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WELCOME TO TEN MINUTES OF GOOD NEWS AND FUN STUFF FROM YOUR FAVORITE PRINTER!
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Message
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A Message from SD Visual Images
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The Way I See It
The 99 Club
I heard a story about a very wealthy king who lived long ago. Even though his life was filled with luxuries, he was not happy or content. One day the king met a poor man who was very happy and joyous. The king asked, “You appear to be a very poor man… how are you so happy?” The poor man said, “Your majesty, my family and I don’t need much. We have enough food to fill our bellies, a roof over our heads, and each other to keep us happy.”
The king was not satisfied with the man’s answer, so later that day he sought advice from one of his trusted advisors. The advisor said, “It’s obvious that man has not become part of the 99 Club.” The king asked, “What is the 99 Club?” The advisor replied, “To understand it, just place 99 gold coins in a bag and leave it on the man’s doorstep.”
After a long day in the fields, the man saw the bag on his doorstep. He took it inside and let out a great shout of joy when he discovered the bag was filled with gold coins. After counting it several times, he wondered, “What could’ve happened to the last gold coin? Who would leave just 99 coins!” After becoming exhausted looking everywhere for the last coin, he decided to work harder than ever to earn a gold coin to complete his collection. From that day on, the man’s life was changed. He became overworked and grumpy. He was upset with his family for not helping him achieve his goal to earn the one-hundredth gold coin. All he could think about was the coin he longed for.
After witnessing the dramatic transformation, the king’s advisor said, “Your majesty, the man is now part of the 99 Club, which is made of people who have more than enough, but are never content, because they’re always striving for the one extra thing that will make them happy.”
Here’s the way I see it: Charles Spurgeon said it best, "It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.”
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Idea
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Employ Printed QR Codes for a Rapid Response
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YOUR SECRET CODE FOR SALES
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Not long ago, scanning books or groceries using a rectangle barcode seemed quite novel. It was fast, convenient, and just a little fun. But as society’s pace accelerated, so did our need to read barcodes efficiently. In 1994, Japanese auto-makers adopted “Quick Read” QR codes (square matrix barcodes that could be scanned from any direction) that stored a hundred times more information than conventional barcodes.
QR codes have a unique look, encouraging customers to get involved by scanning the code and following the “digital scavenger hunt” you’ve created to lead them to a URL for your website, social media page, or to retrieve personalized communication from you (like texts or e-mails). QR codes are a fantastic advertising strategy as they allow users to engage with a brand in convenient, personalized ways. QR codes increase conversion rates while coaxing prospects further down the sales funnel effortlessly.
Use InDesign to Create and Modify Your Own QR Codes
Did you know you can use InDesign to create and modify your own QR code? InDesign treats QR codes as graphics, so you can scale and modify them like other artwork in your documents.
Follow these simple steps to add a QR code to your designs:
- Click and drag the Rectangle Frame tool on the page to create an empty frame.
- With this frame selected, choose Object/Generate QR Code.
- Select what type of data to encode using the Type menu. The content area below this menu will allow you to choose a web URL, plain text, a text message or e-mail option, or even a business card. Enter your preference and continue the corresponding steps to enter appropriate data.
- Click the Color tab and choose a color swatch. You can modify the color by changing the “Fill and Stroke” attributes or leave your QR code black and white.
- Click OK for your code to be added to the selected frame.
Bridge the Gap Between Print & Digital
Nielson found about 56% of consumers rely on printed materials for sales information, specifically when seeking information on a purchasing decision. Print is seen as a concrete, reliable source, especially for prospects nearing a decision.
By including QR codes in print marketing, you increase the potential for landing a valuable client. Consider using QR codes for:
- Product packaging, invoice stuffers
- Printed menus, business cards, or rack cards
- Store promotions with discounts available at checkout
- Promotional games, puzzles, or scavenger hunts
- Stickers for merchandise, packaging, displays, or cards
Print is naturally viewed as informative and trustworthy, and QR codes are a perfect tool to bridge the gap between your print and online media!
Click here to visit the SD Visual Images - Ideas Collection.
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MARKETING
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Marketing with Social Media Cards
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PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS AND SOCIAL MARKETING EFFORTS OFFLINE
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Social media cards can be a great way to promote your business and social marketing efforts offline. By incorporating your social networking strategies into your printed business card design, you can bridge the gap between your offline business networking and your online social media accounts.
While traditional business cards have primarily been used to stay in touch via sales calls, direct mail, or email campaigns, social media networking has become a popular way to create and maintain business connections. Social media cards are a great way to make your card stand apart from your competition and invite contacts to continue connecting with you and building on your business relationships through your social networks.
In addition to focusing on your social connections, you can also make your business card more personal with a photo of yourself, along with your company logo. Use the same photo that you use on your social media sites to connect them visually.
If you have a lot of information to promote, a folded business card offers double the marketing real estate and is a great way to get more bang for your buck.
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PRODUCT
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Connection Cards
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A CREATIVE WAY TO CONNECT WITH VISITORS
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Connection cards are an excellent tool for those who are looking for a creative way to connect with visitors.
Many churches and other organizations are challenged with attracting new visitors. Once new visitors come through your doors, it's important to capture their information so you can thank them for coming and stay in touch.
When creating a connection card, beware of asking for too much information. Also, be sure to ask the visitor their preferred communication method. For example, an older audience may prefer direct mail or phone calls, whereas millennials would prefer text messages, email, or social media communication.
When encouraging new visitors to complete your connection card, it’s essential to communicate clearly. For example, instead of asking visitors to “fill out a connection card” – which they may not understand, you can simply ask them to “fill out a yellow card,” which eliminates confusion.
Connection cards can be a tremendous welcoming tool that shows your audience that their visit is appreciated and you look forward to seeing them again. You can also show off your organization’s personality in your verbiage and card design. If you’d like help creating a connection card your visitors will enjoy, give us a call today!
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TECH
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Smartphone Tricks
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TRICKS YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR PHONE
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Here are a few useful things you can do with your smartphone:
- iPhone users can download the Night Eyes Lite – Night Camera to turn your phone’s camera into night vision goggles to help you see in the dark.
- Android users can use the Gmote app to avoid storage issues by streaming music from your PC to your phone using Wi-Fi and the app.
- You can turn your smartphone into a remote desktop device by installing VNC Viewer Remote Desktop from Google Play on your phone and the computer you want to have access to. You can reach any Mac, Windows, or Linux device and use your phone to control the mouse and keyboard.
- iPhone or Android users can download the Bubble Level app for an easy-to-use level for hanging photos.
- iPhone users can use the buttons on your headphones to take pictures (they should be standard wired headphones with actual buttons and not sliders). Just tap the volume up button to take pictures.
- Use the TimeLapse app for iPhone or Lapse It for Android to create amazing time-lapse videos without buying expensive, high-tech equipment.
- Android users can use the Google Lens app to get information on photos, your surroundings, and image searches. To access the feature on your iOS device, launch the Google Photos app, select a photo, then tap on the Google Lens icon.
- iPhone 8.0 (and later) users can use Surveillance App to turn your smartphone into a wireless surveillance CCTV system. Simply buy a cheap, off-contract phone, connect to Wi-Fi, and plug it in, so it doesn’t die. You can set up both video and sound alerts that allow the device to notify you and start streaming video to your guardian phone if there is any motion or noise near the surveying phone.
If you need fun tips for your next important printing project, our team of experts is full of creative print tips and ideas and would love to help!
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Fun
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Take 5 Minutes for Fun@Work featuring
In today's complex world of family issues, Focus on the Family provides grounded, practical advice for those dealing with family problems.
And Here's More Fun@Work!
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An adroit mixture of everyday settings and extraordinary events.
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A whimsical, slice-of-life view into life's fool-hardy moments.
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A wry look at the absurdities of everyday life.
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An irreverent look inside the world of business and finance.
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Printer@Work Newsletter is available via e-mail on a free subscription basis.
You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time. For more information about SD Visual Images, visit sdvisualimages.com.
Copyright © 2018
SD Visual Images, 40 Hudson Street, Marlborough, MA 01752 508-481-2948
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