Some Print Marketing Tips
How can you enact this in your own context? Here are ten print marketing trends that can boost your business in 2018.
1 – Story
Print is associated with slower reading and better memory and lends room for effective storytelling. Who are you as a company? Why do customers value a relationship with you? Woo prospects with a bigger picture, and they are more likely to become long term clients. Not inviting customers into your vision means less room to risk and trust, less longevity, and less ultimate fulfillment for both parties. What is your vision, and why do people want to be involved? That’s the story print marketing can uniquely tell.
2 – Rewards
Close an initial deal quickly with an offer or call to action. For direct mail and flyers, online coupon codes, discounts, referral rewards, gift cards and free services are all ways to offer quick, easy, and satisfying connection with your company. Reward people for engaging your print material, and they’ll look forward to the next interaction. And avoid calls to action that require hidden fees or small print — make the guidelines crystal clear and easy on follow-through. Avoid frustration and build trust.
3 – Simplicity
Zen. White space. Feng Shui. Straight shootin’. Simplicity involves a little of each. Your image, layout, and text should be the minimum necessary to articulate your distinctiveness, make an offer or call to action, and invite customers into your story. Too much information, too many visuals, and you are creating visual noise. Leave room for your images to stand out and keep layout clean, and you give your text the chance to be read. Highlight portions of your text that hit your main points, and you’re on your way.
4 – Personalization
To what industries are you trying to appeal? And who will receive your direct mail — a front desk administrator, a department manager, a company head? Each campaign will express to a particular reader why your business is a great match. Then provide a targeted call to action, including an appropriate connection to your digital presence. Social media, website, online chat, phone number — which connection point will be the most effective? From “See more” to closing a deal, personalize both the appeal and the offer to each industry and each recipient.
5 – Honesty
You don’t offer everything that everyone in your industry offers. You have your vision, your team, your strengths. And that’s what makes you great. Emphasize your uniqueness and the benefits of partnering with you, but do not stretch your identity, exaggerate, or promise more satisfaction by a special offer than you can consistently provide. Clear guidelines for next steps and quick access to a person-to-person connection — whether through a phone call, email, website, or social media — are also helpful for building an atmosphere of honest accessibility, as well as a seamless print-to-digital experience.
6 – Video
Yes, it’s true. You can include video in print material without living in the world of Blade Runner. The key is a scannable QR code which takes readers to an attractive landing page. Here, they’ll find the great promotional video footage you have uploaded highlighting your story and the benefits of partnering with you. This also ties together the print and the digital, creating overlap between the “real world” and your online presence, which is the most effective overall combination for a marketing strategy.
7 – Social media
QR code landing pages can also provide the opportunity to share your print messaging or offer through social media. Customers and prospects can leave feedback, communicate with a representative, follow you on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, like your page, or share with friends.
8 – Color
There may be the rare reason to go with black and white, but the rule is to use color to its full potential. Color elicits emotions and reactions at a gut level and can speak before a reader even gets to your first word. Full-color brochures, packets, flyers, banners, letters, postcards, and invitations indicate top quality, back up your branding, and enrich the reading experience.
9 – Texture
Another element that speaks without speaking is texture. Paper talks to the fingers: gloss, matte, weave, thickness, cotton and linen blends — they can each be harnessed to a different effect. They will also play a part in the expected longevity of each print marketing piece. Is this a one-time flyer? A tailored postcard for department heads? Or something to hold information for the long haul, such as an informational packet to keep in-office? This will affect your choice of texture.
10 – Shine
It’s no coincidence that this adjective is also a verb. Shine can make you shine. But you want to keep it as a highlighting element — remember simplicity — not a main one. Foil stamping can provide a metallic pop to your materials, while spot varnish gives a gleam to the surface of your paper in designated areas, either in the design or the text. This might be a fun element to consider especially if you are refreshing your print materials across the board, or rebranding.
Trust Safeguard
For out-of-the-box, 100% reliable print services that turn prospects into partners, Safeguard Premier knows how to meet your needs. We specialize in print and marketing solutions, and would love to know how we can help you. Call us today!