By Rosemarie Monaco Instead of telling print buyers that you have high productivity, it would be far more meaningful if you can simply deliver the job faster. July 7, 2005 -- You cannot demonstrate your printing capabilities in an email. You need hard copy for that. But the experts say that your brochure is more likely to end up in the trash bin than in front of the print buyer, and that today email is the most effective way of getting a buyer's attention. What's a print marketer to do? One of the most important rules for effective marketing is "know your audience." You wouldn't have much success selling cars to animal-rights activists if the model in your ad is wearing a fur coat. Another example that is closer to home, yet not as obvious, is telling print buyers that you have high productivity. It would be far more meaningful to them if you can simply deliver the job faster. In other words, you need to push the buyers' hot buttons, not your own. Use language they can understand immediately and which requires no interpretation. Reaching the Target Audience The other side of the "audience" coin is knowing how best to reach your target. We used to ask: Which publications do they read? Today, the better question is how do print buyers receive their information? We used to ask: Which publications do they read? Today, the better question is how do print buyers receive their information? Email is rapidly replacing the phone and postal service as the primary source of communication in the business place. Statistics confirm permission-based or opt-in email marketing as one of the most effective media in the quest to manage information overload. Leading Them to Water If the most powerful way to a buyer's eyes these days is through email, than email marketing needs to be included in your marketing strategy. There are a few simple rules for email marketing that assure its effectiveness. If your list is not already qualified as permission-based, than you must let the recipients know that you received their names as individuals who might be interested in getting information from you and give them the option of "opting out" or removing their names from your database. Keep the message short. No more than one paragraph with a high-impact message and one or two lines only about who you are and what you do. Ask yourself what you can offer to solve a problem or make their lives easier and more rewarding. Make an offer that represents value to the buyer. Take off your printer's hat and put yourself in the buyers' shoes. Ask yourself what you can offer to solve a problem or make their lives easier and more rewarding. Include a live link. If your message is powerful it will elicit immediate action. Let the link click them to your Website or to a page where they can register for the special offer. This will also allow you to add profiling information to your database. Tell them to look in their mailbox for a special offer and a sample of your capabilities. Getting Them to Drink Time your email to reach the buyers a few days before they receive your brochure in the mail. Now you've got their attention, it's time to show them your stuff. Time your email to reach the buyers a few days before they receive your brochure in the mail. Use the same graphics or repeat the headline you used in the email; this will increase recognition. Refer to the email and repeat the offer. Now you can provide more detail and demonstrate your printing prowess. New Rules for the "E" Generation Using the most effective medium is essential to successful marketing. If the medium doesn't allow you to demonstrate your work, then use it to pull their attention toward the medium that does. If the medium doesn't allow you to demonstrate your work, then use it to pull their attention toward the medium that does. Rely on proven statistics. It is truer today than ever before that in a world cluttered with information, frequency is important. Keep the emails and postal mailers ongoing. Vary the message but maintain your company or "brand" identification. Next month we'll talk about converting all these new prospects to customers