OFFLINE TOOLS FOR PROMOTION AND MARKETING (Business cards, flyers, etc)
BEWARE OF SCAMS! THE NEED FOR REALISTIC AND TRUTHFUL EVALUATIONS:
Let's precisely take business cards as an example of what we mean by this.
You may think: "What? No free business cards???" But anyone can print their own free cards using free templates! And everyone knows that you can also get free business cards printed for you for free too, just paying for shipping!"
Free? Yes, really? Think it over...
Yes, you can print your own, and that could be a good idea for very short runs of 10 or 20 pieces, assuming you know how to use the templates, and that the result doesn't look like you asked a helping hand from your 7 years old. And further assuming that your printer works fine for this type of work, and that your time is worthless to you (or that you love playing with software, and that it just happens that creating and printing the cards is simply needed recreation and fun for you). Otherwise, please consider the following points:
1/ Your ink is not for free. Far from it. To the contrary, computer printing is a monopolistic, HUGELY profitable industry, and ink is EXTREMELY expensive to you. A professional printer will pay 10, 20 or 50 times less than you do for ink. Or even less! Let's say it's just 20 times less, and he charges twice his cost to you -- when it comes to ink, he is now 10 TIMES CHEAPER THAN YOU CAN BE!
2/ The pre-cut card sheets are also going to cost you about 20 cents a sheet of 10, or more. That's already 2 cents a card, even without accounting for the ink. That, when the most gorgeous full-color, glossy double-sided photo-like business cards will cost you less than 2 cents, in quantity. And less than 2 cents NET of delivery and any hidden costs (such as in wasted time), and that, delivered straight to your door.
3/ If it takes you just one hour to make your cards (meaning, you already had lots of experience, or are quite gifted naturally), and you happen to make minimum wages, you just paid your cards $7 or so, divided by the quantity produced. Not so 'free' anymore... And if you happen to be a lawyer, congratulations, you just produced the Rolls-Roice of all business cards. Too bad they look like the guy who made them is making minimum wages, and perhaps was laid-off last month anyway.
4/ Most probably, your printer uses water-based inks -- a little bit of moisture, one drop of liquid, and that precious work of art will look really, really awful. Assuming one can still read it. It could be said that you just got what you paid for... but not so, in truth. Because in fact, you paid far more for what you got than what you'd have paid getting a much nicer-looking card from a professional, as long as you buy them under optimal conditions (but that's exactly what this site is about).
Now, let's talk about these 250 "free" business cards, where all you have to pay is shipping and handling. Well, if you want to know the truth:
1/ "Shipping and handling" pays for printing AND shipping and handling, PLUS a reasonable profit. And even if there was no profit at all (not the case), it would still be a great deal (for the seller, not for you!), because:
2a/ You just added your name to a vast database of customers mostly not bright enough to realize that there is no such thing as a "free" business card. Thus, highly-qualified prospects to sell all sorts of junk to.
2b/ Even better, you just paid for free advertising for your seller, whom you are going to promote to everyone you are going to give 'your' 'free' card to (free indeed they are, just not for you!)
Because, yes, the front of the card is about you... but just look at the back -- lo and behold, a business card of sorts for your seller... Don't want that? No problem! But, of course, the cards are no more 'free', then. Well, they never were, except in the mind of the 'average consumer'.
Of course, if you are reading this website, such tricks probably never fooled you, but they fool many, over and over... At any rate, nice trick, and great business model. One you could think about enulating for your own offerings. But not necessarily one you want to fall for yourself.
This was an example of what we mean with
REALISTIC EVALUATIONS: WE TELL YOU THE TRUTH!
[More Coming]
ALWAYS REMEMBER - A WORD TO THE WISE
ADnPR Sacred RULE Nr 1 : Advertising, promotional or marketing expenses are usually meant to bring in more than they cost to implement.
This rule should also to some extent be valid for Public Relations expenses.
So, unless you are doing missionary work on the Congregation's penny; or are spending govern-ment grant money as fast as you can; or have a large trust fund - money truly being no object...
never, NEVER spend your money on anything (and particularly NOT on methods that promise you instant wealth!), UNLESS you feel reasonably certain that the product or service will
PAY FOR ITSELF IN A REASONABLY SHORT TIMESPAN!
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