at http://www.researchandmarkets.com/product/77af22/social_media_for_graphic_communications 2] Order by fax: Print an Order form from http://www.researchandmarkets.com/product/77af22/social_media_for_graphic_communications and Fax to +353 1 4100 980 3] Order by mail: Print an Order form from http://www.researchandmarkets.com/product/77af22/social_media_for_graphic_communications and post to Research and Markets Ltd. Guinness Center, Taylors Lane, Dublin 8. Ireland. Related Titles also available from Research and Markets: Quarterly Business Conditions Report - Q1 2010 - http://www.researchandmarkets.com/product/77af22/quarterly_business_conditions_report_q1_201 Printing Continues to Go Green - http://www.researchandmarkets.com/product/77af22/printing_continues_to_go_green Print and Creative Forecast 2010 - http://www.researchandmarkets.com/product/77af22/print_and_creative_forecast_2010 Thank you for your consideration. Best Regards, Laura Wood Senior Manager Research and Markets Ltd laura.wood@researchandmarkets.com

Internet Retailer’s 2007 survey

Mike — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:11:02 +0000

The state of the Web, 2007: Check out the results of I/R’s 07 survey. Web retailers are feeling pretty bullish about their financial situation these days. But having made the transition from start-up operation to established business, web merchants are also keeping a close eye on their expenses and growing organically using their own resources rather than take on a big acquisition or too much outside financing, according to InternetRetailer’s latest monthly survey.
full article here
pdf of print article here

Video Marketing Strategy Outline

Mike — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:47:27 +0000

Thom Disch, head of multi-channel ramp retailer Handiramp.com and Internet Engine LLC, an Internet marketing company, has worked both sides of the online video fence. His e-commerce site uses demonstration videos for ramp products and is being redesigned to add more.

outline here
list of file types used here

The channel matters

Mike — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:25:10 +0000

According to a recent survey by MarketingProfs Research (marketingprofs.com), not all social-networking sites are created equal-particularly in terms of who is using them. The report shows Linkedln as the preferred social-networking site for B2B respondents, while Facebook scored highest with the B2C market. Businesses are learning that, while the message itself is critical, the channel through which they deliver it may hold the secret to a successful campaign.
PDF graphic here

Cliff Conneighton outlines 5 steps for event-triggered marketing

Mike — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 18:59:52 +0000

To paraphrase:
1. Understand your client
2. Create segments
3. Provide timely info
4. Define events broadly
5. automate
ARTICLE HERE
PDF of print article here

Two triggered e-mail programs you can’t start 2010 without

Mike — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:05:34 +0000

Regina Brady discusses triggered email with Target Marketing

Article here

PDF here

I receive quite a bit of trigger e-mail these days. I’m fully aware that it comes from a bot, or macro. However, that doesn’t reduce it’s effectiveness. It’s comforting to know that a product has shipped, or a date has been confirmed, or product is now in stock. Other triggers that I receive are rain alerts, traffic alerts, low balance alerts, payment due alerts, payment posted alerts. Now that I think of it, a fair amount of the email that I receive is trigger email. The weird thing is, as much as I enjoy the convenience of receiving such correspondence, I shy away from creating the same type of messages. Maybe it’s time…

Will Social Media Kill E-mail?

Mike — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:25:12 +0000

I think e-mail is here to stay. But then so are newspapers and books. It’s not a bad thing that different media compete. I believe that e-mail will continue to be king in business. But when it comes to group conversations outside the workplace, social media is just a better experience. One can tweak program settings so that SMS updates are sent for those individuals you want to hear from instantaneously. Other postings are seen when logging into the application, perhaps once a day or more often, depending on one’s proximity to a computing device. If you tire of a user’s constant posting of the minutiae of their life, it is easy to hide or even block them. Each user is in control of the connections they make and the way that information is posted to their wall or news feed. Facebook, for instance will allow you to block a particular application. You might want to see posts from your friend, but not all the ZOO postings that he or she makes. You can block just ‘ZOO’ but not your friend. I’m curious, does anyone know if the other user sees your block?

With the advent of the ipad I believe social media will take off even more.

Target Marketing’s Tim Ash: Double your Conversion Rate.

Mike — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:44:45 +0000

Tim Ash chases the elusive ‘perfect’ registration page in this very timely post.
Article Here
PDF HERE

Survey: pent-up demand for redesign projects

Mike — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:03:18 +0000

In spite of the recession, more than three in five web retailers redesigned all or part of their web sites in 2009. And with an economic recovery under way, web retailers are planning to embark on further improving their sites to make them faster, quicker and easier for customers to shop. Retailers are focused on such improvements as search engine optimization, site organization and navigation, as well as planning to add a few advanced bells and whistles like video streaming and community features. These are some of the conclusions of a recent Internet Retailer survey of 404 web-only retailers, chain retailers, catalogers and consumer brand manufacturers. The survey finds that while 22.3% of survey respondents say they deferred a web site redesign in 2009 because of the economy, 66.5% say they plan to embark on a redesign in 2010.