Market a print and copy shop by focusing on services.
In an age when many consumers have their own multi-purpose printers and copiers, it can be difficult for a print and copy shop to attract new business. As you plan a marketing strategy, consider ways you can appeal to low-tech customers and people who need large printing jobs that cannot be handled at home.
Approach Local Businesses
To find large projects for your print and copy shop, approach local businesses. Creative firms, for example, often need to mass-produce flyers, posters, brochures and other print materials for their clients, and many other businesses may need to print presentations and reports. Make a list of potential clients in your community and spend a few days stopping in, introducing yourself, and leaving behind a flyer that lists prices and services. By making direct contact, you will give your business a face and eliminate the need for potential customers to find you; in leaving behind a business card and a pricing sheet, you eliminate questions about capabilities and costs.
Offer Design Help
If your print and copy shop deals with low-tech customers who are confused by design and printing options, offer in-store help. Enlist your staff in the effort, and teach them walk a customer through the process of designing printed materials and getting them printed to their specifications. Focus your marketing efforts on an older crowd, who are unlikely to have a high level of computer skills. You might send out a postcard to the customers on your mailing list who are above a certain age, for example, inviting them to come in to take advantage of your knowledgeable staff's design expertise. In positioning yourself as a friendly, approachable expert, you can encourage repeat business.
Focus on Services
When a customer comes into a print and copy shop, he is likely to have needs beyond basic printing. If your shop offers services like binding, packaging, stapling or shipping, use them as a focus of your marketing materials; this lets customers know that you can handle their entire project from start to finish, which may give you an edge on the competition. You might offer a special price for customers who want to have presentations printed and bound, for example, or arrange for a discounted shipping rate when they go through your store. By marketing your ability to make customers' lives easier, you can appeal to busy professionals who have more important things to worry about than making sure their reports are stapled before a meeting.
Tags: print copy shop, copy shop, print copy, leaving behind, low-tech customers, your marketing