When you’ve won over a customer in the competitive printing industry, you’re facing a challenge. Getting them to come back for seconds is even more difficult, especially when the likes of online printing and tightening profit margins have been nibbling away at the margins of the print shops.
Well-known advertising expenses, and the never-ending competition from other print shops are pushing the industry to find smarter, more cost-effective ways to market their services. That’s where email automation takes centre stage.
Email automation is no longer a tactic exclusive to eCommerce brands. When used judiciously, it can be the difference-maker that helps printing businesses secure repeat orders, fortify their client relationships, and predictably fill up the books, and it’s a tool that print shops that are seeking long-term growth can use to a great effect.
In this blog, we’ll be dissecting the concept of email automation, its significance for print shops, and how VDvibe Agency is helping printing companies convert one-time buyers into ardent regulars.
Why Repeat Customers Matter More for Print Shops
When discussing printing companies, repeat business is key, think business cards, banners, brochures, packaging, event supplies and holiday printing.
Well-known customers are more likely to order again, as long as your brand is top of mind, and that’s precisely what marketing for print businesses should be focusing on, rather than trying to find new customers.
Repeat customers:
- Cost less to market to
- Order in higher volumes
- Trust your quality and pricing
- Refer your print shop to others
Email automation takes care of that beautifully, sending out regular, automated communications that keep your existing customers coming back.
What Is Email Automation?
Printing businesses can automate the process with the use of pre-planned, and highly personalized messages, triggered by the actions, timing, and buying habits of the recipient, when sending out emails to customers. Gone are the days of sending emails one by one, as automated systems now send order confirmations, reorder reminders, service updates, and promotional offers all by themselves.
Automating this communication process can be a real time-saver, and print shops can make use of tools such as Klaviyo to send out emails to their customers with a professional, and personal tone, that is the foundation for long-term engagement.
Why Email Automation Is Perfect for Printing Businesses
As for printing businesses, the behavior of their clients is fairly predictable. Reprints, upgrades, or new marketing materials are basically a certainty, and email automation fits perfectly into this rhythm, sending timely reminders and relevant offers to customers.
Since automation in a printing business isn’t dependent on paid ads, and sets up a system that runs all the time, even when you’re not actively marketing, it’s an excellent way to fuel the growth of your printing shop.
Order Confirmation and Thank-You Email Automation
When a print shop receives an order, sending a confirmation and thank-you email to the customer is a way to professionally and reassuringly re-iterate the order, also presenting the chance to bring up extras such as banners, posters and high-end finishes.
VDvibe Agency skillfully designs these emails, mirroring the brand’s identity, while quietly nudging the customer towards a potential future order.
Reorder Reminder Automation for Print Shops
They may forget when they last ordered, and when they need to reorder, when a customer orders printing services from a print shop. Reorder reminder automation is one way for print shops to send emails to their customers after a certain period of time has passed. A few months for business cards, and a shorter period for packaging and bulk print orders.
The benefits of this marketing strategy is that it leads to consistent repeat orders with relatively low marketing costs and works quietly in the background of your business.
Upselling and Cross-Selling Through Automation
Speaking of print shops, email automation can be a game-changer. Coming rushing off the heels of a brochure order, a customer might be in the market for flyers, and if a business has already supplied a banner, they’re probably going to be interested in standees or signage solutions.
This kind of automation helps printing businesses bump up their average order values, and because the emails are so personal and based on past orders, customers are much more likely to engage with them and make additional orders.
Seasonal and Festival-Based Email Automation
With respect to peak periods like festivals, exhibitions, weddings and corporate events, the demand for printing services can be very high.
Seasonal email automation is a fantastic way to send customers reminders and special offers every year, taking the manual hassle out of the equation, and since these campaigns can be scheduled months in advance and repeated annually, it’s essentially set-and-forget.
Working with tools such as Klaviyo, VDvibe Agency help print shops put together seasonal automation flows that kick in consistently and seize on those periods of high demand, making seasonal marketing a lot more productive.
Re-Engaging Inactive Print Shop Customers
When customers stop ordering, automated emails are a great way to re-engage them, and sending them a reminder, a special offer, or an update on new services can be all it takes to rekindle a relationship and prevent a customer from being lost.
Re-engagement automation is a cost effective marketing strategy that focuses on the existing contacts that a print business already has, unlike spending money to acquire brand new ones.
The Power of Personalization in Email Automation
In the case of email marketing, a tailored approach is what makes automation truly shine for print shops. Thanks to modern email marketing tools, print shops can now send emails that speak to the individual recipient’s history, type of business, order frequency, and location, sending corporate clients professional messages and individuals get the more personalized communication.
This sort of personalized automation can be just what gets the needle moving on your open rates, click-through rates and repeat orders, and in the case of print shop businesses, puts email marketing far beyond the effectiveness of standard, generic emails.
Best Email Marketing Tools for Print Shops
Klaviyo is one of the top contenders, and its capabilities are on par with the best in the industry, when choosing the right email marketing automation tool for printing businesses. Offering advanced automation, segmentation, behavioral triggers, and in-depth analytics, Klaviyo’s got all that you need to elevate your email marketing to a new level, and that is why VDvibe Agency often turns to Klaviyo for their clients in the print sector.
Now, email marketing giants like Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign and Brevo are also used by printing companies, but VDvibe Agency, has a soft spot for Klaviyo for it’s scalable, results-driven email automation capabilities.
How VDvibe Agency Helps Print Shops with Automation
There’s more to it than just the software, strategy, content and execution all come into play, which is what VDvibe Agency does for printing businesses, when sending automated emails to customers. They’re laying out the steps their clients need to take to make sense of their customer journeys, design and execute workflows, write emails that are basically guaranteed to convert, and even hook up Klaviyo, a marketing automation tool.
Well-known for their systematic approach, VDvibe Agency’s approach to email marketing ensures that the results of their campaigns are measurable, rather than a wild guess.
Measuring the Success of Email Automation
When analyzing the success of email automation for print shops, you can look at open rates, click-through rates, repeat orders, customer lifetime value and the revenue brought in from each email campaign. All of these give a clear picture of what’s working and what’s not.
Well-known email automation platforms such as Klaviyo provide real-time feedback that allows VDvibe Agency to fine tune and continuously improve the effectiveness of their automation.
The Future of Marketing for Print Businesses
Those who don’t have a system in place for consistent follow-ups, are in a lot of trouble, when the competition for print customers becomes increasingly cutthroat.
Well-known email automation allows small print shops to hold their own against bigger brands, sending out professional and perfectly-timed communications that keep their business in front of their customers.
Coming rushing into a print shop and asking for a quote, or sending a handwritten note, just isn’t enough anymore. Automation builds trust, reinforces relationships and gives you a steady stream of repeat orders, making it an absolute necessity for modern print marketing.
Final Thoughts
When discussing printing businesses, email automation is no longer just a marketing tactic, but rather a long-term growth system. Combining strategic planning, personalization and the capabilities of Klaviyo, printing shops can transform one-time buyers into repeat customers, and VDvibe Agency is here to support their email marketing efforts.
FAQs
1. Why is email automation important for printing shops?
Automation is the secret to staying connected with them, and since their printing needs are often recurring, sending automated reminders, follow-ups and exclusive offers gets them coming back for more, when sending to your printing customers. Coming hotfooting back to a printing shop can be expensive for both the business and the customer, so automation really helps cut those costs, and frees up your time, all the while nurturing long-term relationships. And because your print shop is always front-and-centre in the minds of your customers, customer retention and a regular flow of revenue become virtually guaranteed.
2. How does email marketing for printing shop businesses increase repeat customers?
With respect to getting repeat business for a print shop, email marketing is basically sending reminders to customers about your services, and encouraging them to come back. Automated reminders for reorders, updates about services and special seasonal offers get people excited about ordering from you again. Emails that take into account what they’ve previously ordered build trust and are so much more relevant to their needs. As a result, over time your print shop becomes synonymous with reliability and they’re more likely to reorder from you rather than going to the competition.
3. Which email automation tools are best for print shops?
In relation to email marketing for print shops, there are several tools that are being used, such as Klaviyo, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, and Brevo. Out of these, Klaviyo stands out with its ability to create advanced automation, segmentations, and analytics for print shops that see repeat customers. Coming from a marketing agency, like VDvibe Agency, they’re able to help pick out the right tool based on the size of the business and its goals, and get it implemented.
4. Can small print shops benefit from automation for printing?
In terms of marketing for a small print shop, automation is the best option for those companies. Gone are the days of manual follow-ups, wasted time and inconsistent marketing. Even with a small client base, automated emails can bring in repeat orders and a more faithful client base. It also empowers a small print shop to look more professional and compete with bigger brands.
5. How often should print shops send automated emails?
With respect to sending out emails, the frequency is largely determined by the behaviour of your customers and the type of service you’re providing. Order confirmations can be sent out straight away, reorder reminders may be monthly or quarterly, and promotional emails should be kept to the minimum to prevent being marked as spam. At VDvibe Agency, we create email automation plans that are designed to be helpful and engaging, but don’t overwhelm customers.
6. How does VDvibe Agency support email marketing for print businesses?
VDvibe Agency takes care of everything from developing a winning strategy to crafting compelling content, hooking up the right tools and fine-tuning the whole system, when creating email automation for printing businesses. They zero in on creating seamless customer journeys, hyper-personalized messages and monitoring how well the automation is working. This all but guarantees that email marketing becomes a reliable cash cow for print shops.