The popularity of riding a bike continues to increase. The boost can be at least partially explained by a couple of factors. One being more and more individuals are making an effort to reduce their carbon footprint and are using the bike as a form of transportation. Very few will ride their bike to work everyday, but many bike enthusiasts will make an effort to cycle to work at least once a week and certainly more often with nicer weather. The second reason to explain additional riders on the streets and bike paths is more and more people are concerned about their fitness.

Bicycle shops should take advantage of the increased levels of interest with a proactive marketing campaign. Promotional postcards can be used to advertise a sale, new inventory, or a new store location. Postcards work well because they can be designed in full color and incorporate photographs of bikes and equipment into the layout. They can be mailed to a surrounding area, or specific zip codes which indicate strong demographics for the bike shop. Postcards can also be handed out at local bike races and events.

Frequent visitor cards are a great tool which should help bring in more customers. One example is to give a customer a punch or a stamp on a card for every time they have a bike tube replaced. For instance replace eight bike tubes and the ninth is free. Frequent visitor cards are typically printed on the same size card stock that is used for business cards. They can even be die cut to mimic the shape of a bike, or a bike wheel. This will give the card a unique appearance.

By properly utilizing printed marketing materials a bike shop should be able to see an increase in sales that matches the increased levels of interest in bicycles.

Well put simply digital printing has changed the face of print advertising. Not only has the digital age made print more affordable to everyone but, in this fast paced world we live in where time is everything, that all important question of turnaround has been addressed by the advent of digital printing and has been the saving grace of many a hard pressed over stressed printer.

Not so long ago, this was not the case. Professional printing was largely produced by offset litho printing, which, is not only expensive and for the most part out of reach for the general public who simply want to get some invitations printed for their special occasion or some memorial cards. The biggest cost implication for any printer using only offset litho printing is the time it takes to produce the simplest of invitations or a few hundred business cards or flyers. In order to print using an offset printing press the printer must first create the file, place the print on a plate, expose the plate to light using a print down frame and then develop the plate using a special solution. The image is then transferred to a rubber blanket and is finally printed on the your chosen media. This is a time-consuming and messy affair and if you change the content / text or graphics then the plate has to be made all over again which adds extra cost.

But thanks to modern advancements and technology this arduous procedure is no longer necessary for 80% or print media. More than ever before, businesses now opt for high speed fast turnaround and cost effective digital printing, with the added benefit of personalised variable data digital printing. Variable data is an ideal tool for use on a few hundred promotional brochures or promo cards to new potential customers which will make a lasting impression and maximize the effectiveness of your marketing and promotion campaigns.