You’ve heard me say it before; gone are the days of the passive print buyer. They are no longer sitting back and waiting for print reps to cold call them or invite them to lunch. Today, consumers are proactive. They research their options. And the advancement of the World Wide Web has enabled them to spread a much larger net, capturing information on potential suppliers well beyond the area of their zip codes or states.

The average consumer is also becoming more and more Internet savvy—and they expect you to be able to keep up with them. As a printer, your goal should be to get potential clients to your website—and engage them while they are there. This will ensure repeat visits, and eventually develop brand loyalty. Here are a couple of ways to get buyers to keep coming back:

1) Offer podcasts
2) Launch surveys
3) Provide educational videos
4) Request their participation in forums
5) Host webinars
6) Write blogs

The more ways you engage with a print buyer, the more credibility your business will gain in his or her mind. Another option to reach buyers is through social network sites such as FaceBook, MySpace, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flikr and Twitter. These sites digitally map individuals’ real-world social connections and facilitate the exchange of information, and organizations can gain direct access to millions of users. That means unlimited potential for creating brand awareness.

At work and at home, people are checking their social networks to see what their friends are up to and what causes they can support. By joining such e-communities, people will be repeatedly hit with your logo and company information for minimal or no cost.

Check out Pizzazz Printing’s “Printing’s Alive” YouTube video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpAuDrs5ocg and you will see what I mean. It is an instant community—people write their thoughts, vent their frustrations and forward the link to friends. At the time I am writing this, the video has received 153,320 hits. Now that is return on investment!

So what are you waiting for?