Image courtesy of karen horton’s photostream

You have heard it before, and you will probably hear it again: the ‘experts’ say print is dying, and with the Digital Age not slowing down any time soon, printed items may one day be extinct.

While it is true computers, smartphones and every other piece of technology make our lives easier and save some trees along the way, it is inaccurate to say print is going to be irrelevant in the future. In fact, print serves as a great complement to technology. Barbara Pellow, Group Director at InfoTrends and former CMO of Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group, seems to agree with this statement. In January, Pellow conducted a webcast introducing her 2013 Top 10 Trends for the Printing Industry.

In her Top 10, no less than five of them directly related to how technology is changing – and improving – the print industry. Web-to-Print, she predicted, will be very popular, allowing for more online, on-demand printing opportunities. Mailers will be personalized more than ever before, including PURLs linking to content customized for each recipient.

Pellow also said she thinks mobile marketing will be at all-time high, with mobile codes printed on packaging, brochures, etc. so they can be scanned by mobile devices. Social media will be integrated with direct mail campaigns, the goal being that the two together will generate a better response. And digital printing (another advantage of technology advancements) will be making it all possible, with projects being quicker, easier and more cost-effective to complete.

Without a doubt, Pellow is right: 2013 will be a year where print evolves, and technology will play a large role. Some may say print is on its way out, but after looking at Pellow’s trends, it appears as though print is here to stay… and is only getting stronger as technology advances.

Pellow’s complete list of Top 10 Trends for the Printing Industry this year can be read here.

Image courtesy of Jinx!’s photostream

Hello again from your friendly neighborhood designer. Today’s topic: print! Registration, process colors, show through, binding, finishing… there are just so many terms and so many customizable specifications, diving into print can be a bit overwhelming. But worry not! Click the thumbnail below for a downloadable PDF cheat sheet of common print terms for your reference.

I won’t claim this is a comprehensive list, but it should at least get you started. And if you ever have further questions about a specific piece, my best advice is: ASK! Printing is something of a craft, and in my experience printers take pride in their work and want your projects to turn out well just as much as you do. Never be afraid to ask your printer for suggestions or advice!

Image courtesy of Labor Lawyers San Jose

Many important milestones in life – whether it is graduating from high school or college, getting married or the birth of a child — call for celebration. Typically, these celebrations involve gifts from friends and family members and, in return, the dreaded writing of numerous thank-you cards begins. Letting someone know that you appreciate them and their time is an important thing to do, however, even if there are consequences (specifically in the form of hand cramps). The art of thank-you letters has been lost on many, but that doesn’t mean that your business should stop doing them, too! In fact, now is the time to make use of something that is rare these days in order to spur positive word-of-mouth advertising, improve customer retention and boost the overall positivity of your brand.

Here are some tips for creating the perfect thank-you letter to a client:

Determine your format. Depending on who the client is, and what you are thanking them for, you may choose to handwrite or type out your thank-you letter. Keep in mind that a handwritten, personalized note shows more effort and attention than one that is simply printed out on your company letterhead.

Keep it genuine. Avoid clichéd responses, such as, “We hope to do business again with you soon.” Instead, sincerely thank the customer for their business and let them know how much you appreciate working with them. If possible, specifically mention how their gesture has impacted your business.

Do not combine the letter with a sales pitch. Sending a thank-you note out to a client means that you have already received some type of business from them. Don’t be greedy! Focus in on your intent to express your appreciation for the client and do not attempt to make another sales pitch in the same note.

Personalize as much as possible. Include the client’s first name in the greeting and mention the date that you last saw them, if applicable. When addressing the recipient, do so with the same degree of familiarity that you use when addressing them in person. For example, you would not address someone as “Mr. Smith” if you are on a first-name basis with them.

Keep it first class. Believe it or not, postage can actually play a part in the impact of a thank-you note! Avoid running the letter though a postal machine and hand-stamp the letter with a first class stamp instead. This small gesture will show your thoughtfulness and will reach the client faster.

Although “crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s” takes a little longer to do than sending an email, your customer will definitely appreciate the time that you took to thank them in a form that has been lost to many in our technology-centered age. So, what are you waiting for? Break out the pen and paper and get started!

Sources: Chron, Bright Hub, http://strategicvirtualsolutions.net/thank-you-note-tips/#

Photo credit: thethreesisters

I have a secret to admit…whenever I interview a candidate and think they would be a good fit for an opening I have, I always search the candidate’s name on Google before I submit the candidate to a business owner or hiring manager. I am located in Ohio and responsible for hiring all across the United States and Canada.  I don’t have the luxury of meeting all the candidates in person. For this reason, I feel the need to do as much research on a potential candidate as possible, since my name and reputation are at stake. Up until just a few weeks ago, I’ve never rejected a candidate based on what I saw on their social media accounts.

I recently interviewed a candidate for an immediate opening I had. The candidate did great on the interview and I knew she would be a great fit for the position. Before I submitted this individual to the business owner, I looked her up on Google. Nothing really stood out to me as a “red flag” so I moved on. At the bottom of the candidate’s resume, she listed the different social media websites she was a member of and included a link to each of her accounts. She had a link for LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

I went to her LinkedIn page first. It was well done and I could tell that she spent a good amount of time making sure it looked professional. The next site I went to changed my positive thinking about her. I opened her Twitter account. Her Twitter updates were mostly racist and very inappropriate. She had posts making fun of people she worked with and encountered through work. For example, she had one post talking about how much she hated visiting a particular client and made a point to use the company name and her contact’s name and how she couldn’t wait for it to be over. She had other posts where she said negative comments about her boss and current employer.

For those who know me, I can be very sarcastic and some don’t always understand my humor. I have a Facebook page and I’ll admit, some of my posts are questionable. I’m a diehard Michigan Wolverines fan and I have posts talking about Michigan State and Ohio State, but I am very selective about who can view my posts. Only my friends can view them and I make sure that I don’t say anything negative that could affect me personally at my job.

After reviewing her social media accounts, I decided against sending this candidate to the business owner. When the business owner asked me for an update on my search, I told him the truth about how I had a great candidate who could easily fill the position, but after looking at her Twitter, I decided against it. He questioned me on why I did that, so I explained and even pulled up her account so I could read some of her posts to him. He agreed and thanked me for the research I did on his behalf.

In today’s world, almost everybody has some sort of social media account. Is there anything negative on yours that could hinder a new job opportunity or potential business deal? Are your social media accounts private and if not, is there anything questionable or inappropriate you may not want others to see? Take a few minutes to update your account settings and review some of your questionable posts. You never know who may come across it.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Commonly mentioned in both the technology and marketing business sectors, the cloud is a concept that was originated in the 1960’s. It took the greater part of four decades to become a reality but the cloud is alive and well, making business transactions, social networking, and software training (to name a few) easier and more accessible for businesses and consumers alike. The cloud itself can be thought of us a space in the sky that stores, maintains, and executes information. There are many benefits to using the cloud, starting with physical space. The amount of space required to house a mainframe, even a relatively small mainframe, can require a temperature controlled room separate and secure from the rest of the office facility. Not only is this inconvenient but it’s also costly. Everything from the valuable space a mainframe consumes, to utility costs, to employee costs required to maintain the mainframe, the capital expense can be too much for a growing business to handle.

The cloud is an all-encompassing space-saver that can allow a small, growing business to compete in the same arena as an industry giant. The cloud replaces hardware with IaaS, operating systems with PaaS, and applications with SaaS. The aaS in our acronyms represents the phrase, ‘as a Service,’ which begs the question, what is as a service?

As a Service is the on-demand, self-service that allows users to obtain, configure and deploy information without the assistance of the technology function of a business. aaS is the service and / or software delivery model in which software and associated data are centrally hosted on the cloud. Most commonly, aaS is accessed by user using a thin client (a computer, computer program or tablet) byway of a web browser. In more common vernacular, the aaS is a pay as you go service allowing users (internal or external) to access information. Common forms of this include CRM, MIS, or HRM systems.

Briefly mentioned above are Iaas, PaaS, and Saas. These are the three most important aaS options but by no means are these the limit of this space. Additional aaS options include Network (NaaS), Storage (STaaS), Securtiy (SEaaS), Data (DaaS), Database (DBaaS), Test Environment (TEaaS) and so on. The opportunity and options are only expected to grow in the coming years so expect to hear more about other service options shortly.

IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) is the capability provided to the user for processing, storing, networking that allows the user to run software including operating systems and applications. The user doesn’t have control of the infrastructure but does have control of the operating system, storage and running applications. There are other controls the user may have that relate to networking such as firewalls but typically, these functions are very limited. To make this a little simpler, think of IaaS as the hardware that makes a computer function. Components such as the computer terminal, networking cables, ram, storage space, and so on are all embodied in IaaS.

PaaS (Platform as a Service) is the functionality available to the user to deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created applications created using programing languages, libraries, services and tools supported by the provider. The user doesn’t manage the infrastructure, nor does he/she control the network, servers, operating system or storage but more or less has control over configuration settings for the application hosting environment. Simply stated, PaaS is comparable to the Windows or OSX operating systems for PC or Mac. They run on the infrastructure, store crucial pieces of information, and deploy applications as needed.

SaaS (Software as a Service) is the capability provided to the user to access and run proprietary applications on a cloud infrastructure. Applications are available through thin-client interfaces, including web browsers or program interface. The user doesn’t control or manage the cloud infrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage or individual applications capabilities. What the user does have access to is the limited user specific application configuration settings. In simpler terms, SaaS is the user’s ability to access a cloud based application on their computing device. This can include social networking websites, email, online gaming, CRM systems, etc.