Digital Original: Making the Most of Graph Expo Take time to talk to vendors about exactly what tasks new employees will need to know. During your visit to Graph Expo in Orlando this month, you will want to keep in mind your staff - ing needs to support the new technology you will be seeing. As the industry changes, printers have to rethink their organizational chart. Gone are the days where anything relating to a computer is delegated to the prepress department. You need specialists with new skill sets to help deliver new services. Take time to talk to vendors about exactly what tasks employees need to know. Copywriter If you are going to provide marketing services, a copywriter or content creator must be added to your staff . Th is person writes and manages content to maintain a clear, concise message over a variety of communication channels. Th e writer assures continuity of the marketing message across brochures, newsletters, Facebook posts, blogs, Twitter feeds, and other channels. Th is can be a high value service that increases revenue. A number of vendors provide industry-specifi c content for your marketing if you currently don’t have a copywriter. Th ose services provide email copy, social media posts, and online news feeds that deal with print marketing topics. It is important to edit the material for your needs. Be careful about what gets posted automatically. Recently, one printer found his email marketing provider was including links to political messages. Know what is being sent to your customers. Data Services Manager Data is an important part of marketing activities. Today’s customer data requires data mining, management, and variable output. Someone on staff must drive variable data printing and mailing services as well as integrate marketing messages. Personalization creates new opportunities that opens the door to increased sales. Help is available. Digital Formatting Services (EZ-VDP.com) provides an array of print-industry specifi c services ranging from database management, addressing, and VDP fi le creation. Most digital printing equipment manufacturers have data supports services in place to help you get your data services up and running faster. Web Master Th e presence of vendors off ering web-based online print support services continues to grow. Th e web master role is to take a printer’s Internet capabilities and turn it into an automatic customer service system that is constantly working to capture more sales. A web master makes sure the marketing and ordering systems are working and everyone is trained properly, including the customers. Th e position requires a technical computer background, but print website providers have extensive training available to support the web master position. Th e number of web tasks are growing at such a rate that it is becoming a dedicated position. Workfl ow Manager Automated order entry and production integration of the diff erent vendors’ systems can be complicated. It oft en requires a person in-house to keep the soft ware programs running smoothly. Many of the web-to-print solutions and printer’s MIS system route jobs from order entry directly into production. For many shops, the prepress staff is currently handling all of above functions, but soon there may be too many tasks for one or two people to maintain. Th e new positions will be needed, but they must be added carefully so they will pay for themselves and quickly contribute to the bottom line. Learning exactly what skill sets your new employees must have will be critical in making the right hiring decision. Your success will depend on the planning you do today. Use the knowledge found at Graph Expo to kickstart your future. By John Giles Senior Consultant for CPrint International John Giles is a senior consultant for CPrint International (cprint.com). He helps printers prosper and understand how to sell the technology services. Giles is the author of 12 Secrets for Digital Success and The DTP PriceList. He can be reached at 954-224-1942 or john@cprint.com. Find this article at PrintingNews.com/12228406 52 Printing News ® September 2016 PrintingNews®com
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