Personalized Stamps Help Teachers Make Their Mark

Posted on August 7, 2019 Written by Leave a Comment

Imagine writing the same check mark or star twenty times on a page, then turning that page and needing to do it again. If you know any teachers, you know that this isn’t pure imagination—it’s a reality for many educators while they grade assignments. Then multiply the experience by the number of students in the class and by the number of classes that a teacher has to teach throughout the day.

With so many stars or check marks to draw, it’s easy to see why a stamp could be an ideal gift for many teachers.

Whether your customer is a school official looking to thank teachers for their hard work, a nonprofit looking for a way to liven up classrooms, or someone hoping to create a striking teacher gift, stamps are a great choice.

1. Saves Time for Busy Teachers
This is the biggest reason why teachers might want to have some stamps on hand in their classroom. Just like signature stamps, a classroom stamp can help them save time marking assignments and give them back more time in their day. And, as we mentioned before, teachers can grade many assignments every day, so that time savings can really add up throughout the year.

2. Personalization Potential
Every classroom is different, and a stamp is a fun way to personalize the grading process. Rather than using just a smiley face, a message of “Great Job!” or “100%”, your customer can choose to add the teacher’s name to the message for an extra, personal touch. Think of it like a signature stamp with a grading twist!

The design isn’t the only option for personalizing a stamp, however. The type of stamp can also be a great chance for personalization. If the recipient likes color, consider a traditional rubber stamp that can be used with a wide variety of different colored stamp pads. If they value neatness, a pre-inked or self-inking stamp can help them keep their desk neat while still enjoying the benefits of a stamp.

3. Have Fun!
One of the biggest reasons that teachers use stamps in the classroom is that they can be just plain fun! Charming designs, a bit of color, and a little creativity make stamps an enjoyable desktop addition that teachers won’t just use because they are practical—they’ll use because they make them smile.

Do your customers order stamps for gifts? Which stamps are their favorites? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, Marketing, News, Print Products

What Your Customers Say—And What it Really Means

Posted on August 2, 2019 Written by Leave a Comment

When you talk to your customers, sometimes you need to decode what they’re asking for. Whether it’s a technical term that they aren’t familiar with or navigating their desire to be polite, talking to your customers can be like a lot like translating. Here are a few of the things you might hear your customers say—and what they really mean.

(And, remember, we love our customers, and we know you appreciate your customers, too. This is only for fun.)

1. What Customers Say: “I definitely need [product].”
What Customers Mean: “I’m pretty sure I need this product because I’ve used it in a similar situation before and I’m not ready to change.”

2. What Customers Say: “I want people to know that this is our brand.”
What Customers Mean: “Make the logo big.”

3. What Customers Say: “Could you make that logo a little bigger?”
What Customers Mean: “Could you make that logo a lot bigger?”

4. What Customers Say: “It’s a shame that you have to work on holidays/weekends.”
What Customers Mean: “This is probably a pain for you, but I’m really glad that you’re open because it’s the only day that I have to place this order.

5. What Customers Say: “Can you make it pop?”
What Customers Mean: “Make it shiny and colorful. Maybe add more detail. No, more colorful.”

6. What Customers Say: “I’m on a tight budget.”
What Customers Mean: “My wish list is much bigger than my budget. I’m probably going to look at your pricing quote and ask if you can adjust the pricing a bit.”

7. What Customers Say: “I like it, but…”
What Customers Mean: “I don’t actually like it at all, but I’m trying to be polite.”
What Customers Might Also Mean: “I’m realizing now that the more expensive thing you showed me before would have made me happier.”

8. What Customers Say: “I don’t have a budget in mind!”
What Customers Mean: “I’ve definitely got a budget in mind, but I haven’t put a number on it just yet.”

9. What Customers Say: “I’ll know what I want when I see it.”
What Customers Mean: “I don’t know what I want, and chances are I’ll want to see every sample you have before I know what I want.”

10. What Customers Say: “What’s the turn time on that?”
What Customers Mean: “I should have placed this order a few weeks ago, but time got away from me and now I need to get it fast.”

11. What Customers Say: “Let’s change it back to how it was before.”
What Customers Mean: “I know I had a lot of requests, but I’m starting to realize that they didn’t get this to look like I wanted it to and it’s easier not to change.”

Have you heard these customer comments? Are there others that you’ve had to decode? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, Marketing, Misc, News

Coming Soon to Navitor.com: Glitter Stock!

Posted on August 1, 2019 Written by Leave a Comment

Are your customers ready to try something new? Have they been looking for an eyecatching stock that will get them noticed? Do they want to add a touch of luxury to their print order?

Have we got news for you!

Coming soon to Navitor.com is Crystal White Glitter Color Core stock. This new addition pairs the heavyweight thickness and unexpected pop of color that comes from color core stock with the sparkle of a glittered surface! Here’s what you need to know about this new option for announcements, business cards, and postcards.

Get to Know the Sparkle: Crystal White Glitter
The crystal white finish of our glitter stock is more than just sparkly. It has a subtle, iridescent look that adds depth and visual interest to the glitter finish. And we are pleased to note that the glitter stays put on the stock’s surface—this means that it won’t lose its sparkle before it’s been handed to the customer.

The glitter also adds a textured surface to any business card, announcement, or postcard that uses glitter stock, adding an extra touch of tactile appeal. This means that when a design features heavy ink coverage and the glitter itself is covered by that ink, there is an appealing textured surface on those areas.

We are debuting Crystal White Glitter as a color core stock, so not only will your customer’s print order include a striking touch of sparkle but it will also feature their choice of five colored cores. And because of the colored core, Crystal White Glitter Color Core stock will weigh in at an impressive 45pt. thickness that is sure to stand out from the crowd.

Truly New!
We understand that your customers want to stand out, and that’s why we’ve brought glitter stock into our offering! It’s truly new to the personalized print market and will make your customer’s business card, announcement, or postcard stand out even more because of that.

Want to know more? Before this new stock goes live on Navitor.com, you can click here to download a free PDF flyer for more information. Be sure to update your email subscriptions, too, so that you won’t miss out on the email when this new stock is available for purchase.

Are you excited about our new Crystal White Glitter Color Core stock? Do you have customers who have been looking for that bit of extra sparkle? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Business Cards, Education, News, Print Products, Resources, Stationery

Back to School? 5 Tips for Improving Your Business Knowledge

Posted on July 31, 2019 Written by Leave a Comment

back to school typography image on graph paper for a post on business knowledgeThe summer is nearly over, and soon students will be going back to school.

How long has it been since you were in a classroom?

You might be too old for school, but you’re never too old to learn something new! Whether you want to learn something specific or simply explore a new topic, improving your business knowledge is within your grasp. Here are five simple tips for improving your business knowledge.

Make a List of What You Want to Learn
Start with what you want to learn. Do you want to get better at running the books for your business? Do you want to explore new marketing strategies? Do you want to get better at your customer service skills? No matter what you want to learn, take some time to think about the details and make a list. Not only will this help you narrow your focus to the things you want to learn specifically but it also gives you the chance to look at your existing skills in a new way.

Make A Little Time Every Day
Take a look at your schedule—is there a small break during your day that could be used for learning? Whether it’s reading a book chapter over your coffee break or reading new blog articles after dinner, learning a little bit every day is easier than trying to learn it all in one go. And, when you make a little time every day, you can start building good habits that make it easier day by day to carve out that time.

Use Your Rest Time as Learning Time
If you’re having trouble making time to learn, consider the times when your ears are open! If you’re taking a road trip, consider listening to an audiobook or stocking your smartphone with podcasts so you can learn even while you’re driving. Are you taking a trip? Tuck a book on your bag for the plane.

Attend Professional Events
Local companies, business associations, and professional groups might be hosting seminars, forums, or workshops—be sure that you keep up with the events in your area! These events could give you great new insights into marketing strategies or business ideas, and that fresh perspective can be a great learning opportunity.

Take Professional Development Courses
Sometimes, learning might involve actually going back to school! Professional development courses can help you expand your professional skill set, learn something new, or even earn academic credit to put towards a degree. If you’re looking for something particularly affordable and flexible, online training courses are a great option. Traditional universities and training institutions could also be great resources for class availability.

No matter what class you take, be sure to do your homework. Take a look at the instructor’s biography, read reviews, check the syllabus, and do that bit of extra research before making the commitment to the class.

What are your favorite ways to learn something new for your business? We’d love to see your tips in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, Marketing, News

Doing More With Less: Creating Great Minimalist Design

Posted on July 26, 2019 Written by Leave a Comment

do more with less minimalism for personalized print typographyMinimalism has been on trend for some time, and if your customers come to you to ask for your design advice you want to create something eye catching. If what they’re looking for is minimalism, you need to ensure that your design does more with less. Here are our tips for achieving great minimalist design.

Highlight What’s Most Important
Minimalist design relies on choosing only the most important details and leaving the rest behind. If you’re creating a design for your customers, be sure that they pick the information that’s essential. For event invitations, that’s the information necessary for RSVPing and attending. For a business card, that’s your customer’s essential contact information. Use those details as the foundation of the design.

And stick to what’s most important in terms of color, too! Focus on your customer’s brand colors or the colors for their event to ensure that their minimalist design contributes to a cohesive overall look.

If you’re looking for some design inspiration, check out this post from 1st Web Designer to look at some eyecatching minimalist business cards.

Embrace the Unexpected Detail
Sometimes, an unexpected detail is what you need to make minimalism really work for your customer’s print order. A touch of spot gloss or raised print can add unexpected texture. A heavyweight stock can catch attention immediately. A pop of bright, branded color in an otherwise muted business card will stand out all the more because of the minimalist design.

Choose Just the Right Stock
Because minimalist design is focused on only the most important details, your customer’s stock choice is even more important. Minimal designs let the space around the text do much of the talking—and that can make an impact that’s anything but minimal! Minimalist designs allow the texture of the stock to take center stage, whether the stock is smooth and sleek or features a subtle texture with handmade appeal.

Stock can also be the source of those unexpected details I mentioned before. A subtle shimmer from a pearlized stock adds a luminous touch. An extra thick stock has a surprising heft when held. And for an additional pop of color, consider color core stock.

Consider The Print Process
Minimalist design is also a chance for your customers to use print processes that add an extra touch of professionalism to their design. Full color print is a great option for many customers, but when your customers are interested in minimalist design they should consider the many other options available to them.

Thermography is a great place to start. Whether paired with full color print or spot color, thermography adds depth and texture to your customer’s design. That texture can add a lot of interest to their print piece.

Speaking of depth, for a truly extraordinary finishing touch, consider enhanced finishes. Spot gloss and raised spot gloss can be used to enhance your customer’s minimalist design or on their own for a subtle, shiny look. Raised foil creates a classic metallic look with style.

Do your customers love the look of minimalism? What details are their favorites? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Business Cards, Design, Education, Folders, Labels, News, Print Products, Promotional Products, Stationery

How to Identify Your Target Market in 6 Easy Steps

Posted on July 25, 2019 Written by Leave a Comment

One of the many ways to guide your marketing strategy is to focus on a specific market, but finding that niche can be a challenge. Whether you’re looking to focus on reaching out to a new market to guide your marketing strategy or you’re hoping to focus primarily on one market long-term, identifying your target market can help your business focus. Here are six easy steps to help you reach out to those niche markets.

Step 1: Look at Your Current Customers
This is the simplest way to identify your target market, so it’s the best first step! Take a look at your current customers. Do you see a pattern? Are one or two types of business coming to you time and again? Then you have a ready-made niche!

Step 2: Look At Your Skills
Not seeing a specific pattern in your current customers? That’s all right! Instead of looking out to your customers, take a look at what you do best and work from there. Do you have a killer sales pitch for business cards? That will serve you well in a business setting. Are you great at finding solutions for events? Event planners or hospitality businesses would benefit from that skill. Play to your strengths.

Step 3: Research Your Competition
Take a moment to check out that competition. Are there other businesses who are also targeting the market you’ve identified? Is there something you can do to stand out from them? Is there something of value that your business offers—a wide product selection, for example—that you can highlight?

Step 4: Gather Your Tools
You’ve identified your market and done your research—now it’s time to get your tools together so you can reach out to those customers. Start by tailoring your elevator pitch according to what you can do for that market, listing your relevant skills and experience and cutting details as needed. After that, identify what you need to do to create your marketing.

You might be surprised what tools you already have, too! If you have samples of previous orders for the market you’re targeting, that’s a great place to start. You also may have access to relevant vertical market flyers or even sample kits from Navitor.

Step 5: Get to Work!
You’ve got your target market. You’ve got the tools you need to speak to them. You’ve tailored your elevator pitch to this target market. It’s time to get to work! Reach out to your existing customers and consider new potential customers. Research trade shows or networking events where you could make new connections.

Step 6: Consider Where You Go From Here
It might seem like you could stop at step five, but it’s important for you to look to the future when you are targeting a specific market. Do you want to continue to focus on this market as you build experience? Are there other, similar markets that you could also target with relatively little effort—for example, if you’re focusing on schools, are there education foundations or colleges you could also market to? This will help make it easier to market in the future!

Do you work with a niche market? What advice do you have for businesses looking to focus on a particular market? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, Marketing, News

Good, Better, Best: Forms and Personalization

Posted on July 19, 2019 Written by Leave a Comment

A personalized form offers your customers a variety of benefits: brand recognition, tailor-made information, the ideal size, and more. However, your customer’s form choice has a big impact on their opportunity to personalize their forms, and some forms offer more personalization potential than others. If your customer is looking for the opportunity to create something perfect for their business, this is your guide to the options they can explore!

Good: Personalized Formatted Forms
When your customer wants just a bit of personalization, formatted forms are ready-made for a variety of different uses. Register forms, receipts, purchase order forms, and sales order forms are all flexible options that many customers can use. Repair and road service forms are more specialized.

And, while we say this option is good, it might be the best option for your customer—it depends on what precisely they need. Formatted forms allow your customers to include text to personalize their forms with information like their company name, address, and phone number. When your customer wants a simple form that simplifies the design process, these could be the forms for them.

Better: 1-Color Custom Forms
If your customer is looking for more control over the content of their forms, 1-color custom forms are a great option. These forms are printed in black ink and offer your customer the ability to design their form from scratch, so unlike formatted forms your customer can choose which information to include and which information isn’t relevant. They can choose the size of form that works best and the number of parts they want on each form.

Custom forms are also available in a wide variety of quantities. For your smaller customers, quantities as low as 250 are available. For larger customers, quantities of 2500 are available in our standard offering, and you can contact us for quotes on larger orders.

But there’s one type of form that offers even more personalization potential…

Best: Full Color Custom Forms
Custom full color forms offer your customers the peak of personalization potential. Not only do these forms offer them the opportunity to design their form from the ground up, they also allow for a wider variety of colors and imagery. Full color gives your customers the chance to personalize their forms with their brand colors, full color logos, or images of their products. They can use this versatility to boost their brand, highlight new products, and more.

Which forms are your customers favorites? Do they love the ease of a formatted form, or do they prefer custom forms? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, News, Print Products, Resources, Stationery

Spectacular Spot Gloss: What You Need to Know About Designing for this Enhanced Finish

Posted on July 18, 2019 Written by Leave a Comment

Whether flat or raised, spot gloss is a finish on the rise, and for good reason! This Enhanced Finish is becoming a popular option for a variety of print pieces, and it can be an excellent addition to your customer’s business card, announcement, or postcard. However, the real strength of spot gloss and raised spot gloss are in the design. Here’s what you need to know about creating spectacular spot gloss.

Having Your Formatting Right is the Foundation of Great Design
Great design starts with great execution. That means having your fonts correctly sized, using the right file and color formats—and, for spot gloss and raised spot gloss, taking a look at our instructions for file creation. Having these basic guidelines in mind will help ensure that your design choices are executed perfectly, making your whole design more impressive. Click here to download our design guidelines, or take a look at our youtube video if you’re more of a visual learner.

And don’t forget about the option to bring spot gloss to new heights. Raised spot gloss can be used in a similar way to spot gloss, but with extra depth added to the shiny accent. It’s a slightly different look—and an interesting, tactile texture—that your customer should consider for their print pieces.

Do You Want Your Spot Gloss to Stand Alone or Make Details Stand Out?
Gloss is a particularly versatile finish because of the sheer number of ways that it can be used—emphasis on “sheer”! Because spot gloss and raised spot gloss are transparent, they can be used to create a wide variety of different looks.

Spot gloss can be used on its own or over a flood coat to create a subtle design element. This option will appeal to customers seeking a minimalist look for their business cards, but it can also create stylish patterns, interesting borders, or subtle text.

When paired with a full color design, on the other hand, spot gloss and raised spot gloss can highlight different bits of the design. Be strategic about the design. Spot gloss can be used as a glossy accent on the most important word of a message or to add a luminous quality to elements of an image like the stars in a night sky or the fire in a fireplace.

What Does Your Customer Want to Emphasize?
Whether it’s your customer’s brand colors, their logo, or a particular part of their marketing message, spot gloss can be an unexpected detail that helps emphasize what’s essential. An unexpected touch of spot gloss in the shape of their logo can be a memorable way to change things up. Using spot gloss or raised spot gloss over the most important part of their message on a postcard can ensure that message is noticed.

Would Coated Stock Be a Better Choice?
If your customers are excited about spot gloss, we understand the temptation to use it everywhere, but it really works better as an unexpected accent. If your customer wants a lot of shine for their piece, they might be better off using a glossy coated stock and leaving spot gloss for a special occasion.

Have your customers ordered spot gloss or raised spot gloss? How have they made sure that their design is extraordinary? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Business Cards, Design, Education, News, Print Products, Promotional Products, Resources

5 Direct Mail Statistics Your Customers Should Know

Posted on July 17, 2019 Written by Leave a Comment

a personalized printed direct mail envelope in a mailbox surrounded with icons representing statisticsWith every year, your customer has more and more options for their marketing campaigns. Email, print ads, television ads, digital ads, and direct mail all compete for their time and budgets. However, direct mail is an essential tool for their marketing campaigns, and the statistics prove it. Here are five direct mail statistics that your customers should know!

1. 90% of Millennials Think Direct Mail Advertising is Reliable
Millennials might be a digital generation, but they definitely value the information they receive in the mail! Not only do 90% of them think that direct mail advertising is reliable, more than half of consumers in this age group have made purchases based on direct mail offers. 50% of millennials surveyed also ignore digital ads, compared to only 15% of millennials saying they ignore direct mail. You can learn more about how this age group responds to print in this whitepaper from the US Postal Service.

2. Adding a Person’s Name and Full Color in Direct Mail Can Increase Response By 135%
According to Canon Solutions America, personalization and color can make a huge impact on the effectiveness of a campaign. And no wonder—we all love the feeling of receiving a personalized piece, and full color print can help your customer’s postcard catch consumer attention among plain white envelopes.

3. Direct Mail With Digital Ads Yield 28% Higher Conversion Rate
Direct mail pieces don’t have to work on their own—in fact, according to NonProfit PRO, when your customer pairs their digital ads with direct mail, both are more effective! This makes direct mail and digital ads a great team, and it also makes a direct mail piece an important way to boost the effectiveness of your customer’s digital ad.

4. 18.4% of Former Customers Respond to Direct Mail
If your customers are looking for a way to bring back customers who haven’t done business with them in some time, direct mail is a great way to get them to respond. According to the US Postal Service, direct mail will bring nearly 1/5 of former customers back to give your customer’s business another look.

5. Oversized Envelopes Attract 6.6% of Household Responses
According to the DMA, oversized envelopes have the greatest household response rates over other mediums. Their impressive 6.6% of household responses is followed by postcards at 5.7% and letter-sized envelopes at 4.3%.

Are your customers ready to start building their direct mail campaign? We’re here to help. With a wide variety of postcards available and more arriving soon, your customer can create an extraordinary direct mail piece that is sure to gain attention in the mailbox. Click here to explore the selection of postcards available online, or check out our catalog for more information.

Were any of these statistics a surprise to you? Do you think there are any statistics that we missed? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, Marketing, News, Print Products, Stationery

Have You Met These Voicemail Characters?

Posted on July 12, 2019 Written by 3 Comments

people who might be on the voicemail for your personalized print business, image of two smart phones and the characters on themYou’ve missed a call. Maybe you stepped out of the office for a moment, or maybe you were out of town for a few days. You might have even received a call over the weekend when your business wasn’t open. Whatever the reason, you’ve got a voicemail, and one of these characters might be waiting for you! Have you met these characters on your voicemail?

The Lost Information
This person may be nervous, or they simply might be forgetful. Either way, you’re missing some important information on their call. The Lost Information often forgets the information you need to get back to them: their full name, their phone number, their order number, and even the question they called to ask in the first place! While caller ID can help, chances are you’ll need to return their call—or even do some research and guesswork to figure out whether they’re an existing customer—before you can actually help them with their request.

And you might have also met The Lost Information’s twin…

The Double-Caller
Unlike The Lost Information, you don’t have to track down the information this caller forgot—that’s what their second message is for! The Double-Caller can be very helpful because they fill in the additional information you missed in the first message. However, it’s a good idea to take notes while listening to their messages because the important details might be split between the two messages.

The Mumbler
You’re going to need to listen to this message a few times! The Mumbler doesn’t speak quite loud enough into their phone, but without a person on the other end of the line they didn’t have a chance to adjust their volume while leaving their message. As a result, you might have to listen again to catch what they are saying.

The Speedy Speaker
Like the mumbler, you’re going to need to listen to this message more than once to make sure you’ve caught anything. When you’re dealing with a Speedy Speaker, they might be perfectly clear, but they speak so quickly that you may only catch part of the important information when you listen the first time. The Speedy Speaker might also surprise you by leaving a message at normal speed but rattling off their contact information so quickly that you can barely catch it. Either way, get ready to listen a few times.

The Unintended Visitor
This person didn’t intend to leave a message—in fact, they didn’t even intend to call! The Unintended Visitor dialed you accidentally, and their voicemail message reflects it. You might hear muted conversation, clothing rustling around the pocket the phone was in, or vehicle noise. The good news, though, is that you don’t need to worry about returning this call.

The Distracted Dialer
This character in your voicemail is doing their best to leave a great message, but something keeps getting in the way. Someone might be talking to them while they try to leave the message, or they might be talking in a busy area. Whatever the reason, the Distracted Dialer is just that—distracted. As a result, like the Lost Information, some important details might be missing.

The Final Word
We all want The Final Word in our voicemail! Their messages are short, sweet, and to the point. They include all the information you need to get back to them about their question. Their messages aren’t just great to receive: they also allow you to return the call quickly and get back to your day.

Have you met these characters in your voicemail? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, Marketing, Misc, News
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