photo credit: www.productchannels.com
In the same way a printed wedding invitation is taken more seriously than an e-vite, print marketing pieces often carry more heft than mass emails, pop-up ads and other common forms of digital marketing. Particularly when it comes to building a brand’s reputation, producing print pieces that can be placed directly in front of the appropriate target audience remains a great way to market a brand—even your personal one. Read on for proof positive that print marketing remains alive and thriving even in today’s digital world.
Business Cards
People still proffer business cards at conferences and similar events for a reason: They’re a great way to get your name and contact information out to potential clients. In many cases, it would be nearly impossible for every potential new contact to pull out his smartphone to record your name and number. Instead, business cards give off an air of professionalism and don’t require you to repeat the spelling of your last name 50 times a day. Getting some business cards printed on quality card stock is an excellent way to easily and efficiently promote your business or personal brand.
QR Codes
Those black-and-white codes you see on ads for everything from shampoo to cars are creating a direct bridge between digital and print marketing. QR codes have enabled marketers to reach a range of audiences simultaneously. Tech-savvy individuals can use the code to visit the company’s homepage via a smartphone; those who prefer a more analog approach can use the ad itself for information on the brand in question—and, hopefully, will reach out through more traditional means, via telephone or in person, to learn more. QR codes incorporate the best of both worlds, but they begin in the world of print.
Tracking ROI
One of the easiest forms of marketing on which to track ROI is direct mail. If someone fills out a card and returns it, you have an easily catalogued record of the return on your initial investment. In today’s world of often murky ROIs, direct mail—while far from a comprehensive approach—can be a relief to marketers fatigued by complex calculations of money spent on advertising versus money earned from it.
Diverse Promotions
There’s no simple path to marketing success; a profitable campaign should include multiple different types of communications in order to reach the intended audience. Print marketing offers numerous ways to diversify your strategy; magazine and newspaper ads, direct mailings and even brochures and flyers are all great ways to reach consumers.
Marketers today have a more challenging task than those 20 or 30 years ago: They must figure out how to reach audiences across the board in both digital and print formats. Although digital marketing may seem like the way of the future, many consumers still place greater faith in print marketing pieces. For this reason, it’s important to include both print and digital as part of an effective overall strategy to reach potential customers and ultimately increase your company’s bottom line.