How print can enhance your marketing strategy

We live in a world of digital-everything. With businesses increasingly focused on digital products, innovation and revenue, print can sometimes be overlooked. Yet, print still has a role to play in the marketing mix. Not least because of the benefits it offers.

You don’t have to choose one over the other. Using print and digital channels in unison means you get double the benefits. Where digital marketing can fall short, print is there to fill the gaps. And vice versa.

In this whitepaper, we will look at the benefits of taking a dual approach to marketing, identify the most effective print materials for your campaigns, and show you how to use print to make the most of your marketing strategy.

Print is powerful. Let us show you why and how…

Why print marketing matters

It’s important for brands to have a strong online presence, but print is key in establishing trust, raising awareness and engaging customers.

There’s a strong argument in favour of print. It’s versatile and persuasive. It’s tactile and creative. And it has clear advantages over digital, such as personalisation, tactical interpretation and environmental targeting.

Research shows that printed messages are processed more slowly than digital ones, meaning print creates a greater emotional response and recall. It also causes more activity in the areas of the brain associated with value and desire.

But what does that all mean for your business?

According to research by Royal Mail MarketReach, the power of touch has a significant impact on customer engagement. Over a ten-year period, they saw an increase of 70% of people saying that mail ‘makes them feel valued and gives them a better impression of the company’.

Data from JICMAIL paints a similar picture in terms of engagement:

• 80% of adults open all postal mail they receive
• 91% engage with that mail
• 70% are driven online as a result of mail

But what about the response rate of printed mail? Research suggests it may be higher than you think. According to the Direct Marketing Association’s Response Rate Report, direct mail achieves a 4.4% response rate compared to 0.12% for email. The reason? Print holds the audience’s attention for longer. Studies by research firm Lumen show that 88% of audiences view a print ad for 2.8 seconds, but just 4% of digital ads are viewed longer than two seconds.

Print marketing scores highly when it comes to brand awareness, too. Research by neuromarketing company True Impact found that 75% of people exposed to a print ad can successfully recall the brand at a later date (compared to 44% with a digital ad).

It all comes down to trust. When making purchasing decisions, consumers trust print ads 34% more than they trust search engine adverts. Whether that’s down to the abundance of clickbait or because people see print as more credible is beside the point.

The figures say it all.

And talking of figures, what about that all-important bottom line? When used as part of an integrated campaign, direct mail has been shown to boost ROI by 20%. And that’s got to be good for business.

In the print vs digital debate, marketers face something of a dilemma. Research suggests print ads are more powerful, but marketers need to place their efforts on the media consumers are using the most. 

The answer is a mix of the two, taking a ‘tradigital’ approach to marketing.

Marketers need to combine print and digital so they’re working together to provide a seamless brand experience fit for the modern world. According to data from Merkle, marketing campaigns that use direct mail and at least one digital channel see a response rate increase of 118% when compared to using only one or the other.

‘Print or digital? The answer is a mix of the two, taking a ‘tradigital’ approach to marketing’

By timing digital ads with mail delivery and keeping the same look and feel across all channels, you can help your brand stay front of mind for your customers.

Taking a more interactive approach to print advertising has a similar impact – as seen in these marketing campaigns:

-       Nivea’s The Protection Ad included a wristband that could be attached to a child whilst on the beach. An app alerted the parent if the child moved beyond a certain distance.

-       When Kontor Records were looking for a way to cut through the noise, they posted vinyl discs with a printed turntable. By activating a QR code, recipients could place a phone over the disc to play various tracks – creating the perfect Office Turntable.

-       In a three-page spread, Volkswagen invited readers to take a Test Drive. By downloading an app, readers could try out features such as Lane Assist (the phone vibrated when it veered off the road) and Adaptive Lights (headlights followed the curve of the road).

-       And who can forget when KFC ran out of chicken and turned to print advertising to say: FCK, we’re sorry?

By using a combination of print and digital, brands can be increasingly creative with their messages and narratives.

So, we’ve established that printed materials are vital in making a good impression and boosting ROI. And we know that they can have a significant impact when used alongside digital channels. But with so many to choose from, how do you know which printed materials are going to make the biggest impact?

Here are five of the most effective printed materials you need in the digital age:

1. Flyers and leaflets

With so much information available online, your audience can’t read everything. But that’s where flyers and leaflets can help. They are a great way to promote events, deals and hot-off-the-press news. When creating flyers and leaflets, you want to encourage readers to explore your brand further, bringing print and digital marketing closer together. For example, QR codes can act as a trackable window to your latest video, landing page or Instagram post.

2. Brochures and booklets

If you’re looking to convey more detailed information about your business, you’ll need a brochure or booklet. These are go-to print formats that have real sticking power. A quality brochure can tell a compelling story about your brand and keep it front of your customer’s mind. To capture your audience’s attention you’ll need it to stand out with striking graphics, gorgeous images and clear wording. Think sleek, modern design and an eye-catching format.

3. Posters and banners

One of the benefits of using posters and roller banners in your marketing efforts is that they can be designed and positioned in a way that creates a real impact on your audience. You can go all out on the design to grab the attention of those passing by. Words are kept to a minimum (just a few details about the company and why people might want to become a customer), leaving bold colour, design and layout taking centre stage.

4. Business stationery

Having custom-printed stationery allows you to convey your brand in a professional way. Personalised letterheads, envelopes and compliment slips printed on quality paper can say a lot about your business. As our inboxes become increasingly full, it’s worth remembering the value and personal touch a printed note can offer.

5. Business cards

When it comes to extending your personal brand, few marketing materials come close to the trusty business card. Often overlooked, there is no easier way to pass on your information at an event, meeting or conference. By keeping a section of your business card blank, you can use it to write notes specific to a product and the person you are giving it to. They are also the perfect way to encourage contacts to connect with you via social media. Make sure your business cards look professional and include key branding elements to create consistency and legitimacy.

5 steps to using print to enhance your marketing strategy

Creating an effective marketing strategy takes time. It means identifying what your company does well and consistently maximising ROI from your marketing campaigns. Clearly, this is no mean feat, but with the right focus, you can build a powerful marketing strategy.

Here are five things to think about when including print in your marketing strategy.

1. Determine goals and target audience

First up, you need to decide what you want to achieve. Are you trying to build loyalty, boost brand awareness, increase sales or promote a new product or service? You might be aiming for a combination. Just be clear about your goals and stick to them, because without them you have no way of measuring your success.

Knowing who you are trying to appeal to is your next step. You need people to actually read your print material. By identifying your audience, their wants and needs, and how you can offer solutions, you can create a clear message that will resonate.

2. Think about the format and design

With your goals and audience front of mind, you then need to consider the best format to convey your message. Whether that’s a flyer, postcard or banner, you want it to be eye-catching, on brand, and containing easily digestible information. That means thinking about the design (colours and images), consistency (logo and branding), and content (make it clear, concise, with no typos and include a call to action).

Another important element when creating content is personalisation. According to Accenture, 91% of consumers say they are more likely to shop with brands that provide offers and recommendations that are relevant to them. Meanwhile, data from SmarterHQ reveals that 72% of customers will only engage with personalised messaging. In other words, your audience wants to engage with brands they feel understand them.

3. Remember print and digital are more powerful together

Using print effectively helps you get the best from digital. And there are a whole number of ways you can combine the two. Using printed material to promote landing pages, apps, and social media campaigns is a popular and powerful marketing strategy. And with a little help from a highly targeted mailing list, you make efficient use of your investment by reaching only those ‘most likely to buy’. You also avoid the disruption and competition found in online environments.

QR codes are an effective way of bridging the gap between print and digital. Statista estimated that 11 million QR codes would have been scanned in 2020. Considering an estimated 3.8 billion people use a smartphone, QR codes are a quick, convenient way to get people onto your website.

Another example of leveraging digital to support print is voice tech. A study by World Media Group revealed that 89% of marketers plan to use voice tech in future marketing campaigns, while Google research showed that 80% of users would like to engage with brands via their digital assistants. By using voice activated calls to action (VACTA) on printed material – codes that recipients can quote aloud to get further information from their voice tech – you can bring your brand directly to your audience’s home.

4. Track, learn, improve

Data-driven marketing is your key to success. That means ensuring you measure and track your print marketing. You can do this by including a unique URL, discount code, QR code or phone number. You also need to get to grips with Google Analytics to track real-time traffic to your website and identify how much traffic goes up when you run a print campaign. By measuring the effectiveness of your print campaigns, you can learn, make adjustments and improve. You can also work out your ROI, which will help you plan future print marketing budgets.

5. Choose a printer who can deliver effective solutions

The tactile nature of print means that recipients are going to make quick first impressions based on the quality of paper and finish. Make sure you work with an experienced printer that can offer you an end-to-end service. Yes, you want good value, but you also want a printer you can trust to deliver great advice and an even better final product.

6. Print is powerful – Conclusion

Print cuts through the noise of the digital world and can be used alongside digital efforts to offer a more immersive, connected experience. By integrating your print and digital marketing, you create a more powerful strategy to move your company forward.

At Service Graphics, we have more than 100 years of experience in the printing world. As your print partner, we guarantee to give you complete honesty and transparency, a dedicated project manager, and access to our wide range of knowledge, skills, equipment and technology.