Marketing is one of the most important aspects of your business. If you have the right game plan, you can move past the competition. However, if you don’t, you could fall into common traps that others have lost money because of. Understanding the role of print in marketing is a powerful tool in your arsenal. Here is why and what you need to know about it:
Print is Tangible
In a world where everything is in your phone and at your fingertips, it can be tempting to think that digital is the whole game. However, print is still very much strong and alive. A great printed pamphlet, mail piece, or brochure is still powerful.
This is especially true when using high quality printing materials. People love to put their hands on real paper. The tactile feel and feedback is something that cannot be replicated with online branding. There is something about tangible assets that make people associate higher value to them and have a higher affinity for the brand that designed it.
Print Can Combine With Digital
If you run an ecommerce company, then you are probably on Amazon. This is a common business model today. Regardless of what kind of business you have, print can combine with your digital strategy, but this is just one example.
If Amazon ships your package for you, they usually want to claim ownership of the email addresses of your customers if they are the ones fulfilling the order. They will not permit you to contact the customer directly or they will ban your account. One common way to get around this is with paper.
You can insert slips of paper with your email, phone number, and website in the package. You can even have a special customer service line available. This helps ensure that anyone with an issue can be helped immediately and thus you can combine digital and printed mediums to have a stronger relationship with customers.
Print Will Always Be Around
The world of technology has gone through a lot in the last 30 years. Time after time, a new technology takes hold. At first, it was the copier. Then, it was the fax machine. Now, it’s the internet. Of course, it doesn’t stop there.
Within the internet, there are tiers upon tiers of different technologies. There is email, for instance. Even that evolves constantly and marketers have to adapt their strategies. Then there is social media. Right now, social media is incredibly popular. But each social media site has its time in the sun and then seemingly disappears. Soon, social media will disappear altogether, and another digital technology will reign.
However, with paper, you don’t have that problem. Paper is simple. Everyone understands paper. Everyone can use it, write on it, print on it, and read it. Therefore, just like face to face communication, it is something that will never go out of style.
Direct Mail and Copywriting
Smart advertisers figured out long ago that direct mail pieces sent to peoples’ homes could produce sales. It can help you do big marketing campaigns that keep your name before your market. That way, you are always staying relevant. If you know someone’s social media handle, you might be able to communicate with them for a short time. However, with direct mail and paper packages, you gain customer communication for life.
Print Can Go Places Digital Can’t
There are still times when the power goes out and you cannot access the web. When this happens, what do you do? You go back to the basics. This is what your customers are doing as well. They are going back to paper, to magazines, to catalogs. Your physical paper assets will still do marketing for you 24/7 even if there is no electricity. You can even reach into new markets.
When it comes to incorporating the role of print in marketing, it can be a very important asset to you. It can help you provide a tangible asset to brand your business. In this crowded digital world, you can really stand out. So make sure you are using proven principles to grow your company. Leverage the printed word so you can grow sales, exposure, and engagement in your market. For more information on how to get started producing high-quality in-house printed material, call Ford Office Technologies at 800.633.3673.
Author Brittany Waddell is a contributing writer and media specialist for Coastal Business Supplies . She often produces content for a variety of printing blogs.
