Business Management - Marketing/Sales

There was something about the recent In-Plant Printing and Mailing Association (IPMA) conference in Charleston, S.C., that really made it stand out; something more than the great sessions and packed vendor fair; something beyond the fact that Ricoh Americas launched a major color print system there, bringing the event into the national spotlight.

IPG talked with Richard Beto of UT-Austin about why he markets his in-plant and how open houses help bring in business.

YouTube is the most popular video-sharing Web site available right now. It allows you to upload as many videos to the Internet as you want, for free.

In my last article ("Should In-plants Offer VDP and Marketing Services?") I suggested that a better question might be, "Will this increase the value of the in-plant?" The answer, of course, is yes.

EVIDENCE OF how social media is taking the business world by storm is everywhere. Facebook "Like" buttons, Twitter links and invitations to follow RSS feeds seem to grace every Web site.

Topics our readers cared about, including the Washington State Printer and issues with in-plants and their inherent value to their parent organizations. Also, the effect of social media is discussed by our readers from around the country.

In December, University of North Texas Print & Mail Services held its most successful open house to date, bringing 140 people into its in-plant for tours, demonstrations and food. Director Jimmy Friend says he targeted vice presidents, deans and department heads this time.

DWAYNE MAGEE first heard about QR codes at last June's IPMA conference. "It was the most exciting thing I'd seen at a conference in a long time," he recalls. Watching a demonstration of how the two-dimensional barcodes could be scanned with a smart phone and instantly open a specific Web site on the phone's browser gave Magee lots of ideas.

By some estimates, blogging and social networking sites account for about one in every six minutes of the time spent on the Internet. Social networks can be used to spread information about your organization to customers and to enhance customer interaction and brand recognition.

We asked 10 managers how they market their in-plants—without a marketing budget. They offered some excellent ideas.