The main reason your business should have print media among its marketing mix is for quick encounters and promotions. Always be prepared so you don’t miss out on a networking opportunity or the chance for your brand to create a positive impression. Whether you’re distributing your print marketing face-to-face or through the mail, it’s vital to convey your brand image. Presenting someone with crisp, professional printed material, sets a much more professional tone than frantically searching for a pen and paper to handwrite event or contact information.
You want your company to set a tone that your company pays attention to the fine details and prides itself in its presentation and professionalism. In this day of digital media fatigue, there’s no better way to stand out than by investing in print!
Business Cards
The staple of all print media marketing is the business card. Business cards are a vital part of communicating and promoting your company’s brand. You can easily showcase your logo, business name, address, phone number, website, and any social media links.
This often creates your client’s first impression of you. Business cards are the perfect networking tool to have in your pocket, both literally and figuratively. Whether your business card stays in the hands of the person you gave it to or gets passed onto someone else, it is responsible for being your company’s print ambassador. Business cards are a simple and undervalued way of sharing your basic company information with others.
Business cards reflect your brand and image. Choose from options such as paper types, thickness, coatings, and other finishing options to customize the look and feel.
Brochures
It is handy to have print brochures to physically hand out to customers. Customers want to know the types of products and services your business sells. You can include specific details such as price, varieties, and hours available. The beauty of having brochures is that they essentially self-market your company. You don’t need to be physically present explaining your products or services. Your clients can read about them at their leisure.
Print media, like brochures, encourage customers to read or interact with the material almost immediately. For a business owner, this is preferable. Digital marketing media such as website links or emails can be easily ignored or sent directly to the spam folder. The more times your customer interacts with your brand, the more likely they are to buy from you.
Brochures are a great print source to offer people more information regarding your services and products. You may inadvertently be limiting your customer base if your company solely shares its information through digital marketing. Keep in mind not everyone has quick and easy access to the internet. Moreover, it’s considerably easier to hand someone printed information than it is to direct them to your website.
Tangible print media like brochures are more likely to create a lasting impression in your customer’s mind. The longer a client thinks about your product or service, the higher the chance is that they will purchase. In the case that your brochure is not read immediately, the information will still be readily available. Not only that, but brochures can be read, and reread multiple times.
Flyers
One of the most versatile and affordable ways to pass messages to your customers are flyers. Flyers have numerous outlets to reach customers, including in-person distribution, direct mail, and in-store distribution. They are easy to read and simple to distribute. You can easily get high-quality prints at a low price.
You can share information about upcoming sales, events, promotional offers, or announcements. Depending on whether you have a business-to-business (B2B) company or business-to-consumer (B2C), you might consider different information you would put on your flyers.
For B2B, you may want to include information on how your customers or clients can reach you; be sure to include an email address or phone number for them. For B2C, your fliers may be more general announcements about upcoming sales or promotions; for these, you want to include the location address and hours of the event.
Flyers can also be used to measure how well your print marketing campaign goes. By adding promotional codes or QR codes, you can measure how successful your campaign has been, which can offer some insight into your next print marketing campaign.
Postcards
Postcards are a great marketing investment. Postcards are extremely versatile and cost-effective, plus they can be used to target a specific area. Like flyers, responses and returns can be measured.
Postcards are attention grabbers since people can read them without having to open an envelope. Postcards immediately offer an impression since they aren’t hidden inside an envelope. Since they are small, compared to other types of mail, it’s likely they will be placed at the top of the stack, leading to a higher probability that it will be viewed amongst the first few pieces of mail.
Keep the information simple and concise so people can quickly scan for the important details. Since postcards are concise, they have a high impact on their readers, compared to lengthy reads like a multi-page document.
You can build your brand image by creating timeless and high-impact postcards. As a new or small business owner, the message your brand sends to customers should evoke confidence and trust in your company. Postcards can be used to establish your brand among a community or target audience. The more times they interact with tangible material highlighting your brand, the more likely it is that customers will choose it over other brands that they aren’t familiar with.
Mini Posters and Posters
Posters are a timeless print marketing tool to cover wall or window space while simultaneously advertising to a large audience. Everyone who passes a poster or mini poster has the potential to see it. While a flyer or brochure may be read once and possibly discarded, posters provide continuous and repetitive exposure until they are taken down. The longer the posters are up, the greater the chances are that the poster will drive the message home.
Posters can promote events, advertise products, or feature your company’s values and vision for the future. They can be hung almost anywhere (check with your city or local ordinances before hanging posters out in public). Posters are size and shape flexible -you can print mini posters for bulletin board announcements or full-size posters for gaining exposure in the community. While both sizes of posters have high visibility, for times when you need a greater visual impact, a larger poster would be more suited.
Banners
Banners are another inexpensive and effective print marketing tool that every business should have in their collection. They are easily reusable and durable. They can be used both indoors and outdoors, thus, reaching a wider audience than posters might. Companies sponsoring local events, participating in community activities, or appearing at trade shows will get a lot of use from banners. They are light-weight and flexible, making them easy to transport. With just a small amount of string, banners can easily hang from trees, posts, or poles. When not in use, banners can be rolled up to save space. Just like with posters, banners can repetitively reach the same customers over and over again.
In a Nutshell
Business owners are constantly trying to find newer ways to attract customers and advertise their products and services. Print media marketing continues to be a highly effective and low-cost method of promoting your business.
Print media is always a good method of showcasing your brand, including your: logo, mission statement, and location. Print media is easy to produce, cost-effective, a measurable marketing tool, and provides a great return on investment.
Print media is a timeless and proven way to market your business. The easier you make it for your clients to remember you and find you, the more likely it is that you will gain their business.
If you need help or inspiration on how to integrate print media into your marketing mix, feel free to reach out to us at Printivity! We’re here to help you learn to grow and market your business effectively.
