Late last week I was cruising through my LinkedIn groups, fishing for rich discussions and meaty topics, when I came across a conversation that reeled me in. This particular group that housed the conversation existed specifically for higher education advancement and marketing. Members of this group truly pose some of the best questions and polls to gather public opinion on current trends and practices in their industry.
The question that caught my attention, along with the answers provided by professionals who have similar demands as some of our best customers, really painted a great picture of some do’s and don’ts when faced with print budget cuts. I’ve wrapped up the conversation into a neat little package for you—here is what higher education marketing and communication professionals suggest to consider in your next budget meeting:
Do’s:
- Better segment your audience
- Remove recipients who have little to no engagement from the mailing list
- Consider higher quality print pieces
- Print and mail comprehensive mailers biannually coupled with strategic emails.
- Fill every space of the publication with the best of the best (In other words, make it worth printing and reading!)
- Ensure your mailing list is clean, update addresses, work with a provider that will provide extensive list hygiene to reduce postage.
Don’ts:
- Use DIY photography or crowd-sourced photography from students for your publication. Results come across as sub-par and unprofessional. (Unless the student photography is amazing, of course!)
Outsource your project overseas. Lead time, customs ramifications, and time differences take away from any price difference in the end, so why not keep it local?- Move from your regular and trusted printer to an unknown printer to save minimal dollars.
- Skimp on quality. These publications can be “showpieces,” so don’t create an inferior product.
I couldn’t agree more with these Public Relations and Recruitment professionals within higher education. They know their industry backwards and forwards, so it’s nice to see that the sentiments about relevancy, segmentation, and quality resonate. This is great, practical advice on how to stick to a budget without sacrificing quality.
B&B has extensive experience with several higher education institutions in the southeastern region, including VCU, William and Mary, and University of Maryland.
With our end-to-end, data-driven print, mail and fulfillment programs, we provide a seamless solution for many of our customers.
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By +Maggie Young