Design Support for Lean Teams

Schools may not have a large enough design staff to design their own publications or may prefer to outsource design work. 抖荫短视频 can help by working directly with these staffs to create and proof designs. In several cases, 抖荫短视频鈥檚 graphic designers have taken the school鈥檚 design files and set up regular meetings to refine, discuss and approve designs before sending them to print.

An onboarding meeting can be set up to show how to use 抖荫短视频’s program to process PDF files and to explain preflight settings to set customers up for success.

Paper Quality and Availability

COVID-era paper shortages highlighted the importance of paper cost and availability. Pete Gersonde feels this caused a shift in perspective for many universities and other associations that create print publications 鈥� the availability of quality paper shouldn鈥檛 be taken for granted. This, he feels, resulted in an overall increase in not only the quality of paper used to print these publications but also the quality of the content within.

An established printer like 抖荫短视频 will have years of working relationships with paper suppliers, which means you won鈥檛 need to worry about the quality or availability of the paper used to create your alumni magazine.

Promoting Alumni Giving

Alumni magazines can help with alumni giving by keeping alumni connected to the university and helping them realize the impact of their gifts, particularly when considering young alumni. Some schools may not realize the impact of publications on alumni giving until it鈥檚 gone. According to Pete Gersonde, one university stopped publishing their magazine due to cost-cutting measures but quickly brought it back after realizing the benefits of the printed magazine.

An established printer with experience in alumni printing, like 抖荫短视频, can help make decisions regarding the most effective ways to encourage alumni giving.

Mailing and Distribution

Mailing and distribution often account for about half the cost of an alumni magazine. Luckily, there are ways to save. 抖荫短视频 can analyze a client’s distribution list to determine the most economical way to mail their publications. Examples include drop shipping (shipping directly from the manufacturer to the customer) or co-mailing (combining mail pieces for multiple recipients going to the same area).

抖荫短视频鈥檚 mailing and distribution expertise means we鈥檙e not limited to working with schools solely in the Midwest 鈥� we鈥檝e successfully taken on alumni publications across the country.

Digital Editions

抖荫短视频 offers subject matter experts to help with digital editions. Combining digital editions with print alumni magazines is a powerful way to increase your school鈥檚 presence and boost alumni engagement. 鈥淚f you have a printer that can give you options on how to customize a digital edition, that allows you to put more content into that digital edition,鈥� said Jason Marsh. 抖荫短视频鈥檚 subject matter experts are well-versed in creating and customizing digital editions to meet the needs of our university and alumni customers.

Expertise When and Where It Counts

抖荫短视频 has subject matter experts on staff ready to jump in and assist our customers. These experts can help with onboarding new accounts and ensure a smooth transition. When switching to 抖荫短视频, our subject matter experts can help breathe new life into your alumni publication or improve processes that have been in place for decades. Jason Marsh cites mailing and distribution as an example 鈥� our subject matter experts have found significant savings for our customers by finding the right postage class and mailing model.

Ease of Doing Business

抖荫短视频 prides itself on being a family-owned company that believes in relationships and the human aspect. 鈥淭he approach we all take here at 抖荫短视频 is more of a personal touch 鈥� a hands-on approach,鈥� said Pete Gersonde. 鈥淲e believe in relationships, we believe in human interaction, we believe in talking and picking up the phone.鈥� 抖荫短视频鈥檚 team will all jump in and work together to ensure a customer鈥檚 success, ensuring a streamlined and stress-free printing process.

Choosing a Stable, Established Printer

There鈥檚 a clear benefit to choosing a stable printing company you can rely on. 鈥湺兑穸淌悠� is an 87-year-old printing company that has been around and is not intending to leave. It’s a family-owned business,鈥� said David Vella. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of our strengths 鈥� unlike some other situations where we see plants being bought, projects being transferred or plants being closed, at the end of the day the customer鈥檚 not really sure who the printer is going to be next time.鈥�

Our stability makes it much easier to establish a consistent working relationship between us and the customer, which leads to improved efficiency and less day-to-day stress.

Watch our Latest Webinar To Learn More

If you鈥檇 like to hear this information and more from the experts themselves, tune into 8 Tips: Choosing a Printer for Your Alumni Magazine. Or to learn more about the benefits of switching to 抖荫短视频, contact us today to get in touch with one of our subject matter experts.

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1. Campus Updates

Provide updates on campus developments, new programs and recent events to keep alumni connected to their alma mater. Alumni readers will likely be very interested to know what鈥檚 happening on their old stomping grounds, and updates about new construction projects and developments may even convince them to schedule a campus visit.

News about construction projects, music and theatre performances and homecoming activities are all examples of content to include in this section.

2. Career Advice

Offer tips and insights from alumni experts on career advancement, job search strategies and professional development. While this type of content could be relevant and helpful to any alum, it will likely attract young alumni in particular, who are looking to gain footing in their burgeoning careers.

Not only is career-related content interesting and popular, it will help foster a positive perception of the university as an institution that supports its alumni throughout all stages of their careers.

3. Faculty Features

Highlight the work and achievements of current and retired faculty members, showcasing their impact on students and the university. Alumni will be pleased to learn about new faculty joining the staff at their alma mater, and wistful to hear of their favorite professor鈥檚 retirement. Some examples of stories to include in this section are a faculty promotion or tenure, an anniversary milestone or a professor developing a brand new course.

Including faculty features also allows you to use your alumni magazine to showcase the knowledge and experience of your university鈥檚 talented teaching staff.

4. Historical Features

Explore the history of the university, highlighting milestones, traditions and notable alumni from different eras. Alumni will be interested to learn how their alma mater was founded and grew over the years, especially if you feature specific buildings or areas of campus that may be important to them.

Content that explores the history of your university, especially if combined with old photographs from the eras being described, is a powerful way to capture your alumni readers鈥� attention and make them feel personally connected with the university. If your magazine has been in publication for a long time, you may even have an archive of past issues that you can include images from, including a simple snapshot of the item itself.

5. Travel and Culture

Share travel stories and cultural insights from alumni around the world, highlighting their experiences and discoveries. This type of content is a great way to allow alumni to contribute to your publication with their stories and personal recommendations. Readers love personal stories like this, and it may even convince more alumni to become frequent travelers.

In addition to travel stories, you can fill this section with food and sightseeing recommendations, helpful travel tips and even sample itineraries.

6. Technology and Innovation

Your alumni will want to know how the university is working to keep up with the times. Explore how the university is leveraging new technological developments in its methods, and how it鈥檚 affecting the way students learn. If faculty members at the university have made any breakthroughs or advancements in their respective fields, this is a great section to highlight it.

Highlighting the advancements developed or leveraged by the university will inspire confidence in alumni, who will view their alma mater as modern and cutting-edge.

7. Alumni Spotlights

In-depth writeups that feature notable alumni are a good way to make alumni feel valued and connected while also creating interesting content for your magazine, as long as there鈥檚 a good story to tell. You could feature alumni who have found great success in their careers, gone through a life-changing experience or contributed something to better their community, for example.

Spotlighting alumni is a good way to encourage readership from alumni hoping to see how their former classmates are doing. In a recent interview with , Rebekah Tilley, Director of Strategic Communications at the University of Iowa鈥檚 Tippey College of Business, notes that this type of content is a big draw for young readers.

鈥淥ne of the things that surprised me particularly was that our young alumni told me over and over again: 鈥極h, we love getting this! We get so few things in print anymore that this is really special to us, and we hang on to it, and it鈥檚 on our coffee table, and we flip immediately to alumni notes to see if our friends are there and see if their photos are in print, because they live in a digital world,鈥欌�� said Rebekah.

Print Your Alumni Magazine With 抖荫短视频

No matter how you choose to lay out your alumni magazine, make sure you鈥檙e working with a quality printer. In addition to interesting, well-crafted content, you鈥檒l need to distribute a magazine that looks and feels great. As the third-largest magazine printer in the United States and Canada, we know how to take your publication from design to print, and then get it into the hands of your alumni.

To learn more about the benefits of printing with an award-winning, family-owned company, contact 抖荫短视频 today!

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We suggest a different tactic 鈥� increasing alumni engagement through the strategic use of print materials. Here are some methods for using commercial printing to boost alumni engagement:

Alumni Magazines

Alumni magazines are a great way to keep alumni informed and engaged with your university. Compelling content and engaging photography can instill a sense of nostalgia, prompting them to plan a visit or attend an event.

In a 2022 interview with , Dale Keiger, former editor of Johns Hopkins Magazines said, 鈥淪urveys consistently show a strong positive correlation between alumni reading the print magazine and engaging with the institution, whether by donating money, encouraging prospective students to apply or attending events on campus.鈥�

A regularly published alumni magazine featuring stories and updates about your university, as well as alumni interest pieces and achievements, will help your grads remember when they were students.

Alumni Notes

Including a 鈥榃here Are They Now鈥� section with pictures of alumni and basic information like their current city and graduating class can go a long way in making alumni feel connected. Encourage alumni to send a photo and short update to your publication for a chance to be featured. Rebekah Tilley, Director of Strategic Communications at the University of Iowa鈥檚 Tippey College of Business, shared her experience with alumni and print magazines in an .

鈥淥ne of the things that surprised me particularly was that our young alumni told me over and over again: 鈥極h, we love getting this! We get so few things in print anymore that this is really special to us, and we hang on to it, and it鈥檚 on our coffee table, and we flip immediately to alumni notes to see if our friends are there and see if their photos are in print, because they live in a digital world,鈥欌�� said Rebekah.

Impactful Annual Reports

Create an annual report highlighting the university’s achievements, impact and future goals. Your university鈥檚 more data-minded alumni in particular will likely be interested in statistics like enrollment, budget and job placement rate. Include stories of alumni contributions and successes to showcase the value of alumni engagement. Include these reports in your alumni publications to demonstrate transparency, foster connections and encourage continued support.

Special or Commemorative Publications

Create special publications to commemorate significant milestones, such as the university’s anniversary, special events or a recent milestone. These publications can be distributed to alumni to celebrate achievements and keep their alma mater on the top of their minds.

Not only will these publications help keep alumni informed about what鈥檚 going on at your university, but they can also serve as a time capsule of sorts, reminding them of special occasions for years to come.

Targeted Alumni Newsletters

Based on a , Parimala Veluval and Jayesh Surisetti recommend a 鈥榣ight touch鈥� approach, citing newsletters as an example of communication that links alumni to their institution without demanding a major commitment. Creating print newsletters focused on specific groups of alumni will make those groups feel valued and interconnected but not pressured.

Segmenting your newsletters in this way also makes it easier to narrow down your content to what is relevant to the target group. There are many ways to , so it鈥檚 important to determine specific goals before developing content.

College or Major

One example of targeted alumni content is creating newsletters for specific colleges or majors. For example, a newsletter sent to alumni of the College of Business at your university could include updates on faculty, buildings and notable alumni. Similarly, targeted newsletters sent to alumni of a specific major, like English or music, could be a great way to boost engagement. This method may also encourage the organic growth of smaller alumni networks, keeping alumni connected to each other, and ultimately, the university.

Graduating Class

Newsletters created for specific graduating classes can be a valuable tool for increasing alumni engagement. Segmenting by graduating class makes it incredibly easy to develop relevant content. If your university鈥檚 enrollment is too low to make newsletters for individual graduating classes a viable option, consider targeting these newsletters toward groups like young alumni or graduates of a specific decade, for example.

Alumni Spotlights in Print Newsletters

Feature alumni spotlights in your print newsletters to showcase the diverse accomplishments and contributions of your alumni community. This can inspire pride among alumni and encourage them to stay connected. Alumni who are featured in newsletters and other print projects may be more likely to engage with or contribute to their alma mater, and other alumni may be incentivized to share their recent accomplishments.

Event Marketing

Use print materials to promote alumni events like reunions, homecoming or networking events. High-quality invitations with colorful imagery are a compelling way to encourage attendance, particularly if the invitations are personalized with the alum鈥檚 name and title. Alternatively, including an insert or spread in your alumni magazine about upcoming events could be a good way to boost engagement while taking advantage of your existing print projects.

Inviting alumni back to campus for events can foster engagement and create a strong, connected alumni network.

Engage Alumni With 抖荫短视频鈥檚 Print Services

Keeping alumni engaged with the university is a big job, and 抖荫短视频 is here to help. Our print industry experts produce high-quality magazines, mail pieces, books and much more. Not only do we print using the highest standards, but we can also handle mailing and distribution, finding you new ways to save. We can even help you !

Thinking about switching from another printer? 抖荫短视频 makes it painless! To learn more about 抖荫短视频鈥檚 print services, contact us today to get in touch with one of our dedicated sales representatives.

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