5 Steps to an Effective Print Marketing Campaign

Surely we’ve all heard the words ‘print is dead’. Yes, the money traditionally spent on print marketing is now often shared with the dramatic rise of digital. But the truth is that print should still be considered a successful option toward on your end goal. There is a reason why the world’s top brands still incorporate print into their overall marketing efforts. The tangible nature of high-quality print gives your message a sincerity that digital communications are often missing. Customers tend to remember the direct mail message and in turn are more likely to react or make contact. Ultimately, commercial printing allows you to cut through all the noise of mass communications and leave people with a tactile impression.

If you want to stand out from your competition, here are 5 steps to create an effective print and mail campaign that your audience will never forget.

Step #1: Understand your target audience

Good writing is key when it comes to print marketing, so you want to use language that speaks to your audience. You probably wouldn’t come up with a cheeky, slangy blurb to promote end-of-life care for seniors. Nor would you use dry, professional office talk to sell skinny jeans to hipsters. There are so many print advertisements out there with writing styles that don’t resonate with its target customers. Before designing your commercial print materials, understand your intended audience first. Here are some questions to help you determine what their habits and lifestyle choices might be:

• What is their age and gender?
• Do they own their home or rent?
• Are they white-collar or blue-collar professionals?
• Do they have children? What about pets?

The better you understand your clientele, the more time you can spend crafting a message that resonates with them. Save your money and resources by avoiding a trial-and-error approach. Identify the tone that will work best and spend your time perfecting that instead.

Step #2: Create the right materials

Print comes in a number of different shapes and sizes. From coupons in envelopes to highway billboards, the possibilities are seemingly endless. The key to a successful print marketing campaign is to select the material that suits your goals. Here are some print varieties to choose from:

• Flyers
• Postcards
• Newspapers/Magazines
• Outdoor signage
• Printed t-shirts

There is no one-size-fits-all strategy. The most effective campaigns use a combination of materials to achieve the right response. If you’re looking to cast a wide net and convey a broad message to a large audience, then a billboard or bulk mailing flyers would help achieve that goal. But if you’re aiming to do some damage control after a dangerous product recall, then a personalized letter would be the better approach. Picture how your audience would react to various forms of print material. A humble letter inside a sealed envelope — personally signed in blue ink by the company’s president — would probably make a customer feel warm and valued. Whereas a loud billboard with huge font advertising used cars would most likely have a different effect.

Step #3: Remember brand continuity

The most successful businesses invest in a quality graphic designer to create an effective visual brand that flows seamlessly across all marketing campaigns. You’ve spent years building a brand your customers recognize and trust. Use this momentum to your advantage. Whether you’re using print and direct mail advertising, digital or a combination — always keep your branding and message consistent.

If you’re on the fence about working with a graphic designer, consider this. You could build your own website using a WordPress template. And then you can ask your niece to create a logo. Then you can use a DIY program to design your own business cards. You may have saved some money in the process, but chances are higher that your brand will appear amateur and disjointed. Investing in brand continuity from the beginning will save you time and money in the long-run.

Step #4: Distribute your materials appropriately

Although direct mailing campaigns can be very successful if done properly, think beyond the traditional postal service to get your message out. There are many other effective ways to distribute your print material. Sporting matches, trade shows and community fairs are all valuable options. What you have to do is find out what your target audience likes to do. If your customers are millenials who love the indie rock scene, most likely you’d stake out concerts at the local amphitheatre to distribute your printed materials. When you represent your business at large gatherings, you’re creating opportunities to interact with your target audience. Your prospects will remember your products and services because they were approached in person.

When mailing or distributing your materials, try to add in something of value. Whether it’s product samples, bookmarks, coupons or stickers, recipients love getting ‘free’ goods in the mailbox.

Step #5: Track and measure results

It can be difficult to put a quantitative value on the success of your print marketing campaign. Digital materials are easy to track and measure through the number of clicks and user path. Did they go to your Services page to see what else you offer, or did they immediately hit the Contact button? These are things you cannot track when it comes to print and direct mail media. However, one of the oldest ways to measure print ad effectiveness is to add unique or generic promo codes to your mailers. At the very least, waiting to see if your sales numbers improve is also a good way to measure direct mail success.

Interested in exploring different options for commercial printing and direct mail fulfillment? Please contact Troi Mailing Services in Scarborough at 1-866-486-0423 or contact us here for more information.