“What is printjunkie.net”
Within a week of launch, printjunkie.net swelled to 1000 members, or “junkies” as the site calls them. Today, just a little over a year later, we’ve surpassed 3000 junkies and continue to grow at the rate of approximately 30 new members each week.
With social networking becoming an integral part of day-to-day business communications, PSDA realized that it would be challenging for individuals to sift through the many social networks such as LinkedIn, Plaxo and Facebook to identify a core group of like-minded individuals. We wanted to create a solution that would help our industry professionals reach beyond their borders and connect with people who they may not otherwise have had the opportunity to get to know. Our solution was creating a social network specific to our industry. To give people a place to talk…about print!
In the 15 months that the site has been active, we have seen everything from sourcing requests to shared information on industry events. There are members who blog regularly about their individual expertise to share print tips and information on topics such as postal reform. There are sub-groups that drill down allowing for segmented conversations such as the Creative Block Party for the creative souls, The Environmental Group for the green enthusiasts and the VDP Group for professionals in the field of variable data printing. In a world where it is difficult to find something for everyone, printjunkie.net certainly seems to do just that for the print industry.
As Frances Metcalf, one of the first print junkies and a fine arts print maker puts it, “I’m here on printjunkie.net because I love print and I want to share that affection with others who understand why I’m crazy about a noisy, dirty, stressful and sometimes toxic, but always exciting and vital industry.” And she’s not alone. Curtis Johnson, a promotional products distributor posts, “I’m a print junkie. I get the ‘all for one and one for all vibe.’ I hope to share a story or two and be of help if possible. I do a lot of networking, but nothing compares to what I do here.”
Like its fellow social media sites, printjunkie.net is all about what you put into it. We’ve seen members secure new business, get meetings with a prospect that they have been unsuccessful at reaching for years, buy new equipment, avoid scams and have a little fun. Currently, the site houses standard social media functions: discussion boards, blogs, events, photos and videos. Using their own individual profiles, members can post information about themselves, “friend” others and write on one another’s wall. The site also has a news section for press announcements as well as a tutorials page where we post training programs. We even have a printjunkie.net store where people can purchase bumper stickers, t-shirts and pins to publicly profess their love of print.
So who is behind this junkie-fest? Over the past 50 years, PSDA has been a strong association for the print distribution industry. We have a robust sourcing referral system, national trade show, annual conferences, an education website and a magazine. Printjunkie.net has allowed us to reach beyond our walls and touch a wider group of printing professionals in ways that traditional media would never allow. What began as a site meant to simply connect the industry has become something far greater for the association. We have been able to share the value of our knowledge with professionals who otherwise may not read Print Solutions Magazine, visit PrintUniversity.org or attend the Print Solutions Conference & Expo. And, at the end of the day, we achieve our greatest success when we facilitate relationships among printing professionals in an effort to help them achieve their own success and business growth. Each arm of PSDA works to make businesses stronger and printjunkie.net is no exception.
So, to answer the question as plainly as possible – what is printjunkie.net? – it is a no-holds barred social networking site for anyone who is in, was in, or wants to be in the printing industry. One look at the discussion “Confessions of a Print Junkie” tells it all:
“I actually have PMS 185 in my blood stream.”
“Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Graphic Communication major, double concentrations: Print Management and Design Reproduction Technology. 1998 grad. We were a very tight group and used to meet in local watering holes for ‘mandatory meetings’ where we’d talk about printing, printing, printing. I’ve never lost the addiction after 16 years in the industry.”
“I’ve been a digital printjunkie for 20 years. Yes, that’s about two years before the DocuTech was launched, so I guess I would say I have toner in my blood instead of ink.”
“I print all day, everyday. I bleed ink. I sneeze toner.”
“We create art. The images can make people laugh, cry, or get excited. Either way, we are not just printers, we are visual emotion providers.”