High-volume print rarely fails because of the printing. It fails for reasons that are almost always avoidable: misjudging the process, getting the timing wrong, choosing the wrong partner or buying based on price instead of quality. There are several reasons why commercial print might not be working out for you. However, that doesn’t mean that print doesn’t work. It just means you need to figure out what’s not working and fix it. Today, we’re discussing why high-volume print projects fail (and how to prevent costly mistakes), so your campaigns are effective the first time.
One of the biggest reasons high-volume print projects fail is waiting too long to start planning and ignoring production capacity or scheduling. The most common situation for most companies is that they immediately get the idea to try a print campaign and don’t consider how much timing it really takes.
While high-volume print offers some of the fastest times in the industry, it can still take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on your print partner’s equipment, other workload and how fast approvals happen.
Solution: When choosing a print partner, consider production capacity and realistic timelines. Smaller commercial printers could take longer if it’s the busy season or if approvals take longer. If you’re on a strict schedule and your current partner isn’t meeting your deadlines, it might be time to switch to a new partner.
Related Content: 5 Common Print Mistakes That Delay Delivery
Another major reason print projects fail is due to choosing high-volume commercial print vendors on price alone. While sticking to a budget is important, so is achieving high-quality prints and better service to ensure you get the most successful results. Oftentimes, companies will choose the cheapest option, not realizing that it costs them more in the long run.
Selecting the lowest option in the lineup sounds great in theory, but in reality, it can be more expensive. Hidden costs and poor results often appear, resulting in challenges such as:
Solution: Choose a print provider that offers quality results rather than the lowest prices. Shop around for a solution that fits your budget while also providing the highest quality results that you need for your highest ROI.
When trying high-volume print projects, it’s easy to underestimate mailing challenges and incoming data. A lot of companies that try mail and give up in the first month aren’t at the apex of the process, where ROI starts snowballing. People assume that because you aren’t getting the exact same results in a similar timeline, the process isn’t working. However, print mail is slower and steadier than digital. It isn’t meant to take a digital campaign’s place, and it takes time until you see the results clearly.
According to the ANA Response Rate Report, an email or social media marketing post is often seen and gone in seconds. Meanwhile, direct mail stays in someone’s home an average of 17 days.
While digital is fast and you can see the data instantaneously, print campaigns are slow and intentional. You might not see a real return on investment from the get-go. While digital tries to meet the customer at the right time, print operates more from the perspective that it’s there when the prospect needs it.
Sometimes, it can be months before the leads start coming in—but direct mail keeps working long after the drop, sometimes for years, well after the campaign comes to an end.
Solution: Give your campaign some time before you immediately write it off. You aren’t going to get the full story in the first couple of weeks. Most high-volume print campaigns see a conversion uptick later on, rather than right away when it’s sent out.
Some companies make the mistake of pulling the plug on their digital marketing efforts when they switch to a print campaign, or they might not allocate enough funds into their print marketing program to make a difference. By utilizing one campaign at a time, companies think they are accommodating their marketing budgeting, but instead, they are stretching it thin.
Choosing to utilize digital marketing or high-volume commercial print means that companies lose the power of multichannel marketing. The best way for digital and print to work is to work together. Both campaigns are being used effectively to allow consumers to bridge from getting to know the brand to making a genuine purchase decision.
Solution: Don’t just utilize one over the other when it comes to digital marketing and commercial print. Use both options to get the most effective campaign results and the highest ROI. Each method appeals to a slightly different audience and offers unique perks for consumers.
Related Content: Budget-Friendly Print Marketing Techniques
Oftentimes, companies will try to DIY certain parts of the high-volume commercial print campaigns. They might try to design or strategize their messages on their own, complete the finishing and addressing independently or even deliver the mail themselves to save on costs. However, this is one of the best ways to cause print projects to fail. When the wrong people are doing the work for a job they aren’t familiar with, it can make the process harder overall.
If a company does its own design when they don’t have an internal marketing department, it’s hard to understand what the end consumer wants. When a company tries to complete its own printing and doesn’t have the advanced equipment capabilities, the quality is lacking and customers can tell. If a company is finishing, assembling and addressing their own mail, it leaves lots of room for error if they don’t know what they are doing.
Solution: Finding a professional commercial print partner that does it all—design, print, finishing, assembling and delivery—can save immense amounts of time with handoffs and ensure the job is done well.
The best way to keep high-volume print projects on track and prevent costly mistakes is to:
Understanding why high-volume print projects fail (and how to keep them on track) is the beginning of making better campaign choices for your brand. With a combination of the above tips and a print partner you trust, it becomes easier to get the results you want.
At Signature Graphics, we make it easy for companies to get high-volume print production, strategy, design and every other commercial service all in one place. With our trusted, knowledgeable team, we deliver high-quality prints, regardless of whether you need flyers, circulars, brochures or any other marketing materials. Ready to see how our team can get your next high-volume run out the door on time and with quality in mind?
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