A couple of weeks ago, we published comments from 7 printers about their experiences with social media and the piece triggered 19 comments. Before you say something like, "I don't need to consider social media," or "Social media is just for tech companies," think again.
While at OnDemand last week, I enjoyed a wonderful reasonably priced dinner in a small Buddhist vegetarian restaurant run by a very nice couple for whom English is certainly not their native language. Seating only about 25 people, it's not flashy or sophisticated.
Tucked inside the front cover of the menu, I discovered this message.
If a tiny, humble, family-run, "out of the mainstream" restaurant is venturing into social media; certainly there IS a place for printers!
Discussion
By Michael Turro on Apr 06, 2009
The printers saying they don't need to be thinking about how "social media" can help their business today are probably the same ones who were saying they didn't need to be thinking about how the world wide web could help their business ten years ago.
By shane on Apr 06, 2009
hi
I can see the applications of social media for all of businesses including restaurants. they havnt even woken up to the fact.
By Mike Toole on Apr 06, 2009
It is the natural progression of technology, 2 years ago the majority of people who text messaged were under 21. Last Week my 65 year old dad sent me a text message instead of calling me. Printers need to decide if they will be an "early adopter" or a "Laggard".
By Brian Regan on Apr 06, 2009
Two perspectives here.
1) For the printers merging into marketing type firms understanding Social Networking is a key piece of that. Then uncovering how print augments the social networking.
2) Printers using Social Networking to drive revenue. Aside from all the social networks themselves still trying to figure that out for themselves. I think it is an interesting obstacle. Social Networks connect people together and the sharing of information is faster then any Google search. Thus to leverage social networks you have to be apart of the various communities, be active, give value to the community and in return gain a favorable status with the network/community. Not sure if that equation changes over time, but it seems like the only way that can work now.
By Madelaine on Apr 06, 2009
Help! I just started looking in to such concepts and would love any type of feedback. We have a lot of exciting things happening in my company and it seems as though social media is our next step. I would like some article references, recommendations, or feedback in general how this is working for people.
Thanks
By Dr Joe Webb on Apr 06, 2009
Printers should be helping clients manage their social networking initiatives, web sites, e-mail campaigns, not just using them for their own businesses.
By Andy McCourt on Apr 06, 2009
If a publishing house can do a deal with Facebook, Myspace, Twitter etc to produce a like-branded printed magazine, it's a winner in my view. It's an opportunity for digital, targeted magazines leveraging off the brand successes of the social networks. Kids love magazines (mine do anyway) but they are at risk of a) creating too much distance between their readerships and new media and b) being too expensive. If there are any advertising sales people out there, how would you like to be saying:
"Hi, It's Kim from the new Facebook Magazine here, can we talk about being part of our fantastic launch to 500,000 targeted, opted-in members?"
I hope it happens.
By DJ on Apr 06, 2009
Printers should be looking at social media if only because of the potential to target customers with advertising. When you advertise on Facebook, you can target by age, gender, location, educational level, and even by hobbies/profession.
Powerful stuff.
By max on Apr 07, 2009
@Dr Joe Webb
You are kidding yourself, Doc.
By Michael J on Apr 07, 2009
The business model is already in place with the Lexus/Time inc/American Express "mine" magazine.
https://www.timecmg.com/mine/
If it works as expected, this is going to get to market at lot faster than slower.
By Marc Fors on Apr 07, 2009
We have found thst msny of our newest buyers/users of print at www.enthusem.com are coming from social media sites where we have developed a connection. We have an active twitter program that is promoting print through enthusem.com by using cotweet and other tools.
What we know today as web2print is simply not enough to compete in the years to come. For Printers to ignore social media today is akin to ignoring the advent of desktop publishing - this is not a trend, it is a sea-change, and print has a role to play.
By Mike Scaglione on Apr 07, 2009
Social media is a real game changer; the more I use it, the better I get at it. I'm on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. No pun here, but talk about casting a larger net!
Mike Scaglione
By Michael J on Apr 07, 2009
you have to break down what you mean by printers. Enthusem is a neat site, but has very little in common with a family owned commercial printer.
Different DNA. The DNA determines what you can do.
And you can only do what you can do. It's not a question of convincing or educating. Good money to be made manufacturing or physical retailing or web retailing or being a print VAR.
But to suggest that everyone use one approach is not very useful. It's like telling printers with a manufacturers DNA to become a market solutions provider. When they don't, the explanation is that they are "too stuck in their ways."
Any printer who is still in business is doing something very right. The trick is to focus on that and stop being taken in by the latest "silver bullet' du jour.
By Lorne Patterson on Apr 15, 2009
Anyone care to post some examples of how printers are using Social Networking tools?
By Elisa on Apr 15, 2009
@Madelaine
Great resources for getting started:
http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog
http://marketing.about.com/b/2009/03/09/social-media-marketing-put-it-to-work-for-you.htm
Hope this helps!
Elisa
Cedar Graphics
Twitter: @CedarGraphics
Blog: linktothetop.blogspot.com
By Gail Nickel-Kailing on Apr 15, 2009
Lorne,
On March 18, Print CEO published a piece called "Printers Get Sociable - Using Social Media Marketing" where 7 printers talk about how they are using Twitter, FaceBook and LinkedIn. Read it here: http://printceo.com/2009/03/printers-get-sociable
Gail
By Printing Services UK on Apr 18, 2009
Hi Lorne, we are a UK based Printing Service and we are using Social Media to connect with people via our Twitter page http://www.twitter.com/print_republic" rel="nofollow">Print Republic Twitter Page. We appreciate that social media is big business and can't be ignored, so we have started this new initiative as a way to interact and reach out to a wider audience.
By Claire Blackburn on Apr 21, 2009
You may be interested in checking out the agenda of the upcoming Spring Technology Conference in June, as "Social Networking" will be the subject of the keynote address: http://www.psda.org/events/STC/agenda.aspx.
The presentation will cover how social media is changing the way we do business, strategies for turning social networking into ROI, how to attract buyers, etc. The Spring Technology Conference is hosted by the Print Services & Distribution Association (PSDA) each year to educate professionals in the printing industry on new technologies and how to adopt them in order to increase their business.
By Lorne Patterson on Apr 22, 2009
Thank you to everyone for the tips.
Lorne
By Alan Roberts on Apr 22, 2009
While at the On-Demand show, I produced a daily blog, in fact I updated it throughout the day that I presented for our staff back at the office to follow in almost real-time as to what I was doing at the show. I am testing social marketing and in a short period of time, I have a number of business prospects following me on Twitter. While I will never match Ashton Kuchar,social networking does work. I sincerely believe that Social Networking and assisting a Client to "knit" all the processes together will only drive more print. While it takes some vision, and a willing participant(client)for the very first time, a printer can actually be involved in the process to be able to measure ROMI and be engaged in the entire lifecycle communication process beyond print. There are exciting times ahead of those that want embrace technology beyond clicks on paper.
By Larry on Apr 22, 2009
Yes, and most of us are still wondering how a website will help our printing businesses!
By Paul Seyler on Apr 27, 2009
Michael J,
The comment about being limited by your 'DNA' is quite interesting. The DNA analogy implies something at the most basic, cellular level, extremely difficult to change.
What constitutes DNA for a business? Is it capital investment? or past experience? Is it the limited skill-set of the existing people? Is it the owners' comfort with the current business model? It would be nice to hear your thoughts on this (as well as anyone else's).
By Michael J on Apr 27, 2009
@Paul,
I don't think you can change a companies DNA without changing management. That's what I think happened when Andersen got rolled up into Cenveo. But, since that's not likely in a family owned company, it means go to plan B. Create incentives and strategy to make it functional instead of dysfunctional. In other words...use what you got, to get what you need.
This is not the right place to get into a relatively long blablabla about how I think this plays out and resolves a couple of the paradoxes that have been making it much harder, rather than much easier.
If you're interested, you can take a look at one that I did this morning at my blog about "consultative sales," which I think is more a buzz word than a strategy because it ignores the basic DNA of any given company.
http://toughloveforxerox.blogspot.com/2009/04/resolving-consultative-sales-paradox.html
Discussion
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