Posts Tagged ‘Petaluma’

Event Marketing Materials–Messages that Matter

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

When you are planning an event, or have a program to present, it is important that you meet your goals and communicate effectively.   Ajalon can help with any aspect of what you need, whether it is with posters, banners, tickets, programs or PowerPoint presentations. When you want materials that will engage your audience, or stand out from the crowd, and attract people to your presentation we are ready to help.

Posters

Posters come in all sizes and formats.  You can have your posters digitally printed on a wide variety of materials.  Posters can be used to advertise an event, to draw attention to a particular presentation in a booth or to let people know of a drawing for a prize.  How ever you want to use a poster, we can help you design and print it.

Banners

Banner can be used indoors or outdoors.  They can be part of a large display or they can stand alone.  We have made banners for a company in Santa Rosa that wanted to prominently display rules for drop off that could be read from a vehicle.  Social or community events often use banners to announce the event and add to the festive atmosphere.

Once again Ajalon can help with your banners.  Our  vinyl banners are durable, affordable, and come with finishing options that make them easy to display. We can design any banner  so that you can fully customize what you need with images, photos, graphics and text.

Tickets

We have been producing tickets fund raising breakfasts in Occidental and Santa Rosa.  Casino nights in Windsor or silent auctions in Petaluma.  Whether you need books of tickets stapled together, pull off tabs or to have them numbered, we can handle it for you.

We have both a digital press and letterpress that can number, perforate and print, so whatever you need we are able to produce–pronto quick.  Call us and find out what Sonoma County’s oldest printer can do for you and your ticket needs.

Programs

After all the planning and getting ready, you might realize that now you need to tell people who come to your event or presentation what is going to be happening and where. Now is time for your program.

Often this item is left to the end because of all the other more pressing details of the event.  Ajalon can help you design and print your program quickly.  We have multiple machines available that make it possible for us to meet your deadlines and create exactly what you want.  You can relax knowing that Ajalon will take care of it.

Written by David Walrath

Ajalon Printing & Design

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Business Builders for Doctors and Dentists

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

There are some marketing materials that are particularly appropriate for doctors and dentists.  These are referral forms or pads, practice brochures and welcome packets. Ajalon has been providing these for medical and dental professionals in Sonoma County for over 50 years.

Referral Pads or Forms

Some specialties such as periodontics and orthodontics rely on referrals from general dentists.  Ajalon has been involved in providing attractive, effective forms for dentists from Ukiah to Petaluma for many years.  Whether you need pads or individual forms.  Carbonless forms are no problem.  Maps and postcards are easily provided.  Whatever you need is only a phone call away.

Practice Brochures

It is especially important when someone comes in contact with your office, whether it is in Sebastopol or Santa Rosa, that you have a well done brochure to explain your practice to them.  Your brochure should communicate the particular focus that your practice has and provide a warm, welcoming message.  We are proud of the many medical and dental professionals that we have been honored to help over the years in designing and printing their practice brochures.

Welcome Packets or Pocket Folders

When a new client comes to your office for the first time there is a lot of information that needs to be communicated and forms to be filled out.  It is a good practice to have a welcome folder with the forms to fill out and information about your practice for them to take home.

At Ajalon we are experienced experts in planning and producing presentation materials that fit for your office.  If you are looking to upgrade your look, and to present your practice in the best light possible, call or email Ajalon today.  707.528.0288 ajalon@ajalon.com

Written by David Walrath

Ajalon Printing & Design

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Books, Biographies and Manuals

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

It used to be that books were something that big, mega sized companies published and the rest of us bought  in bookstores. But that is no more.  Ajalon Printing & Design has printed as few as 20 books for a gentleman from Oakmont.  Conversely, we have printed tens of thousands of books for John Lee MD Solutions in Sebastopol.

With the computer and the digital world upon us, it is possible to print most any size or quantity of books.  It can be a short run of poetry books for a reading in Petaluma or the book faire in Santa Rosa.  We can do perfect binding (soft bound), so that the book looks like a regular trade paperback.

Or for that especially precious biography, we can do a hard cover book in a large or small quantity.

We do many different types of binding from plastic spiral binding or comb binding.  Wire-0 or velo binding.   Or the traditional saddle stitched pamphlet or chapbook.

We love helping our clients with their books.  For some people this might mean even scanning something previously printed for which there is no digital file.  Scanning can be done quickly and it is a lot easier than retyping many pages.

Some people bring in books created in Microsoft Word and we can format them for printing into a book of a traditional size paperback.  We can add art or pictures to a book and help in the layout.

So book printing is right up our alley.  We have been helping folks from all over Sonoma County with their bookmaking needs.  After we do a book, often times people bring in their friends so that we can help them.

With our letterpress we can produce beautiful poetry books where the type kisses the fine 100% cotton paper and leaves a sweet impression.  The quality of the written document literally makes an impression that is beautiful and classic.

So we aren’t one of those big publishing houses, but if you want to self publish a book or just get a few copies of a manual printed, Ajalon Printing can help you.  Give us a call today.

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Program Guides Provide Personal Service

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Program guides are really like catalogs but list services provided rather than items to be sold.  They are a little different from newsletters, which can include events and services provided as well as newsletter items.  Gyms, non-profits and schools are businesses that use program guides.

The Santa Rosa Junior College class schedule and Community Education Bulletin are examples of program guides.  You can find a lot of these bulletins and guides in places like Sawyer’s News in Santa Rosa or Copperfield Books in Sebastopol or Petaluma.

In some ways a catalog, program guide or bulletin is really just grown up brochure or newsletter. Services or programs grow to the point they can’t fit into one of these former printed publications, and become a stand alone catalog.

We have worked with guides for the Occidential Arts and Ecology Center, the Angela Center in Santa Rosa and programs from Life School in Bodega Bay.  We can help with design and layout or just take your files and prepare them for printing.

Some smaller organizations don’t need thousands of program guides and we can economically produce smaller numbers with our digital capabilities.  We are always happy to talk with you and assist you at whatever stage you are in with putting together your program guide or bulletin.

Written by David Walrath

Ajalon Printing & Design

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Properly Present Yourself

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

Presentation folders are an important part of your marketing materials.  Your business card, letterhead and company brochure all seem pretty straight forward.  But when you actually get in front of a client or want to send something to a prospect what do you do with your cover letter, proposal, your business card and brochure? Obviously the most professional thing to do is arrange them properly in a presentation or pocket folder.

No matter if you are a small start up in Petaluma or a established business in Santa Rosa, you want to present yourself well.  Making a good impression with well presented materials can go a long way in making a positive impression on your prospect.

So where do we begin?   For many years Ajalon Printing has been helping Sonoma County businesses with their presentation folders, They come in a variety of sizes and purposes:

  • letter size
  • legal size
  • reinforced edge
  • small pocket folders
  • box pocket
  • expansion or capacity folders
  • foil stamped
  • special shapes
  • custom pocket
  • embossed

What goes on it?

The first thing a person should see when viewing a presentation folder is your company logo and/or name.  Even if it is a small pocket folder, your company name should be clearly visible.  I’m often asked by clients if they should print their contact information such as address, website, etc. on the folder. Since it’s often that pocket folders aren’t ordered as regularly as letterhead or business cards, I encourage people to keep the information on the folder pretty limited. That way, if they move offices, change phone numbers or websites, the presentation folder will still be usable.

What size ?

The typical size of a presentation folder is 9″ x 12″ which presents full sized letterhead well with plenty of room for additional materials.  At Ajalon Printing we can provide you with special sized pocket folders that can hold a tri-fold brochure or even legal sized documents.  Whatever your needs are rest assured we can help you put your best foot forward.

What materials and colors?

It is best to choose a thick folder stock that is durable and will continue to look good. Glossy can look good, but darker colors can become marked with finger prints.  Obviously the colors and style should be consistent with your that of your company. Dark colored papers with vibrant foil stamping make a dramatic presentation for your company. If you’re after a subtle, elegant look, embossing your logo (with no ink at all) is a good choice.

What else should I be aware of?

Would you like one pocket, left or right, or two pockets.  There should be slits for business cards and in this day and age you might want a way to present your CD or DVD.  You may want special or custom features in your presentation folder, our experienced staff at Ajalon Printing can help you get just exactly what you want.

So the next time you are considering how to make that special presentation, give us a call or email us at ajalon@ajalon.com for prompt, professional service.

Wrtitten by David Walrath

Ajalon Printing & Design

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A Real Life Story
The Value of a Newsletter
Does this Newsletter Thing Really Work?

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

Ok, we’ve have been talking about how printed newsletters are so great.  So tell me about somebody in Santa Rosa or Sebastopol who used newsletters and helped their business.  Does it really happen?

Newsletters do work.  I mentioned “By Referral Only” earlier.  Joe Stumpf does a marvelous job of training real estate professionals to use newsletters as part of their business growth and referral.  Following is a testimony of one of those agents recounting the impact of her newsletter:

Pam Sitterly, with RE/MAX, sends her newsletter to 225 clients a month.

“I attribute about 65% of my income to my Client Newsletter,” says Pam. “I invest $1.17 per client per mailing. I send it in a 6″ x 9″ envelope and pay for two-ounce postage. I mail 225 newsletters per month and it brings me a $29-to-$1 return.

“The newsletter is the single best investment that I know of for keeping in touch. My clients never wonder if I’m still in the business, because they have a monthly reminder that I’m still their Realtor, with my name and contact information easily at their fingertips.

“Preparing the newsletter gives me great pleasure, even though my assistant takes care of the bulk of it. I frequently receive compliments on it, which I love. Readers find it endearing, and it establishes a rapport that otherwise might not occur so quickly.

“I make the newsletter my own by including a monthly staging tip and real estate Q&A. Page eight is always a full-page flyer promoting one of my listings. Almost every month readers enter the trivia contest to win a pair of movie tickets.

“The newsletter is as much a part of my real estate business as buyers and sellers. It helps define who I am and how I run my business. It is extremely important to me and is one of the reasons I love what I do.”

So there you have it.  One business person who uses her newsletter and finds it very profitable. I would be willing to wager that those who don’t use a newsletter probably think that it doesn’t work.  Those who do probably have real life experience that it does.

You can see in Pam’s testimony the benefits that a newsletter has for any business, whether you are in Windsor or Petaluma or anywhere is the Wine Country.  Sending out a newsletter serves as a monthly reminder to your customers.  It establishes rapport and gets clients involved in your business and thinking of you.

Pam even sees it as creating part of her identity.  The professional who stays in touch.  Wouldn’t that be how we would like our customers to think of us?  She feels proud about using this valuable marketing piece and it gives her greater job satisfaction.  All things we love to hear.

Written by David Walrath

Ajalon Printing & Design

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5 Winning Newsletter Strategies
Keep in Touch and Improve Your Business

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

We have been talking about how businesses in Sonoma County have been printing newsletters and staying in touch with their customers from Healdsburg to Petaluma. We can think of no easier way to improving relations with your customers.  So here are more powerful strategies:

  • Include people in your newsletter. A strong connection with the reader can be including guest columns about company successes written by employees or customers is a great way to show readers that you are making a difference by producing quality products.
  • An easy way to impress readers is to include a section listing your business’s most recent statistics. Along with sell statistics, you can include customer satisfaction ratings. Let those you serve vouch for the quality of service your business provides.

For example: when wineries here in Sonoma County receive a gold metal in a wine competition or score over 90 in Wine Spectator or Wine Enthusiast, it’s time to send out a newsletter.

  • Include a “frequently asked questions” section. Identify at least five of the most asked questions about your business and/or the products and services it provides. Then provide both the questions and answers in your newsletter. This is a great way to not only provide information about your business but to solve questions about your business as a whole.
  • Consider featuring an advice column. People love to read about challenges that others have and hearing your solutions.  Dear Abby and all the other advice columns are evidence to this.
  • Humor is always entertaining. Some businesses send out send out newsletters that are 90% humor.  People become addicted to reading their monthly humor.  Some employees who have left one place call so that they can continue receiving their monthly fix at their new job.  Such loyalty we love.

Printed newsletters can’t be beat for keeping in touch with clients.  In these economic times it is important to stay in touch with those people who bring us business.  Those pesky sales associates from ‘other’ companies are more likely to be out there, getting in touch with your customers.  Keeping in touch is better than scrambling to repair damage already done.

Written by David Walrath

Ajalon Printing & Design

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