How to Use Print in Your Marketing Strategy

Posted on:

Many businesses use print to market their brands for many reasons. In a world saturated by screens, print products such as flyers and brochures that you can feel between your fingers are a breath of fresh air. They’re not a strain on the eyes and give people better information retention. They last longer than a social media post or banner ad and can easily be stored in your bag or drawer. Print products also give a feeling of credibility and trustworthiness for the brand. Not only that, but they’re also cheap and easy to reproduce.

Longevity

Compared to digital marketing, print marketing is retained for a longer period of time. An email, an online ad, a social media post, can all be consumed but quickly scrolled past, deleted and, ultimately, forgotten about, or simply not seen at all in the digital fog.

Producing a catalogue, brochure or magazine adds value to the brand. The potential customer often retains the item, to pick up, put down, consider, then review, retaining the branding in the work or home space, providing a lasting, stronger impact.

Trustworthiness

Viruses, fake news and negativity, the online world can pose several issues. No matter if these issues get fixed, there will always be doubt filled minds of customers. Yet, this is not an issue with the tangibility of print products.

Being able to feel the material between fingers, to fold over pages or pin it to a noticeboard, print marketing gives customers a sense of credibility to brands. This personable approach means brands are viewed as more trustworthy which, in turn, will lead to loyalty.

Cost-Effective

By posting across your social media platforms, although initially it is free, it may be necessary to pay to boost these posts to reach a wider audience. Regularly paying for online advertising and promotions will soon add up and may come as a surprise to businesses.

Identifying your target market, using design, content and personalisation within your print campaign can achieve a far greater return on investment when compared to a digital campaign. 

As you can see, print marketing is not outdated and here are a few ways to use print in your marketing strategy.

  • Direct Mail Marketing
  • Improve your distribution strategy. 
  • Establish relationships with neighbouring businesses. 
  • Driving Traffic Online
  • Combining Print & Digital


Try Direct Mail Marketing

Receiving a well-produced piece of direct mail is far more effective than receiving an email. Consumers scan an email, or sometimes don’t even bother, and swiftly delete it, achieving a negative marketing impact. Getting mail delivered to your house, on the other hand, has become more exciting as it becomes more of a novelty and less saturated by constant ads.  It is three times more likely that people will take the time to read and be influenced the flyer or brochure sent they receive through the door than sent digitally.

Improve your distribution strategy.

No matter how well-designed your flyer, product catalogue or print ad is, it’s useless if you don’t get it to the right people. Hand out or place your flyers or brochures in places your target audience frequents. It’s also a good idea to distribute them in areas where people find themselves waiting for something or someone like the train platforms, reception areas or dentist’s waiting rooms.

Establish relationships with neighbouring businesses.

Networking and getting to know your neighbouring businesses are a good idea. Even more so if they are in relevant industries. You may want to suggest to them to leave some business cards, flyers, brochures or even merchandise in their shop, and they can leave some in yours too. This way, their customers will become your customers and vice versa.

Driving Traffic Online

Receiving an email does not guarantee a visit to your website. Even if it has a special, limited offer deal flashing in front of a customer because they probably have a few similar offers in their inbox too.

Targeted direct mail will help drive traffic to websites. If your print ad includes great content, as well as voucher codes, this will aid online sales; also adding to increased brand loyalty, which results in repeat sales.

Combining Print and Digital – complement print with digital marketing

It doesn’t have to one way or the other. You can use both print and digital as a marketing strategy to promote your business. Why not add a little teaser in your next email campaign about a brochure or gift that will be coming through the door. Include URLs, QR codes and social media handles on printed materials so they can find your business online after receiving them. All these techniques can help boost brand awareness and grab customer attention.

Try print in your next marketing campaign! If you’d like to reach potential customers in your local community, advertising with Coffee News offers great exposure at an affordable price. Contact us today to discuss placing an ad. 780-220-6397.