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MAY 2016 PRO INSTALLER
PRO SUPPORT
www.proinstaller.co.uk
BOOST YOUR DIRECT
MAIL MARKETING
Direct mail marketing could be the way forward for your business, if your intention is to reach potential and existing
customers in a tangible, physical way that digital methods cannot achieve. There are four tips to remember:
WHERE TO START
Ensure that the print design of
your direct mailer is attention
grabbing, brand appropriate and
visually carries your marketing message. This can only be
realistically achieved by a professional graphic designer or online
print design templates. During
the concept stages of your direct
mail design test different colour
schemes taking into account the
psychology of colour. Ask colleagues, friends and customers for
feedback.
WHAT TO SEND
High quality printing should be
a priority, but a decision needs to
be made on what product you’re
going to send from folded leaflet
printing, personalised invitations, printed leaflets or brochure
printing. This will depend on your
budget and the content - is the
effect you are trying to achieve
more suited to a creative or professional look? The use of good
quality paper if it’s a letterhead, or
alternatives to card (such as PVC)
for loyalty cards. If you want to
get creative ask for recommendations.
CHOOSE YOUR PRINTER
CAREFULLY
This is probably the most important decision you will make in the
process of setting up a direct mail
campaign. Make sure you acquire
a sample pack from a number of
printers before deciding which
on e best suits your needs. Do your
research because like with any
other industry the quality ranges
quite drastically. Budget will obviously come into the reckoning, but
have some flexibility.
ers’ existence, and in order to get
a realistic outlook on what you
can hope to achieve from a direct
mail campaign, you should set up
a test distribution: How to Test
Your Direct Mail Campaign. If the
feedback you get from a sample
of say 1,000 is negligible, then you
need to ask serious questions as
to the effectiveness of your print
and direct mail campaign.
DON’T OVERLOOK THE COPY
The power of your message
can swim or sink on the strength
of the copy it is carried by. Not
everybody is a born writer, and
for this reason it might be wise
to consider the recruitment of a
professional copywriter. There are
plenty of freelancers available that
can write a small section of copy
for an affordable price.
TEST THE WATERS
Return on investment is often the
bane of many marketing manag-
Visit PrintUK.com
or call 0845 2993 923
800,000 FAMILY FIRMS
IN CONSTRUCTION
Family firms across the UK are
setting their sights on expansion
following another hugely successful
year for the sector.
New research by Oxford Economics for
the Institute for Family Business (IFB) Research Foundation reveals the vast contribution family firms make to the UK economy
– employing over 11.9 million people and
making up 87% of all private sector firms in
the UK.
There are now more than 800,000 family
firms in the construction sector, making up
almost one in five of all businesses in the
industry. Family businesses also account
for 94% of all private sector firms in the
construction sector - one of the highest
concentrations in the UK.
Since 2013 family businesses have increased employment by 6% and turnover
has also seen a strong rise, increasing by
2% to reach £1.3 trillion. In addition, family
firms paid £125 billion in taxes and contributed over a quarter (26%) of the UK’s entire
GDP.
Speaking about the new findings, Peter
Armitage, Chairman of the IFB, said: “The
report sheds light on the sheer size and
scale of the family business community. It’s
an important reminder of how vital family-run firms are to the UK – serving as the
backbone of our economy, with family firms
making a phenomenal contribution across
all sectors, industries and regions.
“Family businesses have always been at
the very heart of the UK economy and
based on the steady rise in their recruitment and turnover, it is clear they are here
to stay. It’s encouraging to see family firms
with such a buoyant attitude towards their
future expansion - almost half of family
SMEs expect to grow over the next two to
three years.”
Growth and expansion is a top priority
for many SME family firms with just under
half (49%) stating they aim to grow over the
next twelve months.
Looking to how they will turn this ambition into reality just under a half of firms
(43%) say they will invest in improving the
skills of their workforce to support growth,
with a third (33%) planning to boost productivity through investing in new machinery and premises.
Looking beyond their traditional activities
to diversify their business and customer
base, 42% of family firms are planning to
move into new markets and 37% are developing and launching new products and
services.
www.ifb.org.uk