By doing your own flyer printing, you can advertise your business, participate in local events, and share useful information with customers
Even if your company is primarily digital, flyer printing can be a vital part of your business strategy. That's because flyers provide tangible reminders of what you do, and when, where and how you do it. Prospective customers can easily scroll past an online ad or an e-mail. A physical piece of paper is harder to ignore, whether it's in front of their eyes in public, or in their hands at home.
While you can outsource flyers to a professional printing company, small businesses should consider doing the work in-house. Informative flyers are simple to create, and even simpler to print. Once you have the right tools, you can create flyers within hours rather than days. From there, you can use them to advertise, share information, and even give back to your local community.
Find everything you need to pick the perfect printer in Business Printers: The Complete Guide.
Why print flyers?
Flyer printing has a long and storied history. Flyers, whether stuck to buildings or handed out to passersby, have captured people's attention for more than 600 years. Less than 100 years after the invention of the printing press, flyers helped spur on the Protestant Reformation. Since then, they've advertised goods and services, spread information, and even sparked political movements. Flyers may not be high-tech, but people use them because they work.
Depending on your particular business, flyer printing may take a number of different forms. Generally speaking, flyers are useful in two situations: highlighting events, or sharing information. In either case, growing companies can often benefit from printing these pages in-house.
Advertise locally
Take a walk down a busy city street and you'll likely see people handing out flyers. But even if you don't take one, you'll still see them plastered over every available surface. You may also notice that the vast majority of these notices are about nearby organizations and events.
Brand recognition is arguably the biggest benefit to distributing flyers locally. The more customers see your company's name and logo, the more they will remember it. With some well-placed pictures and a little bit of text, you can also explain exactly what your organization does, and what sets it apart from other local competitors.
If customers see this information where they live or work, they may also associate your business with a particular neighborhood, rather than viewing it as a faceless, locationless entity. While the exact effectiveness of flyer distribution is difficult to gauge, it does help distinguish local businesses from distant online competitors.
Did You Know?:The RICOH C125 MF can print up to 26 color pages per minute. It can also scan, copy, and fax documents via an intuitive color touchscreen. Click here to learn more.
Promote partnerships
The best small businesses aren't just places to buy things. They're also invaluable pillars of the community. One of the best ways to show your support for your neighborhood is to get involved with a local charity. As charities often run seasonal events, a well-timed flyer can benefit both organizations.
The first step is to find a local charity whose goals and interests align with yours. A clothing store might partner with a homeless shelter for a coat drive, while a gym could organize a run to raise funds for a nonprofit.
After that, simply distribute flyers as you would for advertising. A good flyer should contain your business's name, the charity's name, the date, time, and/or place for your joint event, and an eye-catching graphic. If your business owns a suitable printer, you also have the option of same day flyer printing. This means you can get the word out ASAP rather than having to coordinate with an outside printing company weeks in advance.
Share information
While flyers can make a big impression outside of your office, they can make an even bigger impression inside. That's because a flyer is an easy, affordable way to share information with both prospective and existing customers. Flyers are also infinitely reproducible on-demand. If you have your own office printer, you can create one or hundreds, as needed. The RICOH C125 MF printer, for example, can produce up to 26 color pages per minute.
The beauty of a flyer is its flexibility for different uses. Medical practices can print at-home care regimens, complete with pictures, and fold them into easy-to-carry pamphlets. Restaurants can print takeout menus; dance studios can print class schedules; real estate offices can print local property listings. Whether you want to give new customers a glimpse at what you offer or help existing customers make the most of your services, a flyer is a quick and straightforward way to do so.
Did You Know?:The RICOH C125 MF printer offers business-quality color duplex printing with USB, Wi-Fi, and ethernet connectivity. Click here to learn more.
Acknowledge your employees
There's a good chance that you've worked at a company where you've seen an "Employee of the Month" flyer. However your organization approaches it, good managers should aim to praise excellent employees. And in those cases, a physical, personal flyer is more tangible than a kind word.
If "Employee of the Month" seems too cliché, there are other options. Distributing an impromptu flyer that lists an employee's recent accomplishments (along with a flattering photo) can be both a pleasant surprise and a sign of a supportive workplace. You could also highlight multiple employees each month, each for different accomplishments. This type of one-off flyer would be cumbersome for an outside printing company, but simple for an in-house printer.
Do your own flyer printing
Whether you want to distribute flyers around the neighborhood or around the office, you still need to print them first. While outsourcing the job to a professional printing company may make sense if you need many thousands of flyers, printing in-house is often a better bet for smaller jobs.
As is the case with printing your own business cards, flyer printing costs can vary considerably. The price depends on the kind of paper you use, how many copies you need, and whether you want to print in color. As an example, though, suppose you wanted to print 500 pages. With a RICOH C125 MF printer, each page would run you about 19 cents, between paper and toner, bringing the total to $95.
However, bulk printing companies can generally do large projects much cheaper than individual offices can. These companies can often print projects for as little as a few cents per page — provided you're willing to order 1,000 or more. If your company routinely needs thousands of color flyers, rather than dozens or hundreds, a professional printing company might make more sense.
Another skill that’s helpful for flyer printing is a little graphic design know-how. If you have a background in visual arts, you should be good to go with the program of your choice. However, if you don't, there are plenty of software and templates that can do the bulk of the work for you.
If your organization has Microsoft Office, the underappreciated Microsoft Publisher Designs can help create gorgeous flyers in an hour or two. Adobe has a free flyer-making tool online, while a quick online search reveals dozens of excellent templates for Google Docs.
Our recommendation: RICOH C125 MF
For DIY flyer printing, the RICOH C125 MF is an excellent choice. This all-in-one color printer can produce dozens of flyers per minute, in either single- or double-sided formats. Since it also has scanning and copying capabilities, you can also reproduce existing flyers in a matter of minutes. With a small footprint, it fits on most office desks easily, and supports USB, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi connections.
Note: Information and external links are provided for your convenience and for educational purposes only, and shall not be construed, or relied upon, as legal or financial advice. PFU America, Inc. makes no representations about the contents, features, or specifications on such third-party sites, software, and/or offerings (collectively “Third-Party Offerings”) and shall not be responsible for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of such Third-Party Offerings. Please consult with a licensed professional regarding your specific situation as regulations may be subject to change.
