In the age of the internet, it’s easy to assume that print marketing isn’t as useful as it used to be.
After all, several newspapers and magazines have stopped printing and moved solely to online publication.
On the contrary, printing is more important than ever before.
There’s evidence to prove that people trust print marketing more than online marketing. A 2016 study found that 56% of people find printing to be the most trustworthy type of marketing.
It’s effective, too. That same study also found that 67% of shoppers said that they prefer direct mail for making purchasing decisions.
For these reasons and more, printing should be part of a marketing strategy for any business.
Read on to find out which print marketing materials are worth using.
The Best Print Marketing Materials:
Business Cards
Business cards are perfect for giving out your contact information, but their benefits for generating business are understated.
Handing out 2,000 business cards will result in an average of a 2.5% increase in business.
It’s always good for your staff to have business cards handy. When meeting face-to-face, it’s the quickest and simplest way to give clients all of your contact information in one place.
Besides, if you’re ever asked to provide a business card, you don’t want to be caught without one. You can make your business cards twice as functional by doubling them up as appointment cards, too.
Posters
When you’re looking to draw foot traffic to an event or attention towards a product within a small geographic region, posters are still an effective form of marketing.
While online marketing usually targets a certain demographic or niche, posters can reach a wide audience, giving you more exposure and potentially creating a larger impact.
Get creative and design posters that send a message that represents your company’s values, appeals to your target customers, and makes an impact.
Direct Mail
Direct mail works. Sometimes, it can be more engaging than online content.
One study found that four in ten people will visit a company’s website after reading direct mail from them.
Lots of people also keep postcards for future reference instead of just throwing it away immediately. In many households, it gets put on a pinboard or stuck to the fridge by a magnet, so it continues to be viewed many times over.
This means that even if you don’t get a direct return on this kind of print marketing material, customers will still remember it and be likely to come back to you later.
Branded Promotional Products
Printed marketing materials can be much more than just paper products.
Printing your logo on promotional products such as t-shirts, pens, USB sticks, keychains and buttons can help to establish your brand image and maintain visibility within your target market.
Carefully crafting the design and quality of these promotional products will give people an idea of what to expect from your company.
Choose products that are functional and useful for your target market, so they’ll be more likely to interact with them.
Brochures
Brochures are a good way to get a large amount of information about your company to people all at once.
You can fit much more information in a brochure than you can in a tweet, and you have complete creative control over how it’s presented.
Read our post on how brochures can help to grow your business for more information on the benefits of brochure printing and distribution.
Thank You Cards
Thank you cards are a nice gesture that customers and other business connections appreciate.
It gives a personal touch, which will not only improve business relations, but make people remember you too.
Make them even more memorable by adding a sleek design with your company logo and contact information.
Newsletters
Newsletters are great for keeping people updated.
People are used to having their email inboxes bombarded with newsletters that they don’t read, but printed ones are much more engaging.
Sometimes, people prefer to have a tangible letter that they can hold in their hands.
This can mean that people spend more time reading it. With online content, people are more likely to get bored and click away after a few seconds.
Letterheads
Whether you do most of your communication online or on paper, it’s worth having branded letterheads for your business.
They can add a touch of professionalism and elegance to a first impression, which is always important.
A well-designed letterhead printed on quality paper shows people that you pay attention to detail and they’ll associate that quality with your brand.
Coupons
People love discounts.
If you offer customers a discount on something (ie. caulking services), they’ll be much more likely to buy something from you.
As well as printing coupons, loyalty cards are another good way of encouraging customers to return to your business.
Integrate Print and Online Marketing
Print marketing can be more credible and engaging than online advertising, and it’s important for businesses not to neglect it.
For the most successful marketing campaign possible, it’s best to use a mixture of online advertising and print marketing materials.
This will give you a wider reach and you’ll be more likely to engage your target market.
Instead of simply using each method separately, integrate the two for the best possible results. This way, you make the most of both channels.
In addition to that, all print marketing materials you produce should include information about where people can find you online, such as your website URL, your social media handles, and an email address.
This will invite potential customers to engage with you further, and potentially create leads.
If you’re looking for print marketing materials for your business, we can help you. See our catalog for the full range of services we provide.
