Staying relevant

The goal of this post is transparency.

We continue working with the auction industry on a daily basis promoting their auctions through printing and mailing brochures, flyers, sale bills, and post cards. We have done this for the past 30 years.

We used to print for auctioneers all over the country. We ran two shifts of designers, editors and coordinators for our auctioneer customers. Our primary focus was industrial publishing. We had numerous clients from all over the country needing a 96 hour turn around to include – proof approval, print, and mail. That is our specialty.

Well, times have changed. No longer is it the case where we are running two shifts due to auction volume. The auctions are strong and they are still here, they are just relying on other resources to get the word out about their auctions.

“You guys are great, but I have a printer down the street that takes good care of us.” “We really don’t do print anymore.” “Most, if not all of our auctions are online, so we don’t need to print.” “Printing and postage is so expensive these days. I can promote my auction better through other avenues.”

We hear these on a daily basis.

So, the question remains: How do we reinvent ourselves in order to sustain a relevant business model to support the industry?

Great question. I don’t think there is any perfect answer.

Here are a few ways we are continuing to support the auction industry:

Help auctioneers create “cross-media” campaigns for their auctions. Brochure marketing is still relevant in the auction landscape. Instead of being the only way to communicate the details to the live auction, it is now one of many tools used to reach a buying audience. Using a brochure and/or postcard in addition to email blasts and online ads is great way to have a comprehensive marketing package to promote an auction.

We are talking to auctioneers and their marketing teams to find out where they need help. It’s worth a conversation for both parties to see if there is a fit between the two companies and to see if we can discover a strategy that will improve the auction audience.  

We are working to take command of the online auction marketplace by building a service offering to help auctioneers promote their sales online. How exactly? This methodology is evolving on a daily basis. We start with looking at email marketing, email templates, AdWords, FB ads, retargeting, market research, and social media updates. This comprehensive strategy takes work and attention to detail.

Ultimately, the best answer is to adapt, plan, execute, measure, repeat on a continuous basis.

That is our goal. Continue to cultivate relationships within the auction industry and build a best practices model to promote auctions today and tomorrow.