At BOGO Printing we provide various different solutions for promoting one’s business from business cards to direct mail postcards, full color brochures to double sided door hangers, and everything in between. How are you planning to market your business to hit your Q4 goals? Statistics show that printed materials create a lasting impression.

If you’re looking to kick start your business and enhance your message, use our creative templates to create beautiful marketing materials.

Remember the old adage “it’s too good to be true.” If you’re looking for “FREE” then BOGO Printing is not the right online print shop for you, but if you’re looking for high quality printed products on a budget then you’re at the right place. Our team prides itself on working with quality materials, FSC certified papers, and providing marketing solutions that create a positive first impression. To us, that’s work a little more than $0.00 ($30.00+ after hidden fees).

Help us spread the word regarding unscrupulous printers by sharing this link with your friends. We want the world to know that printing shouldn’t be FREE, but if it is shouldn’t it actually be free? Come on now people, spread the word.

Killer Startups did a review of BOGO Printing’s online store. We need you to spread the word, share the link, vote for us today!!! Our team is so excited for the review and truly appreciate your assistance in maximizing our voting potential.

Today is May 20th, and that means another LOCO BOGO promo during BOGO de MAYO. After that review by KillerStarups.com our team is feeling like Crazy Eddie from the 80′s. We’re GOING INSANE! Find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to receive today’s LOCO BOGO special.

Thanks again for sharing!!!

Here is a video about some things you can recycle from your garage. I learned a thing or two watching this video and researching the topic. You can learn more too.

Excerpt from Interstate Batteries press release.

Below are some important facts about battery recycling:

• Batteries, if not properly recycled, can deposit lead, acid and mercury in lakes, streams and landfills. To prevent that, Interstate Batteries accepts all battery brands for recycling at no cost.
• Lead from batteries is recycled to make lead plates used in automotive batteries. Additionally, the recycled plastic is used as new plastic covers and cases of batteries.
• During the recycling process, battery acid is neutralized, treated and discharged to create water used in the public water system.
• Never dispose of batteries by burning them – they might explode. Recycling is the safer option.
• Today’s rechargeable batteries can offer up to 1,000 times more power than non-recyclable batteries, making them an eco-friendly alternative.

We should all be looking for ways to recycle materials around our homes, our workplaces, and around town.
 

For example, let’s compare a print quote for business cards. You can print business cards in many, many different ways. Here are some of things you need to look at in the pricing to ensure you are comparing things correctly.

1. Paper Weight: What materials are they using? We use 12pt coated board. This is a thicker material that provides a nice paperweight. Thinner materials are cheaper. Some shops print on a standard 80# (80 lb) cover. This is MUCH thinner. Maybe it’s all you need but remember it’s thinner, therefore costs less – in this scenario.
2. Colors: Are they printing 4/0, 4/4, spot PMS colors, etc. 4/0 is a full color or four color card printed on one side. 4/4 is a double sided card printed on both sides. It costs a little more to print the second side.
3. Trimming/Finishing: Is the card square cut, rounded corners, etc. Custom die-cut finishing costs more but adds a lot to the look and feel.

There are so many more elements to think about when printing but for business cards, these are pretty standard comparison items to ensure you are looking at two evenly matched items. In that case, they should be similar in cost.

We’re working to provide you with insight into the world of printing. Next on our list of items to outline and dissect are full color brochures. Keep a look out for our next post or subscribe to our RSS feed.

Here is their description from their website.

What is Date My Ride?

 

Date My Ride is a free, fun and exciting new online dating website. “Did your dream date just pass you on the highway?” – our motto summarizes it all!

 

For many of us the first date starts when you leave the house and walk down to the car waiting at the curb. Dozens of thoughts flash through your mind in those few seconds while you’re walking towards that car: “Wow, nice ride! He was cute in the picture, but the car……OMG?! Is that a Pinto? Didn’t they stop making those 100 years ago?!”

 

Date My Ride is a perfect solution when choosing a date based on the car she or he drives. After all, some of us still judge a book by its cover. In the dating world your car can kill or seal the deal. There are thousands of dating websites today promising you sophisticated computer generated match making, dream weddings, speed dates, etc. Date My Ride is unique and different because of its simple concept. The idea is to pick your date based on a car. What if you want to meet a big shot? Look for Bentley, Ferrari, Hummer, BMW, Mercedes, etc. What if you are in to “being green” – look for Toyota Prius and other hybrid vehicles. Or what if you love pickup trucks and want to meet somebody who likes them as well?

 

It’s up to your imagination on how you search for that someone special. Just remember, Date My Ride is a free and fun way of meeting your ride mate. So don’t hesitate and join us on this exciting joy ride now!

 

Date My Ride

 

E-mail: contact@datemyride.com

Let’s first outline what makes a good direct mail postcard campaign.

1.    Create a simple message. People are busy, keep it simple, and motivate them to buy your product or service.

2.    Bold headlines. Create a passion statement or identify a passion point so they’ll reach out and contact you. You only have seconds to make a great impression.

3.    Diagnose their pain, address their needs. Identify what they need, ask probing questions, make them think about things and sell themselves on why they need you.

4.    Generate a call to action. What’s in it for them? Make them want to pick up the phone and call you for your product or service.

5.    Colors and printing. Full color – not overdone color – is a big motivator. Colors incite people to action. There are many schools of thought on color theory and you may dismiss this issue but full color outsells black and white.

Now that we’ve outline what needs to be integrated into the postcard design – and we have free online templates so you can design your own postcard – lets now focus on ROI. After all, shouldn’t you have a return on your investment? What’s your expectation? Are they fair and accurate?

The average response for a direct mail postcard campaign is 1%-2%. Let’s do the math using the lower return rate, after all conservative is better, and we want to manage your expectations. So if you were to print and mail 5,000 postcards, here are some rough numbers to consider. While we can’t guarantee results, these are industry averages. And remember, engaging designs, promotional offerings and calls to action generate better responses.

Cost for 5,000 4”x6”double-sided direct mail postcards

Printing cost: $400
Mail processing: $30/M = $150
Postage: $.25/each = $1,250
Total Investment = $1800, unit cost including postage = $0.36 each

5,000 postcards mailed x 1% response rate = 50 responses

50 responses for $1,800 = $36 / response

While initial response percentages are nice to evaluate, the real important numbers to consider are how much does each response represent in potential lifetime business. What does that response really mean to you? Remember it costs more to secure new customers than to retain existing customers. How does that compare to the total cost of the campaign?

The processes you have in place to communicate with the incoming client opportunity will determine what percentage of responses are closed sales. Do you close 10% of your sales opportunities? 20%? Do you keep your customers for months or years, single transaction or multiple ongoing transactions? These questions all factor into the ROI mix.

The real ROI for a direct mail postcard campaign should be measured in the closed sales throughout the client life cycle. Would you have had that client without the campaign? Probably not.

Stand Out From the Crowd! - BOGO Printing

On November 2, 2010 we posted an article about the importance of your business cards and how they can make you stand out from a crowd. At that time BOGO Printing didn’t have the online design template library that we do now. Although we wholeheartedly believe that professionally designed business cards are a better long-term branding catalyst, we understand not everyone has a budget to hire a designer. That’s why we’ve added the “design your own business card” capabilities.

To quote our article from November.

Ask yourself…

What does your business card say about you?
Does it help differentiate you?
Does it stand out from the crowd?
Would the person remember you from your card?

Business cards are a factor of three things. 1. Design. 2. Print Quality. 3. Exposure.

If you’re in a start-up situation or looking to spruce up your current business cards you can pick from our business card design templates and order some today. These business cards will be printed on quality materials and provide a truly professional image. We can help with #1 and #2 but you’re going to have to network, meet people and hand out your business cards to generate exposure.

Sorry, we can’t do everything for you! We’re just a great print shop.

Too much magenta makes blue look too purple. Now if you want blue you shouldn’t get purple right?

We take for granted that just because we are printers and understand what it means to print full color or the CMYK process that everyone knows how printing is done. Obviously that is a crazy assumption. Why would someone know this if they didn’t print with regularity or hadn’t seen a printing press in action. So today we’re here to explain a little bit about “Full Color”, 4-color process or CMYK process.

The four color process to make full color is a blend of four ink colors. Those colors are Cyan (C) + Magenta (M) + Yellow (Y) + Black (K) for CMYK process. Cyan is blue, magenta is pink/red, and yellow and black are, well, yellow and black. ;-D

Our mission at BOGO Printing is to simplify the design and ordering process so that our customers have a positive experience and can focus on their businesses. After all, if you wanted to be a designer or printer wouldn’t you be doing that for a living? That’s why we do what we do. Because we love design, printing and the impact that well designed and printed business cards, postcards or brochures can have on marketing.

Check out our complete line of design templates. They’re easy as 1.2.3.