With a plethora of businesses heavily relying on Digital Marketing, there has been a surprising twist in the tale. Print Marketing has now become the new age “unorthodox marketing”. Yes, we now live in a world where online marketing is considered more traditional than old-school marketing.
However, Print Marketing is still relevant and can become a smart addition to your digital efforts? So how can businesses leverage it?
Print marketing vs Digital marketing
Marketers today are bleeding thousands of dollars to engage with their potential customers online, which per se is not a bad thing. But are marketers today giving far too little importance to tangibility? The answer is YES. There is no denying the fact that digital marketing campaigns are economical and easy to accommodate, resulting in fewer businesses depending on print media marketing.
Innovative marketers have now started using this to their advantage. With less competition, they are able to make their print stand out even more. The touch and feel are those things that digital media can never replace. Printing personalised marketing materials appeals more to individuals, as they tend to keep printed promotional products for extended periods of time – serving as a constant reminder of your brand.
However, it is important to make sure that the products you are handing out are relevant to your target audience. Instead of spending money on stickers with a logo, brands should consider something more practical. How about promotional pens, flash drives, bags, and umbrellas? Plus they are all available to print online!
Bridging print marketing with digital media
Printed products such as business cards and brochures are the fundamental marketing tools that business should never let go of. Individuals hang on to it and absorb more information, making them the best marketing materials to create a good (and lasting) first impression.
Once you’ve created a good first impression, it becomes much easier to convince your prospects to communicate with you through online channels. It can be as easy as mentioning your social media handles on your business cards or putting QR codes on your brochures that drive people to your website, social media accounts, videos, or online promotions.
If used properly, print and digital media blend perfectly together creating a successful “recipe” for strong digital visibility.
What goes around comes around
Online marketing strategies like SMM, SEO, and PPC are a part of every business’ marketing mix and have all become very repetitive and boring for marketers.
Not every day you see an online ad that really stands out. Digital marketing became common and every business engages in the same practices on a daily basis. The sad reality is that these days marketers neglect offline promotions and rarely think of effective Print Marketing campaigns. However, the combination of Digital and Online can be that missing element of your Marketing plan.
That being the reason Online Marketing is the new “traditional marketing”. So what excites marketers now? How do they make their business stand out?
Amusingly Print is what they go back to when they have to try something ‘new’. It’s the beginning of a new era for Print Marketing.
Leveraging print marketing to drive traffic to your online channels
Marketers tend to use printed marketing materials to spread awareness of their products and services. Integrating a strong Call to Action on printed materials may encourage customers to visit your online platforms.
Including promotional codes, special offers, discount coupons will help you generate more traffic on your website and social media as well as boost online sales and conversions.
Distribute flyers, send your catalogues and coupons via direct mail and wait for results. To monitor the number of people coming from offline, I’ll encourage you to set up a test landing page just for this occasion.
Get creative
Here’s a good example an event company decided to print branded fans for their concert. Instead of using regular tickets, they used those fans as an entry-pass. People loved the idea of having fans on a hot summer day. The attendants kept them as a souvenir to save the memory of good times they had with friends and family. Now those fans remind attendants not only about the concert but about the brand too.
The idea is to create something, that leaves a lasting impression on your customers.
But is printing effective?
Printing can sound expensive. But considering all the variables, Print Marketing is one of the most affordable marketing tools yet it is highly effective. According to the study by Australian Post, 83% of the surveyed brought the letterbox advertising they received with normal addressed mail into the home. 60% shared letterbox advertising with another household member while 38% of people who received letterbox advertising and wanted more information visited a company’s website.
Everything is constantly evolving, and so has the printing industry. One of the latest addition to the printing industry is online printing services. With advanced technology and effective digital platforms, it has never been easier and cheaper to order printed marketing materials.
If you are not ready to invest heavily in print marketing, you can run a small test with just 100 flyers. Fortunately, now it is possible to order small quantities of printed materials. No need to spend hundreds of dollars to find out whether this approach works for your company or not.
Keep experimenting and soon you will find the best marketing strategy that works for you.
