The internet is convenient and for the most part free, so it’s easy to assume that print marketing is dead. However, this assumption completely negates daily situations that proves printed material to be invaluable. Imagine – you have found the place you were looking for on the internet, but you have to leave your house or office to buy from them. When you finally get there, there is no sign outside the premises and you get lost. Without any print marketing, how would we navigate our daily lives?
Printed marketing materials allows your customers to see, touch and experience the quality of your products first-hand, which other marketing channels unfortunately cannot offer. Print advertising has also become the under-dog of the marketing world, with more and more businesses opting for a solely online strategy. This inadvertently creates a niche segment that could potentially grow your loyal customer base, and differentiate you from your competitors, especially if what you are providing is useful and reliable materials.
How does print fit into your marketing strategy?
Any savvy marketer should constantly be asking themselves: how do customers engage with brands these days? Is it via mono-channel marketing? Multi-channel? Or perhaps omni-channel? In order to reach your business goals, it simply makes sense to use every available resource to your advantage. This sentiment is shared by industry experts. Alexander Knieps, founder of Printulu – an online printing company in South Africa – had this to say about omni-channel marketing:
“We are not in a completely online world, and we are not in a completely offline world. It’s all about multi-channel.” – Alexander Knieps, Founder of Printulu, your online printer.
Printulu’s goal is to help SMEs grow their businesses in an omni-channel world. They are disrupting the printing industry with their innovative approach, and their belief is that in order to grow a business effectively in the digital age, you need to be using every channel available to you strategically. This means using each channel’s strengths to your advantage. It means to choose a channel that suits your business’ constraints so that you can utilise it effectively, and expand your marketing efforts towards other channels as your business grows.
Think about it this way – there are essentially 3 main objectives to any type of marketing strategy. These are market identification, positioning/differentiation, and brand loyalty. So how does including print in your strategy help you reach these objectives?
- Market identification
In order to grow your business successfully, you will need to segment your target market correctly in order to precisely establish a viable customer base. If you are not catering to a target audience’s specific needs, all of your efforts will be in vain. Taking the time to target the exact market you have identified and using various channels to actively pursue your audience will serve the broader goal of increasing your revenue.
Believe it or not, not everyone is online. Some people (especially us hard-working individuals) simply do not have the time to check Facebook during the day. Forget about Instagram and Twitter! We go to the office, we work hard, and we go home to relax with family – be they of the human or animal variety.
If this sounds like your life, ask yourself: where do you see the most ads? Which brand did you take notice of lately in your busy day? The answer is most likely somewhere on your commute – a printed billboard or poster. Print marketing can reach your most targeted consumers in the same way, cutting through the noise of busy everyday life.
- Positioning/Differentiation
To position your business means to determine how you want your products and services perceived. The way you market your business is telling to customers of the nature of the company. This is why you want to be giving your customers every opportunity to get to know you through well thought-out marketing campaigns. Using high quality printed materials will assist you in positioning your company as a high quality firm.
Do you think your prospects will be more impressed with an online ad that is placed right next to their neighbour’s latest Facebook status about how much they miss their ex – or with a shiny flyer placed conveniently at their favourite coffee shop?
- Brand loyalty
If your business’ content marketing is consistent and useful, the potential for your company to be seen as a thought leader by customers is exponential. Creating this consumer preference for your brand is essential for a business’ long-term success.
This one isn’t rocket science. The more channels you’re using (and using well), the more consistent and useful your content will appear to prospects and customers.
Don’t get us wrong – we’re not saying online marketing is bad. Quite the opposite. For one thing, if you’re using online tools right, your ads should be showing up right when and where they should be. However, you might be missing out on quite a few huge opportunities by limiting your marketing efforts to just that.
The rule of 7 works better with an integrated marketing approach
The rule of seven should also not be disregarded. If you’ve never heard of it, here’s a quick explanation. The rule of seven states that someone needs to come across your brand or offer at least seven times before it really sinks in and they take action.
The rule of seven shows why it is essential that your business does not rely solely on one channel as it grows. No one marketing channel has infinite capabilities, and whilst using one extensively if you have limited resources is a good method to follow, the same strategy should not be used for growing businesses. Adding print marketing to your strategy means that you can target your ads to where your customers will definitely be physically, with the added benefit that they can’t click away. If your product or service is in any way tangible, using tangible marketing is also especially useful.
Can’t fit printed collateral into your budget? Printulu can help you jumpstart your marketing efforts. Click this link to fill in the form and score 25% off your first business card order with Printulu.
DISCLAIMER: Brand Voice is a paid program. Articles appearing in this section have been commercially supported.