Think Creative Agency

The Power of Print Marketing

Kelly

Kelly Goodin

The Power of Print Marketing

The Power of Print Marketing

The marketeers of today tend to emphasise on the use and benefits of going digital. And rightfully so, you would say, in an age where internet and social media play an important role in everyday life for so many of us. After all, digital channels enable your brand to reach across the globe with relative ease. So why not use them as your key marketing channel in favour of print marketing? Well, print marketing still has merit in marketing and can still be highly effective with characteristic qualities that simply cannot be translated in digital marketing.

Reverting to, or focusing on, the use of print media to engage with your target group can make a significant difference, especially when your target audience consists of those who are less involved in the digital age. Always make sure you use the right channel for the right demographic. As with many aspects of marketing, research should be at the core of any decision and so too when choosing the appropriate channel to reach your audience.

Nevertheless, perhaps one of the most notable advantages of print over digital marketing, that apply to any audience, is the level of engagement and response that you can get from circulating printed collateral. Whereas people tend to scroll over or dismiss (pop-up) ads, picking up a brochure or flyer still very much results in drawing attention and creating personalised engagement with your brand. In today’s digital age, receiving a printed brochure helps you to stand out and say to your audience or customer that you value them to the extend where you are willing to go through the effort of printing marketing materials.

Making use of creativity and the wide range of styling options that print media offers is another vital element in exploiting the unique advantages that it has over digital marketing. Consistently putting forward a piece of print that is aesthetically distinct increases recognition, something that is argued to have a far greater impact than online brand exposure. Think of the different types of paper, their sizes, finishes, colours and other visuals that can help to create a distinct piece of print that draws attention and entices people to keep reading and further engage with the brand. Meanwhile, consider that Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram limit this capability by offering only a set structural frame for posting content.

From a scientific point of view, print marketing fulfils an important purpose in conveying and drawing attention to your brand. Not only is the brain programmed to better process information through physical touch, but it also helps to increase people’s navigation through and processing of information when they are reading from print, thereby putting less of a strain on your cognitive stamina.

Nevertheless, while print marketing offers the ability to create a personalised touch, it suffers greatly in comparison to the personalisation capabilities of digital marketing. A key focus of digital marketing in recent years has been a push for improved personalisation of ads. Cookies and data sharing by major platforms such as Facebook have, however, created certain levels of distrust and resentment towards this form of marketing. Therefore, combining the best of both could mitigate for the shortcomings that each of the forms of marketing brings to the table. However challenging, finding the balance between personalised online and the more engaging printed content will allow marketeers to optimise and streamline their marketing campaigns.

How? Make sure each of the marketing channels complement one another. Add opt-ins for receiving printed materials to online marketing as well as QR-codes and website URL’s to printed materials to encourage and generate traffic to online platforms such as websites. As online platforms are renowned for the ability to personalise, try to find ways in which you can use the outcomes in print media. For example, include (online) reviews and testimonies in your print. With that element of integrated marketing, you will be able to create a consistent experience where all elements of marketing blend in and complement each other in a way that increase exposure, experience and a higher return on investment.

Get in touch to find out more about how we can help you to optimise the use of digital and print media for your brand