The offline guide to promoting your business this holiday season
In this digital era of marketing, we often find ourselves interacting with algorithms more than we do with real people. Which is why for businesses, being present in an offline space can make a huge impact on how your customers feel about your brand.
The holiday season is the busiest period for most brands no matter what industry you work in. So from enticing customers to step through your door, to getting the word out about your business there’s a lot of considerations when it comes to planning your holiday promotions.
Maybe you’re a small business looking to build a name in your local area, or perhaps you want to capitalize on the influx of holiday shoppers. However you’re connecting to customers over the festive season, you can find a plan that works for your brand.
Spread the word
As a small business, you’re no doubt passionate about what you do. But no matter how exceptional your service or products might be, customers won’t get to experience what you have to offer unless they hear about you. The first thing to consider when preparing your business for the holidays is how you’ll get the word out about your brand. Here’s some quick and clever ways to get your name out there:
1. Get on the event circuit
If you’re in the retail or restaurant business, this one is an exciting route to investigate. The holidays are usually jam-packed with events like craft fairs, food and drink festivals and artisan bazaars that will be looking for vendors to make the event sparkle. Plus, events are a great place to network and interact face-to-face with your customers.
Find the right event for your business
To make sure you’re hitting the right audience, it’s worth putting time into finding an exhibition that feels like a natural fit for your business. For example, if you’re a restaurant brand, setting up a stall at a food festival would be the perfect place to showcase a taste of your festive menu.
Create a head-turning booth
Once you’ve chosen your event, it’s time to think about creating your stand and finding the perfect spot in the event space. When it comes to designing your booth, it’s important that it stands out against your competitors, but still clearly gets across who you are and what you’re all about. (For some creative inspiration, check out our guide on how to attract customers to your stall.)
Stock up on memorable takeaways
During your event, you’ll have hopefully held some engaging conversations with customers, made new connections, and learned a little more about your audience too.
Keep the conversation going after the event with printed takeaways for attendees. Business Cards are a staple for any exhibition stand, but you can also level up your marketing material by creating a Menu that showcases your festive dishes, or if you’re selling products, a Flyer packed with gift inspiration.
2. Be visible in your community
If your business is online, you’ll have different challenges to those who have brick and mortar sites. Since customers won’t be able to spot you from the sidewalk, make sure you keep your business front of mind by using other spaces in the community to promote your name.
For example, if you’re a cleaning business or a hairdresser working from home, you can ask your neighbourhood restaurants, stores or community spaces to keep your Flyers and Posters in their windows. Be sure to include your top seasonal offers, and even switch up your branding with a festive design to capture the holiday spirit.
3. Connect outside of your sector
Take partnering with other businesses one step further by finding like-minded brands that share your passions.
For example, if you’re a retailer who is committed to only selling sustainably sourced gifts, you might find a connection with a restaurant that donates all of its food waste to shelters over the holidays. Although these two industries seem poles apart, the chances are that they will both share an audience that is passionate about sustainability.
During the festive season, each business can offer customers a discount in their partnering company’s store. It’s a great way to practice your networking, while also driving some extra business over the holidays. Win-win.
Create enticing promotions
The holidays are a huge opportunity for brands to generate sales — particularly during heavily commercial periods like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. To meet seasonal shoppers’ expectations of discounts and special offers, ensure you dream up a couple of enticing promotions that add unique value for your customers, balanced with some discounts.
1. Increase your order value with offers
If you’re a business that sells giftable products like art, accessories or homeware, creating BOGO and 3 for 2 style offers could help you boost how much money a purchase brings in. Ahead of your promotion, create some printed Postcards or Flyers that advertise the offer, and include it as an insert in your packaging. This will help you stay front of mind when customers come to shop over the holidays. You can also check out our guide to making your holiday orders awesome for more packaging inspiration.
2. Add real value for your customers
Sometimes what really brings in customers is the promise of added value, not just money taken off the price. If you’re a graphic designer or illustrator, why not give away free Greeting Cards or festive Sticker sets designed by you with your purchases. It’s a thoughtful added extra for your customers that will really come in handy when they do their holiday gift wrapping.
3. Add exclusivity with limited editions
To really ramp up the added-extra angle, you can even design your own run of limited edition Postcard prints that can be gifted to customers when they purchase selected products.
4. Get customers coming back with stamp cards
To generate some repeat business over the holidays, why not transform some Business Cards into your very own stamp cards. Customers can collect a stamp every time they use your service or purchase from you, and once they fill their stamps, receive a special offer or discount.
Keep it seasonal
The holidays only come once a year, so make time in your calendar (particularly around Small Business Saturday) to hold some seasonal events that customers will enjoy. It’s great for bringing in new clients, but is also a rewarding and fun way to celebrate small businesses.
1. Spread some joy by helping others
Holding a donation drive or fundraiser can be a great way of getting customers into your store while also giving back to those who need it over the holidays. Don’t forget to print off Flyers with suggested donations and how to find the event.
2. Get in the holiday ‘spirit’
A sip and shop is a great way to get customers out of the cold and into your store. turn up the volume on the festive songs and lay on plenty of refreshments for your guests to enjoy while they browse.
3. Share your knowledge with an evening class for customers
Whether you’re a hairdresser, designer, maker or restaurant owner, you’ve no doubt got fantastic skills in your trade that other people would love to learn about. Perhaps you can offer some cooking tips on preparing a holiday feast, or even host a Greeting Card illustration class. Wherever your talent’s lie, an activity night is a great way to show your customers that you’re passionate and skilled in your field, while making some great connections too.
So, you’ve got your inspiration, now it’s time to print your ideas to life. Sign up for an office subscription plan and we’ll help you get started with our small print runs and quick turnarounds ahead of the holidays.
Going freelance can seem scary, but make sure your customers aren’t afraid to pick you by creating sleek and professional marketing materials.
Deciding to go freelance is no small decision and it can seem understandably daunting. In earning the freedom of being your own boss, you’ve also lost the network of a whole office, where your PR, marketing, and admin were all taken care of by someone else. But not to fear, with MOO’s products, you can become a marketing material whizz in no time and get customers coming to you.
Freelance Marketing
Marketing yourself is the cornerstone of freelancer success, you may be the best photographer, baker, writer or artist around, but unless other people know that, you’ll not get any clients. Just like a storefront, your marketing materials should be impeccably presented and should have the same high standards that you are promising in your products or services.
You shouldn’t limit yourself to just Business Cards or just Flyers, he who dares, wins, and as a freelancer, you’ve already taken the risk of breaking free of the 9-5 so creatively marketing yourself should come naturally. But, just in case it doesn’t, here are some top tips for marketing materials and how to use them:
1. Business Cards
The classic. No business person should be without a Business Card. They may be an obvious choice but that doesn’t mean you have to go for obvious design. Make sure your card stands out, whether that’s by going Square, going Luxe or adding a bit of gold. Make sure your key details are included on here; your name, job title, contact number, email, website, and social media contacts should all be listed. If you have a brick and mortar location, make sure that’s on there too.
2. Postcards
A great way to get the word out, Postcards neatly fit through letterboxes and are an eye-catching marketing item to distribute at events or leave on the countertops of neighboring businesses to spread awareness. Just like your Business Card, this should include all the key contact information for your freelance venture and should be designed to look and feel as professional as you are. If your brand is in a creative field like photography or art, then this little Postcard is a big introduction to your work, so take full advantage of the prime real estate that is its front. Use it to showcase your best works to potential clients and tempt them to look up your whole portfolio.
If you are happy to run introductory offers, add something like “10% off with this card” to encourage people to pick it up and then to engage with you.
3. Flyers
The timeless marketing material, Flyers should have a solid place in your freelance marketing tool kit. Flyers lend themselves to text just as much as imagery, so if you are offering a service like writing, consulting, etc., then they can be a better way to get your USPs out there if you don’t have a visual side to your brand. That’s not to say your flyers shouldn’t still look great, but with the generous space of a flyer (ours go up to US letter size) you can add in anything from a price list, a summary of your resume or a list of your professional skills.
4. Posters
As a freelancer, you’ll probably be looking for every opportunity to market yourself, so make sure you do it in style. Posters are a great way to draw attention to your brand. Talk with nearby businesses like coffee shops, bars and libraries and ask if you can put your poster up. Of course, they’re much more likely to say yes if its something worthy of being put in their window, or displayed in their shop. Our US letter size posters are a great choice for freelance marketing, they’re modest enough to not seem vulgar (we don’t advise you go making your brand a movie poster claiming your arrival in the area) and they’re instantly ready to be displayed on a wall for effortless exposure. In fact, all our poster sizes have been cleverly designed to be smaller than the regular, so they’re perfect for being pinned up wherever you need, without being too imposing.
Don’t think the display of your posters are up to other people, either, stick one on your car windshield, or in your window if you operate from home. Give them to friends, put one in the foyer of your apartment block (if that’s allowed). With a strong and professional design, no matter where you place your poster, its professionalism will shine through, even if it has been placed on a local lamp post.
5. Stickers
There are different ways to look at stickers as marketing materials. See them as stationary, to be placed on outgoing packages (eye-catching designs will still grab plenty attention as it makes its way to your client) and used to seal envelopes, or second, as a fun distribution tool. Ever notice how people stop if they think they’re getting something for free? Adding a bit of interactivity to your marketing is a great way to engage with people long before they become your clients. So, if you’re heading to an event to hand out flyers, bring some stickers with you. If they’re as beautifully designed as the rest of your marketing materials, why would anyone say no? It’s an especially good tactic for more playful brands or those aimed at kids, or you could even just give out a sticker instead of flyers (so long as you brand name and site is included in the design) as potential clients are less likely to immediately dispose of something that serves a function (or doesn’t need to be carried) and free art is always a plus.
6. Social Media
You may not think there is a connection between your printed products and your social media presence, but your designs should be a common factor among them all. Pick brand colors that run through all of your marketing materials and channels. Plus, if you have an Instagram for your business, then why not take a photo of your gorgeous, freshly printed marketing materials? Just see MOO’s Instagram for some great examples of how a digital photo of physical marketing products can be incredibly impactful.
You can also use social media to alert people of the events you’ll be at, or the locations where they can find your marketing, e.g., “We’ll be giving out our new stickers for free tomorrow at xxx!” or “Thanks to @nearbybusiness for representing! Pick up one of our freshly printed posters when you’re next in!” In short, if your marketing campaign isn’t tapping into social media, you’re doing it wrong.
Underestimate Nothing
Freelance marketing can’t be done half-heartedly. You need to see everywhere as an opportunity to display your brand. Sure, maybe your time with a client has come to an end but that doesn’t mean they won’t return. Sign off the work with a personalized flyer used with a compliment slip, a gesture of appreciation that clients are sure to love.
Keep on top of your client contacts list, and send out newsletters with your latest updates. If you’re a photographer and have new images to show off, add them to a Postcards and send them out to past clients to let them see your latest work and maybe tempt them to work with you again.
Back on the topic of social media, if you keep your channels updated and always give your followers something to engage with, you’ll always be fresh in their mind. But you also don’t have to wait for them to come to you. If you see a client you baked a birthday cake for is now preparing for a wedding, comment on their page, maybe with an offer of 10% to sweeten the deal. Even if you are rejected, other people will certainly take notice of this personalized gesture.
Be a fearless freelancer with marketing materials from MOO.com!
Over a quarter of Americans would go without running water for a week rather than make a bad first impression in an interview. So it pays to go in prepared…
What would you do to avoid making a bad first impression? If a new survey commissioned by MOO is anything to go by, most of us would be prepared to put up with an awful lot.
Over a quarter of Americans* would go without running water for a week, almost a third would quit elevators and escalators and take the stairs, while 36% would give up electricity for a week. Meanwhile, four in 10 would be willing to stand in line at the DMV for a full day to avoid making a bad first impression.
The intriguing results were uncovered in a survey of 2,000 Americans by OnePoll on behalf of MOO, to find out the true importance of first impressions. As well as 23% claiming to happily bed down in Antarctica for a night to avoid giving a bad first impression (we’re assuming comforters are included), a huge 85 percent think there’s only one chance when it comes to making an impact.
Of course, no-one loves job interviews – except perhaps those people who also love 5am SoulCycle sessions. But a surprising six in 10 would rather stay in a job they disliked than interview for a new one – perhaps because of how common committing an interview faux pas can be.
A red-faced 40% of people surveyed admitted to forgetting an interviewer’s name, while over a third have even forgotten the company’s name. Another 42% have yelled at an interviewer (maybe the coffee was cold?) and another four in 10 have left in tears.
Job interviews must surely rank among our least-loved meetings. But the risk of making a faux-pas sees Americans putting huge pressure on themselves to perform well.
When asked to choose between giving a good first impression at a job interview or when meeting the parents, a huge 72% would prefer to shine in an interview. Over half would also rather be at their sparkling best in an interview than on a first date.
When expectations are so high, perhaps comes as no surprise, then, that 66 percent of Americans agree that interviewing for jobs is intimidating.
So what should you do if interview nerves are threatening to derail you? More than 70% of those surveyed said Business Cards are an essential for interviews, giving 65% of people a much-needed confidence boost.
We spoke to Gina Cothey, our VP of Global Marketing, to find out a bit more: “It’s clear from our research that Americans will go above and beyond to make a good first impression,” says Gina.“It’s true that an initial meeting will always feel daunting, but great preparation – including having the right tools to hand, like a great business card – can help to take the edge off.”
While interviews can be nerve-jangling, it’s promising to hear that nearly eight in 10 Americans say they’re confident in their interview skills. Nearly three-quarters agree that a handshake can make or break an interview, with 53% saying a firm handshake is a must-have.
Confidence only increases when you’re in a networking setting (even if you’re not a big fan of networking, period) – with over three quarters of people agreeing they’re more confident when having business cards to whip out and share.
“Arming yourself with ice-breakers is just one way to make you feel confident whatever the setting,” agrees Gina Cothey. “Whether it’s committing some great opening questions to memory or a well designed Business Card, you’ll conquer your nerves in no time.”
So if the job-interview nerves are jangling, arm yourself with a firm handshake, some awesome Business Cards – and get out there knowing you’re definitely not alone…
Those results in more detail
What would you rather do or have happen to you than make a bad first impression?
- Stand in line at the DMV for a full day 41%
- Be stuck on a crowded train with no air conditioner 36%
- Give up electricity for a week 36%
- Eat only your least favorite food for a full day 36%
- Get bitten by mosquitos for a full day 35%
- Only take stairs for one full year 32%
- Give up running water in your home for a week 28%
- Be stuck on a ski lift all-day 27%
- Camp out in Antarctica for a night 23%
What bad impression-moves have you made in an interview?
- Forgot the person’s name 40%
- Showed up late 37%
- Didn’t show up at all 35%
- Forgot the company’s name 34%
- Forgot what the company did 33%
ENDS
*This random double-opt in survey was conducted by OnePoll, a market research company and corporate member of ESOMAR and adheres to the MRS code of conduct. For more information about OnePoll’s research in the media, navigate to their portfolio here: http://www.onepoll.com/in-the-media/
The office party is a meeting that everyone looks forward to booking in their calendar. Help your business see the year off with a bang with some creative party ideas and inspiration.
What better way to say thank you for a hard year’s work than getting everyone together for a staff party? It’s a great opportunity to celebrate what your teams have achieved, and bring departments together to socialize.
Planning a holiday celebration is a big job for the events team — particularly if you work in a larger company. But having strong party themes in mind will go a long way to helping you plan a truly memorable evening for your staff.
Check out these party ideas to get the festive season in full swing.
1. Up the elegance with a masquerade ball
Staying late in the office never sounded so glamorous. A masquerade ball is the perfect corporate holiday party theme if you want to mix the fun of a costume party with dressing to impress.
When it comes to decorating your office or event space, go for metallics like silver and gold paired with black for a dramatic backdrop to your evening.
But before the party starts, you need to think about your RSVPs. Available in a range of sizes, our corporate Invitations have room for all your event details, and can be easily customised with gold or silver foil accents to match your color scheme.
2. Sprinkle some suspense with a murder mystery
Looking for something a little more interactive for your big night? A murder mystery game could be the perfect party idea if you really want to get your guests mingling.
Nights like this usually start with assigning everyone a role to play throughout the game, so make sure you put together a character kit for everyone taking part. This could include a Notebook to write down leads and clues (bonus points if you design a custom cover to match your event), and their own character biography printed on a Postcard in a sealed Envelope to keep their secret safe.
3. Dim the lights for a black-tie dinner
For a more formal corporate holiday party theme, why not treat your employees to a three course black-tie dinner. Everyone loves an excuse to dress fancy, so make sure you set the tone for the evening by sending out some top-class invitations.
Thick, premium quality Luxe Invitations are ideal for special occasions. Plus, you can even print out your table names on Business Cards when it comes to arranging your table plans.
4. Give back with a charity gala
Aside from all the fun, food and partying, the holidays are a time to think of others, and raising money for good causes is a rewarding way to spend an evening with your team.
When sending out corporate party Invitations to businesses, agencies, or partners that you work with, you could even ask if they would like to donate any prizes for the evening for an auction or raffle.
You could even turn MiniCards into raffle tickets. Print a prize on one side and a number on the other to hand out to guests when they arrive, and draw the winning numbers at the end of the evening.
5. Mic-drop with a karaoke night
Who wouldn’t want to see their boss do a rendition of Mariah Carey? If galas and sit-down affairs all feel a little too low-key for your holiday party, kick up the volume with a karaoke night.
A great way to get everyone up on their feet is to have a wide dancefloor space and plenty of inflatable microphones and instruments to hand out to the crowd.
To get the volunteers flowing, make sure there are stacks of blank Business Cards and pens within easy reach for people to write down their song requests.
6. Set the scene with a speakeasy
For a cool, theatrical theme, a speakeasy night is the way to go. This party idea is all about creating an immersive experience, so if you want to really play up the prohibition era vibe, hire out a piano or a swing band to soundtrack your evening.
When sending out your holiday party Invitations, don’t forget to mention that the dress code is snappy pinstripes and pearls. And of course, speakeasy’s are all about secrecy, so print off some MiniCards with secret passwords for your guests to gain entry to the venue.
7. Celebrate the season with a winter wonderland
Queue the dry ice and synthetic snow, because this party idea is all about creating your very own winter wonderland. This theme has the advantage that it can work for spaces big and small, so you can either transform the office or hire out a venue for your company party.
Set up some seasonal stalls selling all things mulled and spiced for your guests to enjoy while they mingle (and jingle) around the grotto. To reward your employees for working hard throughout the year, you can even transform some Business Cards into food and drink tokens to spend at the stalls.
8. Rewind for a decades party
Whether you love the swinging 60s or have a pair of flares in the back of your closet, a decades night is an easy costume party theme that everyone can join in on.
To really get everyone in the spirit, decorate your event with decor and props to match the decade. You could even task your creative teams to design Posters for your event space inspired by the bands and movies of the era.
When it comes to designing your holiday party Invitations, keep the design and typography consistent with the decade you choose to create a cohesive look for your event.
9. Make it a movie night
Staff parties can be relaxing too, so get your team to unwind by hiring out a cinema for your very own movie night.
Play some festive holiday favourites on the big screen, and keep the evening interactive by creating bingo cards with moments to tick off throughout the movie. These Postcards can be easily customised with your own text and design, so all you need to do is find some great prizes.
10. Get crafty with an activity day
Creating your own activity centre is a great option if you’d prefer a daytime event. Plus, by hosting your holiday party in office hours, you can make sure that everyone can attend.
Set up stalls around your office or event space with each hosting a quirky or creative lesson. You can go seasonal with some wreath making, or creative with calligraphy. Whatever you choose to include, ensure you’ve got a good range of crafts so that everyone can find something they’ll enjoy.
To ensure your guests won’t miss out on any of the classes, make sure you create a map (for larger spaces) and an events timetable of what’s on during the day. Postcards can be easily customized to create lanyards, so you can include all the information about the day in one handy guide.
Now that you’ve got your party theme, ready to get your night in full swing? Check out how to throw the ultimate holiday party
Interested in learning more about MOO Business Services and how we can support your holiday party? Complete the form here and we will reach out to you shortly!
Whether you’re a first-time flyer designer or an old hand looking to improve your skills, we’ve got you covered. Here’s how to create a flyer with eye-catching looks and a compelling message. Plus, a handy infographic at the bottom if you’re in a hurry.
So you’ve decided to promote your business by distributing flyers. Awesome choice! Flyers are an amazingly versatile form of marketing that can help you reach a wide audience in a short space of time.
Whether you hand them out in person, include them in your product packaging or have them handy at your premises, a well-designed flyer is a major promotional asset. But what does a good flyer look like?
What makes a good flyer?
The best flyers have two essential ingredients:
- Copy that convinces and converts
- An appealing design that grabs attention
In this article we’ll run you through everything you need to get both these elements 100% nailed so you can start spreading the word with flyers.
Copy that converts
When it comes to writing copy for your flyers, here are the golden rules…
- Never waste words
Every word on your flyer needs to be there for a reason. Unlike a book or magazine, a flyer only gets a fleeting chance to make an impression. If your audience doesn’t connect with its message in that brief window of attention, it’s game over. So make sure every word matters and cut out any non-essential content before you send the final version off to the printer.
. - Put the most important stuff in your heading
Whether it’s “free lunch!”, “cool new store” or “restaurant opening”, the key message of your flyer should be stated in the most visible part of the copy – that big, bright attention-grabbing heading. Don’t think beginning-middle-end, and don’t build up to a big finish. Remember that short attention span and put your main message in big bold text at the front and center of your flyer.
. - Speak your reader’s language
Who is the target audience of your flyer? Young people, tech savvy professional nerds, those with English as a second language? Understanding who you’re talking to will help you to pick the right vocabulary to connect with your audience. It will also help you to…
. - Highlight benefits your audience cares about
What’s more compelling – “4 inches across, 1oz weight, ” or “feather-light and pocket sized?” The first statement gives the product’s features, the second is its benefits. And it’s benefits that get people interested.
. - Use bullets, lists and bold text
Copy is easier to read and digest if it’s written in an accessible way. Just look at this list – how easy would it be to absorb the information if it was all one long paragraph? Use bullet points, columns and bold text headings to break up your content and list key information such as price points, dates and times or product features.
. - Include a call to action (CTA)
A CTA is the part of your copy that spurs the reader into action. It tells them what to do next, whether that’s visiting your website, picking up the phone or booking tickets to your event. The CTA should be short and focused – pick a single action for the reader to take rather than including multiple suggestions, otherwise things can get confusing and the message loses its impact.
. - Tell them how to get in touch
Your flyer is a bit like a message in a bottle from your business. Unlike a website or social profile, it isn’t connected to anything, so you need to make it as easy as possible for people to find you and stay in touch. Add your street address (if you have one), URL, social profiles, and maybe a QR code for smartphone users to scan – especially handy if your flyer includes a discount or deal they can claim.
Design that dazzles
Here’s our cribsheet for creating a design that looks great, enhances your brand and amplifies your flyer’s message.
- Explore the color wheel
When you’re choosing a palette of colors for your flyer, it can really help to have a reference point for which colors go together, especially if you haven’t yet established your brand colors. A color wheel can help you achieve bold contrast and avoid any cringe-worthy clashes.
. - Pick a mix of fonts
Decorative fonts can add flair and style to your creative flyer design. They’re great for large headings because they’re bold and attention-grabbing. But body copy in smaller point sizes needs to be legible and clear, and in this part of the flyer, decorative fonts can create a cluttered reading experience. Mix your decorative headings with a plainer font lower down, such as a sans-serif or modern style, to get the best of both worlds.
. - Use space to make an impact
Sometimes empty space can be as effective as filling a flyer with design and excitement. White space or a plain background can create more emphasis for the content you do include. It ramps up the contrast and acts as a frame for your message and imagery.
. - Think top-down, left-to-right
For English and most other Western languages, we read things from left to right, starting at the top. Use this to your advantage by structuring your flyer design with the heading at the top and any smaller copy further down the page. Your CTA can appear further down or in the lower right corner, as it will come into play once the reader has absorbed the headline and main message.
. - Be smart with scale and distance
Your flyer needs to tempt people from a distance so they’ll pick it up. It also needs to keep their attention when it’s being read at arms-length. Cater to both these viewing distances by putting key messages in large fonts and high-contrast colors. The same goes for your hero images – they need to be recognizable and effective from a distance, but contain enough detail to add value close-up too.
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Too long, didn’t read?
Fear not: this handy checklist will help you create a Flyer everyone will remember.
Browse a wide range of MOO flyer templates to gain inspiration for your project, or customize them into one-of-a-kind designs with your own logo and images.
Designing your flyer from scratch? Check out our guide to flyer sizes and dimensions.