New Year’s Resolution: Get a Social Media Style Guide

Posted on January 16, 2019 Written by

social media style guide for personalized print businessNew Year’s resolutions aren’t just a good idea for your storefront—they are also a great way to improve your online marketing! No matter what your social media goals—whether they include starting your social media presence, gaining more followers, or posting more often—you should consider creating a style guide as part of your plans for the new year. Here’s what you need to know about having a social media style guide.

What’s a Social Media Style Guide?
You might not think of social media as having a particular style, but having a style guide for your social media posts will help your social media have a more consistent feel. Just like you might have guidelines for print ads or a basic script for talking to customers, your style guide is a way to help customers get to know your business and your brand.

What Should Be In Your Social Media Style Guide?
Once you have decided that you want to create a style guide, you should take some time to figure out what you want to convey to your customers. Here are a few of the elements that you should include:

  • Grammar Guidelines—Grammar ranges widely on social media sites, so knowing how strictly you want to stick with grammar guidelines is an important. Using perfect grammar can convey a professional tone, while loosening up on grammar rules can come across as more casual and friendly.
  • Formatting—Having formatting guidelines for your social media posts is an important addition to the grammar guidelines. Will you include hashtags with every post? Or will your posts be primarily text-based? Do you need to have a photograph with every post? If you want a consistent format, this is a chance to establish that format.
  • A Tone—What personality do you want your customers to perceive when they see your social media profile? Are you cheerful and upbeat or formal? Are you energetic or calm? Keeping this tone in mind can help ensure that these personality traits come across to your customers.
  • Image Guidelines—Images have a lot of appeal on social media, so it’s a good idea to consider what types of images you will use. Consider what fonts you’ll want to use on images, what colors you want to use, and what size those images should be.
  • Schedule—While your schedule isn’t necessarily part of a traditional style guide, it can still be a good addition while you are collecting other guidelines for your posts. Want to post once a week, or twice a week? Make a note of that.

Are You Ready to Put It Into Practice?
Ready to go? Once you have your guidelines in place, all you have to do is get posting to your social media sites! These guidelines might take a bit of practice at first, but your style guide will give you an easy-to-reference document to work from.

Do you have a style guide for your social media posts? How do you use that guide? We’d love to see your advice in the comments below.

Filed Under: News

New Year’s Resolution: Take More Breaks (And How to Do That)

Posted on January 11, 2019 Written by

new year's resolution for your personalized print business take more breaks

The start of 2019 is a great time to look back at 2018 and consider how you can improve your work and your business in the next year. And, if the end of your year was anything like ours, you were probably busy during the holiday season. If the holiday rush left you feeling harried, you might want to consider this idea for a New Year’s resolution: taking more breaks.

Why Take More Breaks?
It can be hard to justify taking a break, especially when you’re feeling overloaded, but breaks really do help you work better! In a 2013 article, the New York Times wrote that a strategic break in your day “boosts productivity, job performance and, of course, health.” If you spend too long on one task without giving yourself time to refresh, on the other hand, you might find your energy and your focus flagging.

When Should You Be Taking Breaks? Consider Scheduling them Ahead of Time
If you’re having trouble taking breaks, you probably want to get the most out of the breaks you take. A number of different sources have weighed in on how often you should take a break and how long in order to get the most out of it:

  • One University of Illinois study suggests taking a break once every hour.
  • Magazine suggests taking a break every hour to hour-and-a-half.
  • Desktime, a time-tracking app, says that it’s most effective to take a 17-minute break every 52 minutes.
  • Robert Pozen of the MIT Sloan School of Management suggests taking a break every 75 to 90 minutes
  • The popular Pomodoro Technique is based on taking a short break every 25 minutes and a longer break every 90 minutes or so.

So which of these recommendations should you use? That depends on you and what works best for your business. You could try out each option for a day or two to see which one makes you most productive, you could pick the one that works best with your work load for the day, or create a system of breaks that is entirely your own.

And, once you’ve got a system in place, be sure to follow it. Make those breaks a part of your schedule so that you have time set aside every day to recharge. Put them on your calendar, and, if you have to, set a timer.

Can’t Take A Break from Work? Take A Break From Your Current Task
If you feel guilty about taking a break, you’re not alone. According to one study, most people just “power through” their work day. And sometimes you genuinely can’t get away from your work on a busy day. So what should you do then? Consider taking a break from your current task by changing your focus to another one. You might not be taking off for a walk or a run to a local café, but the change in topic will still give your brain a chance to recharge before you get back to it.

Is taking more breaks on your New Year’s resolution list? We’d love to see your resolutions in the comments below! And be sure to check back next week for another of our New Year’s resolutions that you might want to consider adding to your list.

Filed Under: Education, Marketing, Misc, News

Added Professional Print Touches for the New Year

Posted on January 10, 2019 Written by

Whether your customer is updating their existing print order or creating something entirely new, the New Year is a good time for them to add a bit of extra polish and professionalism to their suite of stationery products. How can they do that? Here are our four tips.

1. Coordinate
Nothing says “You are in good hands” quite like a well-put-together appearance. From employee dress to consistent signage, your customer has probably considered this already, but they might not have considered the importance of coordinating their image across their print pieces, too.

That doesn’t mean that everything has to match exactly, though. The design they print on white letterhead for everyday use, for example, could feel more stately on an ivory stock. And speaking of ways to make designs feel consistent without making them match exactly…

2. Let Brand Colors Take Center Stage
Whether or not your customer wants to put their logo on a given print piece, using their brand colors for every piece is a good way to make every print piece they use feel like a cohesive whole. For some pieces your customer could highlight their logo, but others could simply feature that logo’s colors to create a different look that still connects back to their brand.

3. Don’t Be Afraid to Get Creative
Sometimes changing things up is a great way to pull together a more creative set of print pieces. Does your customer have an abstract or geometric logo? Consider printing it very light across their letterhead for the look of a watermark or letting it extend beyond the cut edge of their business card for a creative accent. Does your customer usually use their logo as the central design in their print—except in one photo-heavy brochure? Consider using that logo as an accent or highlighting it on the back of the brochure alongside your customer’s contact information.

This creativity doesn’t just add visual interest—it allows your customer to be more flexible with their print pieces. After all, with a little bit of flexibility in their brand look, they can create a wider variety of designs for their print.

4. Consider Texture
One way to bring together your customer’s print pieces with style is to use only one or two stock textures throughout their print order. Using the same stock to unify your customer’s business cards, letterhead, and stationery envelopes is a great way to give everything a consistent feel.

And, for additional polish, Navitor offers CLASSIC® Linen and Laid Papers. Not only do these stocks provide a subtle texture that will add a touch of elegant appeal, but the CLASSIC® brand is one that your customers can rely on. Choose linen papers for a cloth-like texture and laid for a handcrafted feel. To learn more about these stock textures, check out the Neenah website for more information on CLASSIC® Linen and CLASSIC® Laid.

How do you help your customers create a polished print order? Do you help them coordinate their print pieces? We’d love to see your tips in the comments below.

Filed Under: Business Cards, Design, Folders, Labels, News, Print Products, Promotional Products, Stationery

Check Out Label Sales Tools in 2019

Posted on January 9, 2019 Written by

Happy New Year! Now is the time we all say ‘Hello 2019’ and ‘Hello’ to creating this year’s plan to target new label, decal and sticker sales growth. Go ahead and mark it off your ‘to do’ list because Label Works already has the plan taken care of.  Check out our FREE, ready to use sales tools below to see how growing business is really as simple as 1-2-3.

First off, we all know clients love seeing materials that speak directly to their market, day-to-day needs and goals. So why not use a sales presentation that does exactly that? Just use and repeat the steps below for any vertical you’re targeting this year and ta-dah your presentation is ready!

  • Zoom Catalog – Use this resource to re-brand our free marketing pieces with your own company name and logo. Your individual sales reps can also customize these with their contact info. Start with our e-catalog then move to one of our many Sales Flyers. These flyers highlight types of labels, their uses and available options for each market. Simply find the customer type that you’re speaking to, create a PDF of the flyer or print it out and share!
  • Physical Sample Kit – Gone are the days of having to show your customer samples that do not pertain to them and trying to get them to use their imagination to fit them into their world. Our sample kits are designed to include stickers that speak to specific markets. As you open the kit, you can share how every label within it speaks to your customer specifically. Ideas will start flowing! How cool is that?! These kits make a wonderful tool to mail out directly to customers as well.
  • Vertical Market Deck – We all love happy endings! Our vertical market deck, made up of 18 different 5 x 7” post cards, provides you with a success story to share with your customer that is relevant to their industry. Not only that, it is also an end customer facing piece that shares various label ideas and benefits that will help spark additional conversation. How do you use this tool you ask? It’s easy! Simply pick out the card that matches the industry you’re meeting with, pair it with the branded sales flyer and physical sample kit and you have the perfect presentation combination! Keep this tool at your office, in your vehicle or even utilize the e-version that is available to share via email!

One important key to growing sales in this product line is to simply make sure your potential and existing customers are aware that you sell it! Whether you like to call them labels, stickers or decals, we’ve got you covered. Using the above tools, as well as help from your label expert team at Label Works, makes this easy. Happy Selling in 2019! We’re excited to partner with you again this year!

Filed Under: Labels, Marketing, News, Print Products, Resources

5 Tips For Achieving Your Goals in 2019

Posted on January 4, 2019 Written by

Creating and working toward yearly goals is an essential way for you to bring more success to your business, but achieving your goals can seem like a daunting challenge. That’s why we’ve brought together five tips to help you achieve your goals.

1. Know How Much Time You Have
One essential element of making an attainable goal is to give yourself a deadline. Of course, yearly goals are a great way to do this, but good goals aren’t just a year-long endeavor. Consider whether your yearly goals can be broken down into smaller tasks throughout the year or whether some of your smaller yearly goals can be achieved by midyear rather than leaving them for the end of the year.

And speaking of breaking down your yearly goals…

2. Break Things Up
No matter what the large goals you have, they can seem daunting when you look at them as a single, large objective. As a result, it can be a good idea to break those goals down so that you have a smaller, more manageable set of subtasks.

3. Make Sure Your Goals are Measurable
It’s easy to make your goals vague. Maybe you are concerned about failure and are leaving yourself wiggle room in your goals. Maybe you want to make progress in general but are unsure how to measure that progress. However, making your goals measurable is an essential element of ensuring that you can achieve them.

If you’re hoping to add new customers, for example, knowing just how many customers you want to bring in will let you know how you’re progressing throughout the year. If you want to be more consistent about your marketing, make sure you have certain tasks that you must achieve each month.

4. Make Sure Everyone is On The Same Page
Your business’s high-level goals can feel like they don’t connect with every employee’s day-to-day work, but it’s important that everyone knows how their job connects with those goals. No matter what their role, whether they work to market your business or they are working with customers on a daily basis, everyone should have goals that support your business’s goals and should know how their goals support the business.

5. Celebrate Success
Celebrations are great motivation, and celebrating your business’s achievements can help motivate everyone to work harder on their own goals. Celebrations don’t have to be big—breakfast for the team during the last part of a big project or a round of applause at a meeting can still give motivation a boost. No matter how you celebrate, though, that celebration can help everyone at your business keep up their momentum to ensure that you achieve your goals this year.

Need more ideas? Throughout the month of January, we’re going to be bringing you ideas for New Year’s resolutions that you can use in your business. Keep an eye on the blog for more ideas for goals you could pursue throughout the year.

What goals are you working on in your business? We’d love to hear about how you’re working toward achieving them in the comments below!

Filed Under: Education, Marketing, News

2019 is Here—Do Your Customers Have The Stamps They Need to Make Their Mark?

Posted on January 3, 2019 Written by

Now that January is here, are your customers ready for the year? And, just as importantly, are the stamps and daters they use ready too? Don’t let your customers get stuck without time-saving stamps in 2019. Contact them about ordering—or reordering—the stamps they love to get ready for the New Year.

A New Year, A New Dater Stamp
Now that 2019 is here, one of the most important things your customers might want to update is their dater stamp. Most of our dater stamp bands are good for five years, and their band might be running out. Ordering early will help ensure that they can easily date their documents, paperwork, and more throughout the year. Daters are also a product where buying earlier is a good way to ensure your customer gets the most use out of their purchase—after all,the earlier they order, the more time they’ll save in 2019.

Does your customer want something new out of their dater stamp order this year? They’re in luck! We’ve added Comet and Pullman stock band stamps to our catalog in 2019. These heavy-duty stamps bring together an industrial grade body and a long-lasting band, making them a durable option for daily and repeated use.

Signature Stamps Save Time
Does your customer want to save time on the paperwork they fill out regularly? A signature stamp could be the best option, especially for businesses where one employee will be signing a lot of paperwork or signing for frequent package deliveries. They can scan their signature to create a stamp that replicates that writing without the need to sign every time.

Notary Stamps and Embossers
The New Year is also a great time to ask about new notary stamps for your customers who are certified as a notary public. Because their stamps or embossers need to be updated periodically, checking in with these customers is a good way to make sure they are prepared for the year.

Which stamps are your customers ready to refresh? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Marketing, News, Print Products

What’s New at Navitor? New Promotional Products!

Posted on January 2, 2019 Written by
promotional products pens mugs metal color accentHave you taken a look at the 2019 Navitor catalog yet? If you haven’t, you might have missed that we have a wide variety of different promotional products joining our offering! Because so many new promotional products are joining our catalog, we wanted to take a moment to introduce you to all those new options. Take Note with NewPens Writing utensils are one of the most effective promotional products, and we are proud to bring two new pens to our offering. If your customer wants a pen that does double duty as a highlighter, the new Fusion Highlight Twist Pen features a built-in highlighter in their choice of four different colors. And if they want something really eye-catching, the Luminate Prism Stylus Pen features illuminated laser engraving and a stylus on a metallic pen for a high-tech look and feel. Raise a Glass to NewDrinkware If your customer wants to go big with their accent mugs, they have two new,larger-volume mug options that are sure to please. The Digital 15 oz. Accent Mug is printed in full color and features a colored interior and handle that can be chosen to coordinate with your customer’s design. The 16 oz. Black Accent Flare Mug is a stylishly shaped black mug with your customer’s choice of five interior colors and printed with a striking single-color design. Is your customer looking for a good way to keep things cool?We’re delivering that, too. The Digital 16 oz. Acrylic Tumbler with Straw pairs a lidded tumbler style that is perfect for picnics and other outdoor events with full color print! And for health-conscious customers, the 20 oz. Aluminum Sports Bottle and 26 oz. Groove Grip Plastic Water Bottle are new water bottle styles that their employees or clients will love. And we have new drinkware accessories, too! For those water bottles, we now have water bottle bags that make them portable and will keep their contents cool. We’re also adding the Slim Fit Pocket Can Cooler to our selection of can coolers, and it is ready-made for the slimmer cans that have recently become popular. Promote with NewOptions Alongside these popular promotional options, we’re bringing you a selection of brand new options for 2019. The Luminate Flashlight Key Fob is a miniature flashlight personalized with illuminated laser engraving. Business Card Sized Mint Dispensers feature sugar free peppermints in a convenient dispenser shaped like a credit card. Lip balm in a variety of flavors is also joining our offering—and it’s made in the USA.If you want to know more or are looking to place an order, take a look at the Promotional Products section of the 2019 Navitor Catalog. And we’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.Which of these new promotional products is your favorite?
Filed Under: Education, News, Promotional Products

70 Years of Print History

Posted on February 14, 2018 Written by

Print technology is changing every day, and with Navitor celebrating 70 years in the print industry, we wanted to take a moment to explore the many ways that it has changed since we first put ink on paper. We’ve seen new terminology come onto the scene, new file formats and print tools, and many digital developments. Here are just a few of the big changes that we’ve seen over the 70 years we’ve been in business.

1948      The first of the companies that came together to become Navitor was founded.

1949      Phototypesetting was developed.

1950s    Term “prepress” replaced “pre-makeready” used in commercial letterpress, particularly in regard to printing photoengravings.

1951      Inkjet printing was developed.

1957      Helvetica typeface was introduced. Helvetica remains one of the most popular typefaces.

1957      Dye-sublimation printing was developed. We still use sublimation to create vibrant badges and other specialty products.

1959      Xerographic office photocopying was introduced.

1963      Pantone Color Matching System was introduced. It’s still the premiere color matching system to this day.

1969      Laser printer was invented at Xerox.

1970      Water-based ink was introduced.

1974      American Printing History Association was founded.

1975      ISO standard for paper sizes was introduced (ISO 216).

1981      The Internet was developed. If you’re reading this, you probably have a good idea of how much that development has opened up possibilities for print businesses.

1983      Desktop publishing was developed.

1987      Soy-based ink was developed.

1988      Adobe Photoshop raster graphics editor was introduced. Photoshop and other Adobe programs are still some of the most popular for creating print documents.

1991      TrueType scalable computer fonts were introduced.

1993      The Indigo digital color printer was introduced.

1993      Portable Document Format (PDF) files were introduced.

1996      OpenType scalable computer fonts were introduced.

2003      Hewlett Packard wi-fi laser printers were introduced.

2006      The G7 method for color management was introduced.

2008      Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical foundation was rebranded under a new logo and the name Printing Industries of America (PIA).

As you can see, there have been a lot of advances since Navitor got its start. We’re proud to have stood with you through the rise of digital technology, the development of new file formats, and the evolution of new print processes, and we look forward to the advances that the future brings!

What bits of print history have made the biggest impact on your work? We’d love to hear more from you in the comments below.

Filed Under: Marketing, News

Navitor Receives G7 Qualification Renewal

Posted on December 18, 2012 Written by

Navitor has received a renewal of our G7 qualification for exceptional quality. This confirms our intentions of being a quality printer who you can rely on for consistency, while producing a product that meets and exceeds  your customers expectations.

What is G7?
The G7 master printer qualification mark means that Navitor conforms and uses the most modern technology, techniques, proofing and press controls required to produce a close visual match from proof to print! To retain our G7 qualification year after year Navitor submits press sheets for verification to IDEAlliance along with our curve corrections that indicate our G7 Calibration is being maintained.

In 2011 prior to implementing G7 methodology and achieving our G7 Master qualification we recorded 482 jobs that had some type of a color issue. As of December 2012 we have had 73 jobs with a color issue to date which is an improvement of 84%. The G7 method has also provided our company with improved press stability which has decreased our make press prep time and waste.

We will continue to invest in the G7 qualification year after year because when ordering full color Stationery and Presentation Folder products we want you to have the best quality product that you can be proud of.

Additional information on G7 Qualifications is available at the IDEAlliance website.

 

Filed Under: News

The History of Navitor

Posted on November 20, 2012 Written by

Every company has its unique story and history that shapes who they are, how they operate, and what they value. Navitor is no exception. As a recognized leader in wholesale printing, we are often asked:

  • Who is Navitor?
  • Where does the name “Navitor” come from?
  • How long have you been in business?

The purpose of this article is to share our story and offer a closer look at how our company — today known as Navitor — evolved into one of the largest personalized print providers in the country.

Who is Navitor?

Navitor, a subsidiary of the Taylor Corporation, is a trade-only commercial printer that provides personalized business products to a network of print reseller members throughout North America. From business cards, stamps and signs to banners and presentation folders, we supply our network of members with a wide range of customized business stationery and office products. A G7® Master Printer, we support our members with high-quality, sustainable, convenient and dependable production facilities across the country.

Where does the name “Navitor” come from?

With roots in the word “navigation,” our company name implies guidance and the role of pathfinder. We strive to help our member customers thrive as marketing and creative businesses that provide their clients with unique and valuable personalized business products. We feel the Navitor name also makes a strong connection to innovation and technology, two strong attributes of our business.

How long has Navitor been in business?

Navitor was formed in 2008, when Carlson Craft Business Solutions, Regency, Cosco and Label Works — all independent entities of Taylor that specialized in personalized business printing solutions — merged to create one unified brand.

While our company name and structure is fairly new, the history of Navitor dates much further back — more than 60 years. To truly appreciate the history and breadth of printing experience we bring to the industry, we must first tell the stories of the four companies who merged to create Navitor.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: News
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