Nostalgic thoughts after 30 years

Tweet As a tribute to anyone who has ever started their own business I believe we entrepreneurs can all agree that there is much more than a paycheck that drives us to suit-up before battling the unknown every day. Every business has its unique challenges, but in my wildest dreams I could not have imagined what a wild and strange trip it would be 30 years later after opening the doors of our 600 sf copy center across the street from the campus of East Carolina University.

My business partner and I first met during rest time while lying on our respective bath mat rugs in Mrs. Gay's kindergarten class for five year olds. Neither of us understood at the time that our destiny would lead us to spend the greater part of our adult lives foraging through a tumultuous business environment together with the responsibility of sustaining not only our own families but the families of our 70 employees as well.

Many stories come to mind, some humorous and some tragic, but collectively the memories weave a meaningful tapestry symbolic of lasting friendships, talent and plain old hard work.

From the very beginning, Tom and I shared the belief that EVERY customer was important and that the goal of EVERY transaction was to insure a repeat order. This strategy embraces the concept that people choose to do business with folks they like, trust and have confidence in. Luckily, we live in eastern North Carolina where business is informal and a handshake still means something. These principles mean as much today as they did in 1980 (a recession year, by the way).

My first pick-up and delivery vehicle was a Raleigh racing bike I had in college that maneuvered wonderfully around the sidewalks of campus and downtown. As the first “copy center” in the region to compete with traditional commercial printers, it took awhile to convince locals that our “print-on-demand” service made sense. Initial orders were placed by compassionate secretaries feeling sorry for the sweaty kid with the red hair and a bicycle. Eventually, persistence, tenacity and execution won the day, allowing the knapsack and bike to be replaced by a combustible engine and hand truck.

Speaking of “firsts,” it is amazing to look back and recognize that Tom and I have a legacy of introducing new technology to our customers. Imagine these firsts for Greenville & the surrounding area:

1. 1st high volume analog copier – print for pay – (Xerox 9200 @ 21% interest)
2. 1st fax machine (unfortunately there was no one to fax to)
3. 1st Apple MacIntosh (made phototypesetting obsolete within a couple of years)
4. 1st color copier (ours operated with thermal ribbon film)
5. 1st engineering copier (no more blueprint/ammonia fumes)
6. 1st scanner (truly amazing technology)
7. 1st digital print for pay service (5 Xerox Docutechs!)
8. 1st adoption of Adobe postscript & pdf (pdfs now both improve and threaten print)
9. 1st online storefront integration with print production (transition to online printing)
10. 1st 7-color Indigo & Heidelberg DI (variable printing that revolutionizes mail campaigns)
11. 1st Trade bindery & Lettershop for the region (nice to have competitors trust us w/their work)
12. 1st to introduce PURLs, QR Codes, cross media & mobile campaigns

Our business has customers in all 50 states, with our largest accounts in areas as far away as Chicago and Bermuda. Wow… talk about adapting to CHANGE! This business has been a far cry from my early expectation that all one had to do to create a nickel was to load paper, a document handler and push a green button :).

AccuLink resides on 12 acres of prime real estate, with a state-of-the-art 75,000 sf production facility as well as two satellite copy centers in the nearby cities of New Bern and Goldsboro. We have continued to grow because of our work ethic and dedication to our customers, employees and environment. We have received numerous awards of excellence within our trade associations and recently were recognized with the prestigious “Industry of the Year” award. We believe in being stewards to our communities by giving back to local nonprofit organizations, having contributed well over $150,000 to worthy causes. We are one of the county’s largest recyclers of paper and adhere to a strict chain of custody standards for socially responsible and sustainable forests.

When asked about my proudest achievement I can’t help but respond that it is the knowledge that our fellow employees and customers continue to stand with us. We truly are a collective family now. Satisfaction comes from living by The Golden Rule and surrounding yourself with others who do the same.

How true it is that “everything you need to succeed in life is taught in kindergarten”. Thank you for all of your support through the years as we celebrate our 30 years of business together!

10 Mistakes to Avoid When Integrating QR Codes

Tweet August 2, 2010 • Atlanta, GA USA – Here are the Top 10 mistakes to avoid when integrating two dimensional (2D) codes – such as Quick Response (QR) Codes, Scanbuy’s ScanLife EZcodes or Microsoft Tag scan codes – in your U.S. marketing plans. See full article here.

The sooner you get started with 2D codes, the sooner you may receive traditional media coverage; buzz; and word-of-mouth for activating and engaging your community on their smartphones.

But, careful in your gold-rush to launch to get that extra buzz. Making a mistake with your 2D code marketing plans is easy. While you might get an “A” for effort, you could easily get an “F” – flamed for an easily avoidable tactical execution error, as New York City was by Mashable and describe in the Top 2 mistake (below).

1. Not Linking the Scan Code to Content That Adds Value – adding-value might include a “how to install” video or video teaser for a new TV show; sweepstakes; launch an app in the Apple iTunes App Store for immediate downloading; an RSS feed (dynamic info) optimized for a smartphone; or walking directions from an outdoor poster to a hard-to-find venue. It’s unlikely that linking to your home page will add value. Engage! Add value! And, make sure your landing page is working!


2. Not Linking the Scan Code to a Mobile Site – (and not explaining what content that the code links to). While New York City generated a ton of media converge for their big, innovative use of QR codes, unfortunately, as Mashable reported (6/10/10), “the QR codes miss the mark and don’t provide an optimized experience for scanners on their mobile device. Also, keep in mind if your team is designing on big screens, make sure they are using smartphones to make sure their work is viewable/readable/working on a small smartphone screen."


3. Not Tracking Your Scan Codes’ Usage – use a service that allows you to track the data and analytics from your scans. And, use multiple codes in a campaign even if all the codes goes to the same video or webpage. This way, you can track usage by media placement. Plus, the destination for a code may be different depending on how it’s used. For example, a code that appears on an item that requires installation might link to a “how to install” video while an outdoor board might link to shout-out videos from happy customers. Make print clickable. Now you will know if your print campaign is ‘mobilizing’ your community to take action.


4. Not Providing Directions on How to Get a Free Scanner App – in the U.S., telling your audience how to get a free scanner app is (almost always) a must. Because 2D barcodes are still so new in this country [United States], companies should fully explain the codes they are using, where and how to download a reader app and what the code will link to


5. Not Having at Least Two Modules of Space Around the Scan Code – sweat the details! It’s not enough to proof your codes when they are generated, they need to work when placed in your marketing tools next to text or art. Plus, the background and scan code colors can also affect the scan-ability of your codes. Before you begin production, test with different mobile scanning apps – and smartphone devices.


6. Printing the Scan Code Too Small – the size of a QR code may vary based on the code’s density. When/where size matters, EZcodes can be as small as a dime.Typically QR codes are anywhere from 2x the size of an EZcode to 10x the size of an EZcode, but the QR codes that [ScanLife] generate can always be a minimum of 1 inch. Typically, QR codes that are not generated by ScanLife, are larger because the information is include in the code itself (rather than the EZcode that “points to” a database for the content or call-to-action). See page 2 of this brochure for a terrific chart showing a comparison of size examples of EZcodes versus QR scan codes.


7. Placing a Scan Code Where There is No Internet Access – for example, until the New York City subway system has reliable, free internet service, why place the code inside a subway car? (That’s exactly what Freelancers Union did).


8. Not Using a URL Shortener – For example, if you are using a URL for walking directions for Google Maps, you must use a URL shortener, to avoid a humongous size QR code. Keep the url short. When you put all that data inside of a QR code, may be (needlessly) making your code dense and big. You either print it full-size (and take up too much space) or you shrink it (and your audience may not be able to scan it). Not Having Enough Bandwidth To Support Your Success – surprise! You’re campaigns a success, but you don’t have enough bandwidth to support the traffic.


9. Not Getting Started With Scan Codes – Stuck in research mode? Trying to navigate a multi-silo organization? Get started now. It’s a new way to engage your audience. The value of traditional media coverage you may receive by starting with scan codes now may exceed the entire cost for a year of integrating scan codes into your marketing. Wait too long, and you may miss that valued-added buzz-marketing, grass-roots opportunity.


10. Using a Free Scan Code Generator for Business – if you use a free scan code generator on the web for business to create your scan code – you will: a) not be able to change the URL that is “hardwired” into the code (static versus dynamic); and b) not get usage analytics. Plus, your audience may have trouble reading the scan code either because of their scanning app, smartphone or mobile browser. You are also at risk of making a BIG-SIZE scan code. If you shrink the scan code when you print it, your audience may have difficulty scanning it.


11. Bonus Mistake: Not Engaging a Scan Code Expert – It is rocket science! Just because QR Codes work in Japan it does not automatically mean that the different smartphone technology in the U.S. will work fine with your scan code. For example, dense QR codes that can be read in Japan with an auto-focus smartphone can be difficult to read on a non-auto-focus smartphone camera in the U.S.

From the blog:
That's GREAT!
a Blog by GREAT! CEO & Chief Creative Officer Dan Smigrod
August 2, 2010

News Release Suggestions

Tweet Ever wondered what the best way to format a news release is? Well here are some excellent suggestions from Bill Doehler (doehler@e-consortium.com) at E-Consortium:

Article Link

It is important that you call each publication prior to faxing the PR to find out exactly who to direct it to, and equally important that you call again after you send it to follow up and make contact with the publisher. The content of the release should be presented in the context of a real human interest story that people would be interested in hearing about (“Local business overcomes adversity…”), and should also speak to your intention to grow your business, and imply that the growth will create jobs for example.

Finally, you should consider buying an ad in a couple of the publications. They are more inclined to pay attention to news coming from a customer. If you are lucky, you might wind up having a feature story done about your business (which would be a definite HOME RUN!).

Great tips worth sharing! Thanks Bill!

Marketing 101 with direct mail:

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Direct mail, direct response, whatever you name it, still provides one of the most guaranteed methods of reaching a prospect. Email marketing is completely over sold, unless - UNLESS - it's an opt-in program. SPAM email marketing is dead.

Therefore, this is a great area to invest. Multi-channel, targeted, individualized communications will reach their recipient (not so with email necessarily) AND if done correctly, will generate a response. If the value is there, they will take action.

However, one fatal mistake print customers make is to underestimate the number hits it takes in order to solicit the response they are looking for. One postcard with an offer may not be enough (and generally isn't) to capture the attention and achieve the behavior necessary for the prospect to take action. I see this happen all the time.

There are many other factors, here are a few:

• Of course value is key. Does the recipient understand and recognize the value that you are offering? Is the message clear? Is there an action that is required?
• Targeted messaging. Is the offer something that the recipient can use, IE: is it valuable to them? EX: Selling a skiing trip to a retired senior versus selling a cruise. EX: Selling a Minivan to a single man versus selling a Mustang. EX: Selling life insurance to a teenager versus selling life insurance to a 40 something father of three. Does your communication piece 'speak to them'? If mailing to seniors, you need to have larger fonts, easier to read layout, images that relate to them... etc. Younger people want to look at younger people and have designs/fonts etc. more to their likes/dislikes. One set of content/layout/design templates will not be as effective.
• Timing. This is almost always overlooked. For maximum response, the message has to be timed correctly. If you send me a coupon for my oil change right after I just had my oil changed, then the likelihood I would respond would be low. However, if I am supposed to enroll in my 401K prior to July 31st then a 'campaign' of communications perhaps beginning as early as May and continuing through early July in order to have the forms filled out, the payroll withdrawals set, etc. would be effective. Other things that relate to timing include frequency of communications and seasonal opportunities.
• Preferred method of communication. If you can capture this, it is extremely valuable. Would the recipient prefer an email? a web link? a postcard? a phone call? This can really dramatically improve the response rate and close percentages of business. I found very few mailing campaigns captured this type of information.
• Response tracking, recipient validation and follow up. This is an obvious one. Who responded to the mailing? What action did they take or not take? Did you give them a chance to update their contact data? Did you give them a chance to request a follow up call?
• Couple direct mail with cross media tools such as opt in landing pages (GURLs) and personalized landing pages (PURLs) and you have the ability to add metrics to your campaign. These tools allow for a two way conversation with your prospect by collecting information voluntarily such that future communications are refined to topics relevant to their interests.
• QR Codes also allow for measurable data as well as access to the “Holy Grail” of personal contact...the Mobile Phone. QR Codes can link printed documents to all sorts of social media sites, opt in landing pages and even video messages. This is an exciting connection between the physical world of print and the virtual world of the internet.

QR Codes on my Business Card? So what?

Tweet QR Code business cards. Undoubtedly you have seen these, but how do you keep the contact info in your QR code current when your info changes and you need to print more cards? You have to throw your old cards away now right? Wrong! Go to www.b2vcard.com. This site allows you to create a QR code business card and a profile that you can update as your personal profile changes. This means that as things change even your old business cards with outdated contact information have a QR code that pulls in your current V-card information when scanned. You can still hand out your business cards and the barcode will scan with your current correct information. This is great if you need to hand out cards before your new ones arrive. Just tell the person you hand it to to scan it for your current contact details.

You can then upload your own PDF artwork for the card or use one of the existing templates to set your own and they will be printed as you specify and shipped to you anywhere in the world. You can insure that your QR code always scans with the most current contact information by updating your profile for free any time the information changes.

Use www.b2vcard.com to produce QR code business cards for your customers and yourself. Allow recipients of your cards to add your contact information to their address book without all of the typing. Best of all, the prices are really cheap for this great technology.

Click here http://vimeo.com/6624198 to view a demo of this technology or go to www.b2vcard.com to learn more now.

5 Steps to a Successful Web Design (or Re-Design) Part 4

Tweet Today we bring you part four of a four-part series on effective website design.

Step Five – Testing & Maintenance

In “Step Four – Code”, a few applications were mentioned as tools that aid web designers to code their sites. Those same programs can aid in the testing step. The higher end editing programs: Dreamweaver, Coda and Aptana, include validation services. Simply running these commands in the program may solve a lot of issues that may occur during coding. You don’t have this luxury if you are using a basic text editor, but you are not out of luck. W3C has a code validation service http://validator.w3.org/, which allows you to validate a site via a URL, ftp upload or directly placing the code into a form field.

For visual testing, it is important to have a copy of each browser available. Again, download Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome and Internet Explorer. For multiple versions of Internet Explorer, use IE Tester http://www.my-debugbar.com/wiki/IETester/HomePage. Check that elements are aligned as intended, spacing is consistent and check for script errors.

Fix Internet Explorer specific issues by targeting the version causing an issue and resolving it with a specific fix. This can be done by creating an IE specific CSS file with the specific fix included by using an if/then conditional in the HTML. This technique will come in handy for any differences in the Explorer version of your site.

EX: This specifically targets all Internet Explorer browsers under version 7.

Test, then test again. Have someone else test the site. If you are not fortunate enough to have a group of people to test the site, send it to friends and family. Take note of technical issues as well as any complaints/suggestions about user interface. Having people other than you, that have never seen the site, test for you is a great asset. It is sometimes nice to stand over the shoulder and take notes, quietly.

The five steps mentioned in these posts are a good overview to the process. Additional information can be found on the web as well. Remember to observe the accessibility rules, pay attention to trends in web design and keep your code clean. With the upcoming release of HTML5 and CSS3, there are new possibilities on the horizon to take note of as well. Web design is a constant learning process, but the basics remain the same. The most important step is gathering the right information in the beginning. This gives a clear direction and allows for a smooth flow between all of the steps of the design process.

5 Steps to a Successful Web Design (or Re-Design) Part 3

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Today we bring you part three of a four-part series on effective website design.

Step Four - Code.
This is written for someone with some knowledge of HTML and CSS.

There are tools available to aid a designer when coding the front-end of a website. First of all, you will need an HTML editor. There are a number of very powerful applications available for editing: Adobe Dreamweaver, Aptana Studio, Coda (Mac), TextMate (Mac), but editing can also be done in something as simple as NotePad or TextEdit. Second of all, every web designer should have every major browser loaded on their system for testing. For multiple versions of Internet Explorer, I suggest IE Tester http://www.my-debugbar.com/wiki/IETester/HomePage. Some other tools to be aware of are Firefox add-on called Web Developer Tools https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/60 and FireBug https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1843. These tools allow you to debug and monitor code on any pages you build.

Now that you have the right tools there are some good rules of thumb to follow when actually writing your code.

1. Start the document with the correct doctype. This is the very first part of any web page:
2. Place all custom Styles into external CSS files and link between the tags of the HTML document.
3. Reduce page load times by placing any at the end of the document, just before the ending tag. This may not work for all but it is worth experimenting to reduce load times.
4. For ease of readability, indent HTML tags that are inside of other HTML tags and comment after closing tags so that their hierarchy is clear.
5. Learn all of the HTML tags.
6. Learn all of the CSS attributes
7. Use CSS shorthand and combining properties in a single line. This is more efficient for the browser and more efficient when editing.

The original CSS…

• p {
  
  • font: bold 12px "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans;
  • font-style:bold;
  • font-weight:bold;
  • color:#000000;
  • font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, serif;
  • font-size:12px;
  • margin-top:6px;
  • margin-right:10px;
  • margin-bottom:8px;
  • margin-left:20px;
  • border-width:1px;
  • border-style:solid;
  • border-color:#333333;
  • padding-top:6px;
  • padding-right:6px;
  • padding-bottom:6px;
  • padding-left:6px;
• }

..can be re-written, using CSS shorthand, as…

• p {
  
  • font: bold 12px "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans;
  • color:#000;
  • margin: 6px 10px 8px 20px;
  • padding: 6px;
  • border: 1px solid #333;
• }

8. Organize your CSS using comments as seperators. This will also make editing more efficient.
Ex: /* ------ Global Styles ------ */
9. As mentioned in the design step, accessibility is very important. Use the W3C accessibility guidelines [http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-WCAG20-20081211] for reference.


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Tune in Monday, April 12 for Part 4 of the series

5 Steps to a Successful Web Design (or Re-Design) Part 2

Tweet Today we bring you part two of a four-part series on effective website design.

Step Three - Design Layout.
Designing a layout consists of much more than creating beautiful graphics and adding text to a page. A well designed web page delivers clear communication. Many of the questions asked in the client interview will clearly define what is to be communicated. Each piece of the content must have a purpose or else it should be regarded as clutter and removed. If a user/prospective customer is confused, they will go somewhere else. Less thinking = less confusion. Remember that white-space is a design element and it increases comprehension.

Studies have shown that users don’t read pages, they tend to scan the content. This is referred to as an “F-Shaped” pattern of reading. A web user’s eyes tend to focus on elements within these regions, so use that to your advantage. Put important content in these areas such as a “call to action” or main headlines. Make it quick and easy for visitors to get to the content they want. Another concept of reading gravity is called the “Gutenberg Rule” which splits a page into quadrants. The top-left content is the “primary area” and the bottom-right content is the “terminal area”. The other two sections are the “fallow areas” or areas that get less attention. With this method, buttons should be placed in the “terminal area” since that is where the reader’s eye will rest. This content is important to catching a user’s attention and enticing them to read the rest of your content.

If the 960 grid system is used in the wire framing step, then it is easy to implement a grid-based layout for the design. Grids are used in every type of design and are a way to logically order page elements. In web design a grid-based layout helps to maintain consistency site-wide and aid in another important design element, balance.

The use of color is a great tool in design to focus attention. This is prevalent in many retail sites that put emphasis on shopping carts or software download sites that have a “download” button. Macy’s uses its brand color red, to point out interest areas for the user. The eye moves from the logo to the offer on the right and then to the “checkout” button.

Aviary uses yellow to identify the buttons for each of its programs as well as the “sign up” button. Also, notice that the content is located inside of the “F-shaped” pattern. Legacy Locker’s main page uses a limited palette of blue tones while the “Sign Up Now” button stands out in green. Often, keeping a limited palette is very effective to clear communication and unity on a site. Icons are a quick communication tool used throughout User Interface (UI) design. There are conventions in place that users are familiar with almost universally. A link to a home page may be represented by a house icon. This is commonly know and quickly recognizable. Keep these things in mind as you process the design layout.

Good typography is essential to clear communication in any design. Web typography is no different and many advances have been made in this area.When CSS2 was born in 1998, web type became a little more dynamic allowing linking to fonts via style sheets. With the upcoming implementation of CSS3 and HTML5, a designer is given even more control over typography. Designers have a multitude of typefaces available for desktop publishing, but web designers have long been limited to either using the standard web fonts or making custom type a graphic. There are current “helpers” that web designers can implement such as Scalable Inman Flash Replacement (sIFR) and @font-face in CSS but keeping cross-browser compatibility in mind, some techniques will work and some will not. These replacement tools help the designer to achieve the type style that they could not with standard html. Another key to good web typography is using the correct characters. Using quotes, primes, ampersands, em dashes and en dashes appropriately increases readability of content.

A visually stunning website means nothing to someone who is visually impaired. Accessibility is a very important part of the design process. Much of the implementation of accessibility will be done in the coding step, but it is important to take into account at this stage. There are official sites for accessibility rules and they should be followed. In fact, there are laws regarding web accessibility. The UK has the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and, if you design anything related to the U.S. Government, you should be aware of the 508 Act http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Content&ID=3. A good guide to follow is the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) accessibility standards http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-WCAG20-20081211/.

Entire libraries could be written on each of these points. An effective web design comes from experience and a clear understanding of the user base. Be sure to keep elements consistent across a site. Consistency will increase clarity and unite the look and feel of the site. Pay attention to web design trends but do not sacrifice clear communication for fancy techniques.
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Tune in Thursday, April 8 for Part 3 of the series

5 Steps to a Successful Web Design (or Re-Design) Part 1

Tweet In the following four-part series, we will share with you some excellent tips on successful web design that will help you create effective websites for your clients.

Step One - Design Brief/ Scope of Work.
The most important part to the design process in general is the research phase. This applies heavily to successful web design as information is number one on a website. In this step, goals and a clear direction are defined.

A few icebreaker questions to get a client talking and figure out what they really like are essential to developing a clear direction for the design. Start by learning about the business and their customers in these four different areas.

Learn about the business…
1. Do you currently have a website?
2. If not, do you have an idea of a domain name you would like?
3. If you have a website, what do you not like about it?
4. Do you have a logo? If so, do you have a style guide or brand guidelines we can follow to maintain brand identity?

Learn about their customers/users…
1. Who is your audience?
2. How do your clients perceive your business?
3. What makes your company different from others in your industry?
4. What role will the web site play in your business? Sales tool? Informational? eCommerce?

Learn about their likes and dislikes…
1. What are your competitor’s websites?
2. What other sites do you like why?
3. What other sites do you not like and why?

Learn about the project…
1. What is the budget range for this project?
2. What is the schedule?
3. Who will supply content?
4. Will there be a need for a database, content management system, secured transactions or other back-end setup?

These basic questions are a good starting point from which to begin discussions with your client. It is always best to gather as much information as possible before beginning a project and set goals and expectations early. Thorough planning includes asking plenty of questions and listening to your client's needs carefully. Really get a feel for their business and what they offer to their customers. This will show the client that you know what you are doing and lead to less revisions later in the process.

Step Two - Site-map and Wire-frame.
After the client interview, the designer can begin the planning step for the website. Planning a site-map helps to nail down what content goes where and how a user will navigate that content. The site-map is a structure that shows how the site's pages link together. There are many visualization applications available to aid in building great looking site-maps. The top two applications are OmniGraffle for the Mac, and Visio for Windows, but a pencil and sketch paper works great too.

Once a site-map is approved, it is time to move on to the structure of each page. This is done through a wire-frame. Again, there are many applications available to aid in building some great looking wire-frames. One great resource for laying out a page from wire-frame to final design is Nathan Smith’s 960 grid [http://960.gs/]. This package includes sketch sheet pdf files that work great for wire framing. The advantage of using this system is that the package also includes templates in 12 and 16 column layouts for popular imaging programs like Photoshop, InDesign, OmniGraffle, Visio and more.

While wire framing, focus on organizing content on the page and keep it simple.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
– Leonardo Da Vinci

AccuLink wins PICA Awards

Tweet PRINTING EXCELLENCE IN THE CAROLINAS RECOGNIZED

March 6, 2010 (CHARLOTTE, NC): The Printing Industry of the Carolinas, Inc. (PICA) recognized AccuLink of Greenville as a 2009 PICA Awards winner. Since 1966, the PICA Awards have been the premier symbol of excellence for the graphics industry in North and South Carolina. The PICA Awards demonstrate a company’s commitment to excellence in graphic communications.

AccuLink received four Best of Category Awards in Business Cards, Combination Finishing Techniques, Digital Printing: Booklets, and Foil Stamping, as well as two Special Judges Awards in Digital Printing: Books and Printer's Self-Promotion: Campaigns.

Winners were announced March 6, 2010, at the 43rd Annual PICA Awards Banquet, held at the Embassy Suites Golf Resort & Spa in Concord, North Carolina. The PICA Awards program is open to all printing companies in the Carolinas.

The Printing Industry of the Carolinas, Inc. (PICA) is a trade association representing the graphic communications industry in North and South Carolina. North Carolina ranks as the 14th largest state print market in the United States with $4.4 billion in sales, 889 total printing establishments and 25,709 employees. South Carolina ranks 31st in the nation with $1.8 billion in sales, 337 establishments, and 10,208 employees. Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, PICA has been serving the print industry for over 75 years. For more information, visit http://www.picanet.org/.

Four of the most important things to consider when sending a direct mail piece

Tweet Here at AccuLink, our clients rely on the expertise of our outstanding MPQC certified mailing department to make sure we meet or exceed their expectations of success of their mail campaigns. In order to do that, certain “rules” must be followed. Doug Mewborn, head of our Mailing Department offers these important tips:

1. Message needs to be catchy, clear and concise to draw the recipient’s attention. All mail is faced in the same direction when placed in mailboxes by the postman. Therefore, a person taking mail from their mailbox always looks at the address side of the mail. If it is a bill or something that is of interest, they put it in a pile. If it is “solicitation mail” they may or may not keep it. One major key in encouraging a person to at least turn it over to see the pretty picture (which many people insist on using on the back side of a direct mail piece) is to have a catchy marketing phrase or tag line on the front address side of sufficient size, color, content to catch the attention of the recipient. This tag line must register with the recipient within 1-2 seconds or the piece will probably get tossed in the garbage with its message on the back or inside gone forever.


2. Size of a marketing piece matters. Most mail is either a #10 size envelope or smaller. If a marketing piece is made larger (such as 6" tall by 11.5" wide, which will not increase postage on standard mail) then this piece will stick up and out from the stack of mail coming out of the mailbox. This improves the chance of being seen.
   
3. Timing of a marketing piece matters. I’ve always felt the best day to have a piece in a recipients mailbox is Tuesday. This is usually the slowest mail day of the week. This improves the chance of being seen. Tuesday delivery is sometimes hard to accomplish, however. DDU mail drops along with “requested delivery dates” on the mail bundles often helps accomplish this.


4. Official looking mail is out. Preparing marketing mail to appear to be an “official” type of mailing went out with the hula hoop. Rather than pretend the piece is something it is not, just be up front – sell what you have – not Savings Bonds.

Targeting the right prospect is crucial...

Tweet The Business Challenge

In March 2009, AccuLink’s client approached them with a unique situation: How to successfully market a home for auction during a housing downturn. Although the house, located in Beaufort County, NC, was desirable waterfront property ‐ times were tight. The average time on market was 249 days. It was the middle of a recession. And, like the rest of the nation, housing prices were way off ‐ in nearby Pitt County, they had fallen nearly 25 percent.

The client’s initial plan was to obtain Beaufort County property tax records and send out a mass mailing.

“He wanted to mail to everybody,” said Tom O’Brien, co-owner at AccuLink.

At the same time, targeting the right prospect was crucial. An auction for luxury waterfront property needed to attract a very specific segment to be successful. “He was worried about getting the right people to show up and bid on the property,” said O’Brien.

Experience told O’Brien that there was a better way to target nearby luxury home buyers. “A general property tax list wouldn’t pinpoint the exact type of buyer he wanted.” After telling his client, “I don’t think I would do that,” O’Brien suggested a different approach ‐ a targeted mailing list from USADATA.

The Solution

Instead of a scattershot approach based on property tax records, targeted mailing lists allow companies to choose the exact demographic characteristics they want their mailer to reach. In this case, O’Brien recommended that his client target high income individuals in nearby Pitt County, rather than people already living in Beaufort County. Additionally, O’Brien suggested that they filter out people who already owned a second home, figuring that they wouldn’t be in the market to purchase another one.

They started the process by using USADATA’s online QuickPick targeting. QuickPick targeting allows customers to select a pre‐defined segment representing their best prospects in just one click. For additional mailing list assistance they contacted a USADATA Data Specialist. The Specialist worked with O’Brien to further refine the mailing list and develop the count and price quote.

“It’s important to work with a mailing list company who will spend time to help you make smarter choices,” said O’Brien. “It’s a much more personalized way of doing business.”

Together, with USADATA’s help, they created a highly targeted mailing list that targeted professionals earning more than $150,000 a year in neighboring Pitt County. Selection criteria included:
· Zip code area
· Age
· Net Worth
· Interest in real estate investing

Results

The auction was an unprecedented success: The house sold for more than $100,000 more than the owners expected. O’Brien was surprised at the auction price, but, then again he’s seen how successful mailing lists from USADATA have been for his clients.

Jon Rapkin, Senior Vice‐President of Sales for USADATA, is pleased with the campaign’s success. “This case study shows the power of a targeted mailing list,” said Rapkin. “This home auction’s success was helped by reaching the right people at the right time.”

Today, the client is thrilled with his results. He was so pleased with the success from his first mailing that he’s strategizing a new direct mail campaign with AccuLink ‐ and planning to work with USADATA for their mailing list expertise.

“They are a great group of people,” says O’Brien. “They give a darn about your success.”

USAData Case Study with AccuLink

Good Practices in Email Marketing Series Part 4

Tweet Today we bring you part four of a four-part series highlighting tips for successful email marketing.

Seven tips for improving your email design

In its white paper “Email Design No-Nos Guide for Nondesigners¹”, online marketing solutions provider Lyris offers advice on making sure your email graphics and design lift, rather than depress, response:

· Bear in mind that graphics are often blocked. That doesn’t mean you have to resort to text-only messages. But “when reviewing email layouts ask the designer to show two versions—one with images visible and one with the images blocked. Both need to work equally well,” Lyris suggests.

· Also bear in mind that Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) do not work with all email clients. Outlook 2007 and Gmail, for instance, ignore CSS coding created on an external file and linked to the email. Unless you use Inline CSS to format your design, your emails may not render correctly in all email clients.

· Use your alt tag copy to sell. Alt tags are the HTML code that provides alternative text (hence the name) for images that cannot be displayed. “Many marketers settle for alt tag copy that simply tells the reader how to turn the images on. In today’s environment, you can rest assured that most email users know how to do this. Instead, why not consider giving the customer a benefit to turning the image on to see what it is? Try describing the product if the image is a picture of something for sale. Or selling the event or service through copy if the image is not product-related.”

· Don’t make your call to action a graphic. That goes for phone numbers, URLs, and verbiage such as “call now” or “click here”.

· Include a call to action in the preview pane. The preview pane or window is the two- to four-inch-high space that many recipients see in their email inbox before they opt to open or discard the message. “Enewsletters should include headlines or ‘in this issue’ content teasers. Promotional emails should summarise or highlight the key value proposition and call to action. And definitely do not put any administrative items like unsubscribe or ‘add us to your email address book’ in this space at the top of your email.”

· Make the most of preheaders. Also known as snippet text, this is a brief bit of verbiage that appears in the inbox of some email clients along with the subject line. For instance, Gmail users viewing their inbox on a PC see the first few words of the email message immediately following the subject line. Outlook’s AutoPreview mode reveals a brief amount of text directly below the subject line. The text picked up by the email client is usually from the first line of the email message, so bear that in mind when crafting your messages.

· Test your emails in a variety of email clients to see how each renders the messages. By now it should be apparent that how your email appears to a recipient using Outlook isn’t necessarily how it will appear to a recipient using Yahoo! or reading the message via a mobile device. “A quick scan of your list or database report should tell you which email clients are popular with your audience,” Lyris notes. “At the very least, send tests to Outlook 2007, Gmail, and a mobile device, since these are the email clients most notorious for mangling formatting.”

¹Published: 12th May 2009
Article Link

Good Practices in Email Marketing Series Part 3

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Today we bring you part three of a four-part series highlighting tips for successful email marketing.

5 Not obvious ways to improve your email campaign

Just about everyone knows the basics of improving the effectiveness of an email campaign: keep your lists clean, make the content relevant, segment your file. But in its white paper “20 Quick Tips for Improving Your Email Programs¹,” email services provider StrongMail Systems offers some often-overlooked suggestions as well:

· Know your SNDS rating. SNDS stands for Smart Network Data Services, and according to StrongMail it’s “the Windows Live Postmaster Group’s method for reviewing your IP address(es). Microsoft has introduced the SNDS rating system as a way to fight spam, viruses and other email abuse… Microsoft provides ISPs with mail traffic data from all the domains hosted by Windows Live Mail and Hotmail. The ISPs in turn use that data to help prevent spam from being sent from their IP addresses.”

· Test your template code. “Program your email templates and test them through a rendering tool at the onset of the template introduction,” StrongMail advises. “Keep master copies of these separate from the ones reused in every mailing to avoid code corruption.” StrongMail also suggests avoiding XHTML.

· Determine your top domains and throttle accordingly. “Throttling” email is a matter of making sure you do not exceed an ISP’s limits regarding inbound mail volume or speed. Exceeding those limits can hurt your email deliverability. To ensure that you don’t, make a list of the domains that receive the bulk of your email messages, then check each one’s policies on inbound deliveries and if necessary modify your delivery rules.

· Link into feedback loops. A feedback loop (FBL) is an ISP’s report to an email sender of recipients who are reporting the sender’s messages as spam. You need to know about these complaints so that you can prove to the ISP that you are not a spammer before it blacklists you in response to the complaints. Various ISPs use different FBLs, so you need to visit the postmaster sites of each to sign up to receive the reports.

· Accommodate recipients who use handheld devices. “More and more people are using handheld devices to access their email, and for those users, it can be an aggravating experience thumb-scrolling through dozens of HTML links before they ever see your first image or text block related to the message content,” StrongMail reports. It offers two ways to accommodate these recipients, though “in either case, you will need to include language at the top of the message and a link to encourage them to click through”: 


1. Program a text message in the text window of your campaign management application. Use the recipient agent data to determine what browser was used to open the message, then flag that recipient record as a handheld user and always send that recipient text.

2. Host the HTML version of your message and ask handheld users to click to view the HTML.

¹Published: 15th April 2008
Article Link

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Tune in Thursday, January 28 for Part 4: Seven tips for improving your email design.

Good Practices in Email Marketing Series Part 2

Tweet Today we bring you part two of a four-part series highlighting tips for successful email marketing.

Ten tips for improved email deliverability

Email can be a highly cost-effective marketing tool—assuming your emails make it to their destination. To improve the likelihood of your messages getting through, email services provider Silverpop offers a number of suggestions:

1. Minimize spam complaints. That’s commonsensical enough; but how? For starters, be sure to send emails only to permission-based lists, and make it easy for recipients to unsubscribe. “Don’t send unexpected mail,” writes Silverpop in its white paper “Email Delivery Rates Above 95 Percent: 16 ‘Must Dos’ to Make It Happen”¹. “If subscribers opted in to receive your ‘Tips & Tricks’ newsletter, don’t suddenly start sending them your pure product promotion emails, unless they clearly requested them.” Avoid exclamation points in your subject lines, flashing red type fonts and anything else that smacks of spam.

2. Validate email addresses at the opt-in stage. According to Silverpop, you can add code to your sign-up forms that detects typos and incomplete addresses and then notifies the subscriber of the mistake immediately.

3. Make sure your coding is accurate and standardized and that your messages render properly in a variety of formats. Before sending an email, view it on multiple platforms and web browsers, with images on and off. In addition, a number of software programs are available to check your messages and templates for coding, content and other elements that could lead to a spam filter or an ISP blocking them.

4. Unless your email volume is very low or sporadic, use a dedicated IP address. If you share an IP address with other senders of email—even if those senders are other divisions within your company—you could find emails blocked or blacklisted because of problems in messages that they send.

5. Authenticate your messages with the major protocols. Many of the major ISPs check messages for authentication with Sender Policy Framework (SPF), Sender ID and increasingly, Domain Keys Identified Mail (DKIM). Your IT staff or email service provider can help with this.

6. Use your company or brand name in the “from” line. While you’re at it, make sure the message line is clear. “Avoid overly aggressive subject lines. What might work in direct mail may get you a high spam complaint rate in email.”

7. Keep your list clean. Remove hard-bouncing addresses—those that are nonexistent or blocked—immediately, as well as any addresses that have generated a spam complaint. And don’t retry soft bounces—failed deliveries due to a full mailbox, an unavailable server or another temporary reason—repeatedly. “Most email marketing systems are set to retry bounces from one to three times over the course of about three days,” according to Silverpop. “Many systems will also not retry at all to certain ISPs such as AOL.” Don’t exceed those rules of thumb.

8. Comply with ISP throttling limits. This is how many messages can be sent within a given time frame, and the limits vary by ISP.

9. Monitor your sender reputation. Microsoft’s Smart Network Data Services (SNDS) provides a summary of how Hotmail/Livemail perceives a sender’s IP address; many other ISPs offer feedback loops, listings of recipients who are reporting a sender’s messages as spam. Sign up to receive these.

10. Track your delivery rates and related metrics. At the very least, monitor hard bounces, spam complaints, unsubscribes, any blacklists you may have been added to and inbox delivery rates by ISP.

¹Published: 30th September 2008
Article Link

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Tune in Monday, January 25 for Part 3: 5 Not obvious ways to improve your email campaign.

Good Practices in Email Marketing Series Part 1

Tweet As we work on pURL campaigns for clients that involve email marketing, we often find ourselves educating our clients on the best practices needed in order to garner the success expected. In the following four-part series, we will share with you what we have learned through our research in email marketing and how valuable it can be in helping educate your clients.

Quick pointers for better email marketing

In the July 2009 issue of Catalogue e-business¹, DotMailer’s business development director, Tink Taylor, takes an in-depth look at his company’s Hitting the Mark 2009 benchmark report on marketing email. Here are his top five email marketing tips for retailers:

1) Include “forward to a friend” and “add to social networks” links. Half of the marketers surveyed in the benchmark study failed to include any kind of viral link in their emails. Yet viral and word-of-mouth marketing is an inexpensive way to spread your marketing messages, drive traffic, collect contact information, and ultimately boost sales.

2) Personalize your greeting. Seventy percent of the emails reviewed failed to open with a personalized greeting—even though such personalization has been proven to significantly improve both open and click-through rates.

3) Check renderability before sending. Nineteen percent of recipients will delete an email unread if it fails to display properly—and only 20 percent of the emails reviewed rendered correctly in every type of email account.

4) Make sure your template has a good balance of text to images. As well as helping your campaign to pass spam filters, this ensures that an email is readable when an email server switches off the images.

5) Present a clear call to action. The key to the success of an email campaign is to help recipients answer three questions: Who is the email from? What’s in it for them? What should they do next? Provide clear guidance on what you expect a recipient to do once he has read your email—click through to a product page, forward to a friend, contact someone in your sales department, request a catalogue.

¹Published: 9th June 2009
Article link
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Tune in Thursday, January 21 for Part 2: Ten tips for improved email.

The Official Social Media and Mobile Glossary of 2010

Tweet We came across this funny AdvertisingAge article today and felt it was worth sharing on our blog. How many of you can be labeled by more than one buzzword shown below?

Top 20 Labels, Buzzwords to Describe Our Curious Stampede to the Social-Media and Mobile Future
by Pete Blackshaw

My, how the digital times are a-changin'. We're downsizing to small screens, friending the world, thinking in 140 characters and downloading -- dare I say -- "billions and billions" of apps designed to make everything we do simpler, faster and more convenient (well, we think).

And so, only days into 2010, it seems fitting to take a big look over my shoulder (and even into the mirror) and affix labels and buzzwords to our curious stampede to the social media and mobile future. Here's my top 20. Miss anything? Leave comments or tweet me (@pblackshaw).

SPURNED MEDIA: Just like it sounds, earned media that goes horribly negative, invades otherwise pristine search results or bleeds into traditional media. Bad customer service is a top driver of "spurned media."

MOBILENECKING: The alarming tendency to have our necks titled down or shifted sideways -- ever glued to our mobile device. This anywhere, anyplace epidemic is increasingly common in cars, airplanes and crosswalks. Closely related to term "Eyevoidance," where no one looks at anyone anymore.

JACK RIPPER: The device warriors who hog outlets anywhere they can find them -- in the airport, via the USB port of a colleague's computer, even a restaurant reservation desk. They get a charge from a charge.

WIKI WART: A bad piece of news or an embarrassing brand episode (e.g., an activist protest or a social-media campaign that backfired) that just won't go away in a brand's Wikipedia description. PR pros often give false hope to brands of removing the warts, but relentless Wikipedia editors put them right back.

OEDIPOST COMPLEX: The curious neurosis that compels folks to sleep with their Blackberry or iPhone. The afflicted can't stop checking -- even in late hours -- for responses to tweets or blog and Facebook posts.

DECIPROCITY: When everything you post actually decreases your friend and follower count. Even when you friend or follow others, the rules of reciprocity just don't apply. Soul searching is typically in order here.

FAUX POST: When you are talking to someone on the phone and they notice an unrelated tweet or Facebook status update from you showing up in real-time. Bad form -- don't do it. (Trust me!)

APPFUSION: An inevitable outcome of app overload. Very common among iPhone users who download so many apps they can't find their address book. Appfusion can lead to as many problems as the apps solve.

BRAND TEASE: A consumer who "friends" or "fans" a brand, only to never return for a second date. Brands feed the cycle by forgetting to court the consumer with engaging, interesting or sustaining content or value.

CONVERSATIONAL DIVIDE: The huge gap between what marketers preach about social-media "conversations" and the brand's actual customer-service or call-center operations. Stems from cost vs. profit-center tension.

SHELF STORM: When organic search results suddenly go haywire, or shift to the dark side, thanks to the link-love logic of social media. Consider Tiger Woods' search-result shift from 95% positive to 60% hostile (in a matter of days). Or how brands with highly publicized service failures quickly acquire shelf-venom.

APPTOSTERONE: The mojo that fuels intense "mine's bigger/better" conversation about mobile apps. "Dude, you got Bump, but I've got FourSquare." Marketing techies are loaded with Apptosterone.

BUCK SUCKED: The condition that typically slaps you in the face when reading your credit card bill and you see dozens of "dollar" charges for music and "what the heck" iPhone or mobile apps. Expect much more of this as it gets worlds easier and more convenient to pay for online content. (Good news for publishers!)

TRUST LAPSE: The frighteningly popular tendency we have to "open up" our friend network to a cool, unknown social-media service or app. Ego, vanity and impatience often collide with rationality here.

RUNWAY REBEL: That guy (or gal) who keeps the "electronic device" going well past the airline warnings and prohibitions. We see them everywhere, and no one is innocent here.

BLOG DODGER: Someone who has abandoned his or her blog for Twitter or some other lower-hassle social-media substitute. This was big in 2009, and we'll likely see much more of it in 2010.

QUAD STALKERS: Folks from your past who "friend" you (e.g., folks you marginally knew from the high-school quad) and who seem to comment on everything you post on Facebook. Mostly benign, but a tad curious.

TWEET-SHIFTING: Delaying or mixing Twitter posts so axe murderers don't know you're miles from home. Increasingly common as a spousal and family covenant among folks who travel with high frequency.

CURBCASTING: The almost unstoppable cacophony of loud voices barking all manner of silliness into the airwaves thanks to Bluetooth devices. You see this on every street corner and curb.

TWITSTOP: A bathroom detour from a meeting or conversation in order to check e-mail, Twitter or the latest and greatest via an app. (Swear on the Bible, I don't do this ... but I'm told lots of others do.)

DIGITAL DETOX: What we all need -- at least in doses. As we've learned, total digital immersion has side effects. Let's all pursue a roadmap for balance in 2010. (This is likely the topic of my next book, so send feedback.)

Reprinted with permission from January 12, 2010 AdAge Magazine article by
Pete Blackshaw, Exec VP of Nielsen Online Digital Strategic Services.

Two-dimensional...going beyond 'flat thinking'.

Tweet Here is an excerpt from our newest white paper on 2D Barcodes. If you would like a copy, please send an email request to: rose.ehrecke@acculink.com with "Whitepaper" in the Subject line.

The current economic climate is forcing marketers to rethink how they reach their customers. What was considered savvy marketing yesterday is considered old news today. We must think outside the box and look to new avenues for generating revenue not only for ourselves but for our clients as well. AccuLink likes to refer to this as going beyond flat thinking.

The emerging generation of consumers falls into the 15-35 year old range. And most consumers in that age range, own mobile phones. In fact, there are more mobile phones than TVs and computers combined in the USA today. One-fifth of consumers access the Internet on their cell phones every day, and among consumers who shop online, 58% have Web-enabled phones. This gives marketers unprecedented access to their customer base not just by text messaging, but also by web. Smart phones are the new personal computer, contact manager, entertainment center and mobile communication device all in one. What form of technology can bring together traditional print, internet, relationship building and metrics? 2D codes.

What are 2D Barcodes (commonly referred to as QR codes)?
A QR-Code is a two dimensional barcode that is designed to have its contents decoded at high speed, allowing for accuracy in link recognition and convenient functionality. The acronym QR is derived from the term Quick Response. QR Codes were created by the Japanese company Denso Wave in 1994 as a way to track parts in vehicle manufacturing. Other industries began seeing how useful they were and started adapting the technology for their own use. From that point, mobile phone companies saw the potential in this technology and came up with QR code readers so that cell phone users could read these codes right from their phones. This technology is widely used in Asia and Europe and was voted trend of the year for 2009 in the UK.

Two dimensional barcodes are being used in convenience-oriented applications aimed at mobile phone users (known as mobile tagging). The basic idea is simple. The user scans a two dimensional barcode with a cell phone loaded with barcode reader software and it takes the user directly to a web page with marketing content. This might be coupons, promotional videos, a survey, a blog, or product purchase page. The URL can also be a link to download an MP3, dial a telephone number, or auto-fill your email client with a sender address. Two dimensional bar codes storing addresses and URLs have appeared in magazines, on signs, business cards, billboards, even coffee mugs and t-shirts.

Because scanning a two dimensional code is much easier than entering a URL into a phone by hand, these codes are touted for their ability to reduce the barrier to response. This can translate into higher response rates from consumers with web-enabled phones. Interaction takes place immediately – creating a faster way to reach the consumer. People are more likely to respond to an ad at the point of initial interest, than waiting to access the content from a computer. Higher response rates increase a marketer’s ability to form new relationships (via text messages, electronic coupons, email opt ins, etc) that may never have occurred via more traditional channels of advertising.

To view the white paper in its entirety, be sure to send an email request to the address listed above.