Higher education marketing teams and administrators have long used direct mail for recruitment, fundraising, and branding because it’s a remarkably effective tool. However, a successful campaign extends deeper than mailing lists, printing presses, and postage. The printer you choose can play a vital role in advancing your initiatives, giving you peace of mind with a trusted partner in your court. So, how can you know whether your printer has what it takes to move the needle? The answer comes down to asking the right questions.
In this article, we’ll describe three questions to consider that can reveal whether a printer shares your dedication to achieving your mission – or they’re merely interested in landing another print job.
3 Revealing questions to consider before hiring a direct mail printer
When you’re looking to partner with a new direct mail printer, sometimes it takes gut instincts to determine whether they’re the right fit for you. Other times, a smart mental assessment will do the trick. To help you find a partner that looks out for your interests, consider the following questions that can reveal a lot about the value they can deliver.
- Do they understand your marketing challenges?
When you meet with local print shops about higher education direct mail campaigns, imagine a scenario where your marketing challenges take center stage – not their desire to sell a service. Envision them digging deep to thoroughly understand your obstacles, so much that you walk away feeling invigorated and satisfied that they thoroughly grasp your unique needs. This picture is the epitome of a valuable printer partner. By cultivating essential foundational knowledge about your situation, they can better execute a printing strategy poised for success. - Are they genuinely invested in helping you reach your institution’s goals?
Higher education direct mail printers worth a second look are those that express authentic interest in helping your team get the most from your campaign. Ensure your prospective printer invests the time to digest your goals and demonstrates a genuine interest in helping you reach them. Ask yourself: will they use variable data printing to optimize your success? Will they continue to help me achieve my goals through services like database management? Whether your campaign must help secure donations, enrollments, or memberships for your institution, look for signs that a printer cares about helping you cross the finish line. - How will they help you achieve your stated mission?
Finally, consider the resources and capabilities a direct mail printer brings to the table, and decide whether they have what it takes to help you advance your mission. In-depth higher education printing experience, advanced direct mail technologies, and sound marketing advice are just a few ways a direct mail printer can help you intelligently leverage your resources – however limited – in a highly competitive landscape.
As a local commercial printer serving higher education institutions across Philadelphia, including Montgomery and Bucks counties, we diligently work to understand the marketing challenges facing this sector and design higher education direct mail print strategies to achieve their stated missions. Our quality, accuracy, and efficiency make us the premier choice for direct mail printing and distribution that gets results.
Contact us to learn more about the benefits of partnering with us for your higher education marketing and branding campaigns.