Business Day Thursday: 10 Profit Building Uses For Banners In Your Business

Good Morning Everybody,

Today is the day we head to New Orleans.  I'm not sure what quite to expect, but I was on the phone with my friend Ralph Romaguera last night and he said something about planning to need Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to recover. Sounds like quite the weekend to me. Anyway, we are really looking forward to it.

Since we've got a plane to catch in just a few hours, let's get right on with today's post.

10 Profit Building Uses For Banners In Your Business

  On Tuesday, I showed you the banners we created for my Bar Mitzvah client a few weeks ago. Hey, I know what you're thinking, "I don't have clients with that have that kind of money for me to have banners at one of their events." Well, I didn't either till I pitched the idea over six years ago.  Needless to say, they were a BIG hit.

Let's just set all the "It won't work for me" objections aside for a minute and look at the banner possibilities. 

Hit the “Read More..” link below for my Top 10 Business Building Ideas for Banners.

Here is my list of the Top 10 business building ideas you could do with banners for your studio.

1. Banners for events like I've been describing recently, bar and bat mitzvahs, wedding receptions, anniversary celebrations, high school class reunions, commercial clients annual sales meetings….  Makes for some great party decor - if your client can afford to really go-all-out for their event.

2.  Tone it down a bit and just offer a smaller version for a rehearsal dinner or even a wedding.  I'm thinking a 24x72 inch banner in one of Lexjet's inexpensive banner stands [link]. This could be set-up near the entrance, or near the guest sign-in book. Of course, your name would be prominently displayed on the banner as well.

3. Use this same smaller banner version, make one up on "spec" and offer to your vendor buddies in your community featuring their work.  It’s an eye catching piece for their bakery, florist shop, catering sales office, bridal salon, tuxedo rental store..... with your branding included on it, too.

4. Bridal Fairs - hey, a couple of these banners are really good attention grabbers and much less expensive that framed prints. They could easily augment your display. Several banners can look very professional, placed at the back of your booth. Left blank on part of the banner, I've used them as a projection screen for my videos/tutorials or a looped slide show within my booth.

5. Have you worked your way into any charity event, yet?  When you do, a few banners featuring the charity's good works at the ballroom entrance just might be a nice place to position your branding.  Oh, and yes, you volunteer to design the banners as well.  That gives you the perfect reason to include your branding on the banners.

6. Shooting family portraits?  A small banner might be just the thing for your client's family room.  It's fun and eye-catching at the same time.

7. Hey, what works for families above is perfect for high school seniors.  Think about it - a collage, say 24x36 inches, of the high school senior is several changes of clothes, sports attire, etc.  The small banner could be a great "essence catcher" of the grad and a BIG hit at their graduation party.

8. Have you ever thought of approaching a mall about supplying for them, at no charge of course, display materials for their occasionally vacant retail spaces.  Of course the display materials are your banners.  What a concept - you provide them a solution to their vacant store front with your photography.  It's a Win-Win, the space looks "occupied" while you get the benefit.  My buddy, Kent Smith, is currently providing that same thing with a mall in Columbus, Ohio.

9. These banners are easy window display pieces for your studio. Easy to light. Easy to exchange from event to event announcing your current marketing campaign and displaying your seasonal "specials".

10. Shooting a prom? Shooting the Little League teams? The banners provide an easy way to showcase your package selections. Why not create some excitement with a large display explaining the package selections available? 

There you have it some great ways to get some good promotional mileage out of banners.  Don't have an ink-jet printer you say? Frankly, I think that's why it's a good idea to own one.  The promotional possibilities are endless.

The biggest one you would need would be a 24 inch wide printer.  Epson and Canon run promotions all the time.  I just picked up my new printer and got a $1000 rebate - sweet.

OK, the printer is still out of your budget, then just surf the net till you find somebody that will do it for you. My buddies at Simply Color, a brand new service, is offering completely digitally printed "anything" - check them out right here.

A simple Google search for banners pops up lots of companies.  The average cost is about $1 per square foot depending on media and size of output.  I checked out BannersOnTime [link].

After mousing around their site I found a 24x72 inch paper banner for $62.40 - 5 bucks a square foot - a bit high. So just look around the net for some better deals.

So folks, there's no excuse.  Whether it's for studio promotion or product sales, you've got some doors opening for some new things to think about at your studio.  Have fun.

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Hey everybody, that's it for me today.  I hear the jet engines revving up and we need to be on that plane. I plan on seeing you tomorrow from the great state of Louisiana!

See ya' in the morning,  -David