Introducing thebestofzambia.com 2018 Printed Business Directory

Today we’re happy to announce that 1,000 copies of the Directory have been printed and we’re in the process of distributing

◆ 122 colour pages of 400+ Zambian businesses◆ Photos, descriptions and up-to-date contact details◆ An initial print run of 1,000 copies◆ Foreword by Lulu Haangala-Wood

A couple of weeks ago we shared that we’re launching a printed version of our online business directory. Today we’re happy to announce that 1,000 copies of the directory have been printed and we’re in the process of distributing.

According to Issuu, the online digital preview has already been read 1,300+ times, so we can’t wait to get the physical copy into your hands.

You can buy a copy for K95
If you’re a client, you’ll get your complimentary copy shortly, or you can collect it from our offices to get it faster
If you can’t wait to get your copy you can view the online digital preview here: issuu.com/infobwana/docs/thebestofzambia-directory-2018-prev
If you want your business to be in the next edition, signing up now will secure your place but give you immediate online advertising benefits. Find out more here: thebestofzambia.com/platform

Continue reading for more pictures and the story of how and why we built the printed directory.

The directory features a broad range of businesses to help you find a supplier for whatever you need in Zambia

With a foreword by Lulu Haangala-Wood and full page adverts from companies like Airtel, Toyota Zambia, Best Western, the directory is the real deal

Back to print

We’re big proponents of the web so it might be surprising to see us move “backwards” to print. Here’s why we’re using print in our marketing and why you should too:

Print still has a place

We believe online marketing is an affordable, scalable and far-reaching solution, but there is definitely still a place for print as a medium.

Print is tangible and reassuringly constant

The internet is fast changing, with its busy feeds and technology that evolves at the speed of light. It’s hard for customers to focus and it’s hard for businesses to keep up. In all the confusion, providing people with something tangible that they can hold in their hands helps build credibility.

Back to print to go forwards

Print is trusted

2018 marketing trends predict that print media is set to skyrocket. It may surprise you that the International News Media Association found that 82% of U.S. Internet users say they trust print more than digital marketing when making a purchase decision! And we all know this is most definitely true in Zambia!

Print can inspire

Based on trends and research, marketing experts are advising that good quality print communication can be used to engage and inspire audiences in a way that digital communication can’t.

“The internet. It’s a powerful mechanism for sharing digital information. It has been key in helping me build my personal brand and to become the influencer that I am today.

Although online marketing is an affordable, scalable and far reaching solution, there is a definitely still a place for print, especially here in Zambia. By providing people with something tangible that they can hold in their hands the Best of Zambia is helping to build trust and credibility. In doing so they are attracting more and more businesses to their product and therefore to the benefits of the internet. This can only be a good thing for Zambia as a whole.”— Lulu Haangala-Wood

Using new technology in old technology

Although we packed in all the essential information a person would need to contact a business, we know that it is helpful for someone making a purchasing decision to have as much context as possible. Additionally, the dilemma of print is its fixed non-editable format and how quickly information goes out of date.

Consequently it was important to provide an easy way for people to navigate to a business’s online profile on thebestofzambia.com where they can find much more content, photos and and contact options which are constantly kept up-to-date.

You can see QR codes in action on the right of each business profile

To make it as quick and easy as possible we decided to use QR codes which are becoming increasingly popular for this very use case.

A QR code is a small image that uses squares arranged in a grid to store information (such as a web address) that can be read by your smart phone. Using your smart phone to scan a code is generally quicker than manually typing in a web address which can be a cumbersome and error prone process.

Next to each business profile in the printed directory you will find a QR code that can be scanned to quickly navigate to the online version where you’ll find much more photos, contact options and time-sensitive business information such as news and special offers by that company.

How the printed directory was designed and built

You may be interested to learn how we built the directory.

We currently have 400+ paying clients. Part of our service is to keep the photos, information and contact details of all these businesses up-to-date. As you can imagine, that results in lots of changes being made to the content of our website everyday.

Challenge

Since it is so important for us to keep our website up-to-date it was not an option to freeze site content changes while we prepared the directory for print. This made it a challenge to work on — imagine trying to design and print a book whose content is being rewritten everyday.

Solution

Because of these constraints we decided to use web technologies rather than traditional publishing software (such as Adobe InDesign) to design the directory.

The printed directory is created using an in-house tool that pulls content from our website and automatically generates a template ready for print

We built a tool that pulls all the details of our clients from our website and automatically generates a print template for the printers. This means that, at any time, we can get the most recent version of each of our clients information without have to manually update a printed template.

By using new technology and automation we have been able to offer this additional high value service to our clients at no additional cost!

This system is also great news for future editions of the printed directory. Rather than spending a couple of days creating a print document by manually copying and pasting client information one by one, we can generate a complete document with the most up-to-date information in 30 seconds.

The standard for up-to-date business information

By making our comprehensive online business information available in printed format, and using technology such as QR codes to merge print with digital, and guard against out-of-date information, we envision that the printed directory will be regarded as the standard for up-to-date information about businesses Zambia.

People using the directory are those looking for the best place to buy the products and services they need in Zambia, such as business decision makers, influencers and employees; procurement officers and buyers; and individual consumers.

Here’s to more innovative uses of technology to share information about our beloved country

Every day, we press on with our mission to get Zambian businesses online, provide people with useful business information and share our beloved country and continent with the world. We hope you enjoyed a little background into the story of the printed directory.

If you’re an individual in ZambiaWe’re excited to keep producing innovative ways to help you find and choose suppliers in Zambia. Visit thebestofzambia.com to find profiles of businesses with all the information you need to choose the best option for you — contact details, directions, opening times, photos, prices, products, services, special offers and more.

If you’re a business in ZambiaTalk to us to learn more about what we can add to your marketing efforts. Start an online chat conversation with us at thebestofzambia.com/platform

Introducing thebestofzambia.com 2018 Printed Business Directory