Print Marketing

Although online marketing has taken over for many businesses, there is something to be said for print marketing. Print marketing still generates a great deal of sales and it is one of the best ways to gain exposure. Here are some common print marketing methods:

• Brochures


• Business Cards


• Flyers


• Catalogs


• Letters


• Notepads

What makes print marketing so powerful is the fact that it can serve as a reminder for a set amount of time. Online advertising is only seen for a few moments. Print marketing on the other hand can remain in tact for years. Take a look at how many business pens you have sitting in your top drawer or how many notepads you have been given from businesses over the years. Anything you can put your name or logo on instantly becomes a form of print marketing.

Pharmaceutical companies are known for print marketing as they use duffel bags, pens, watches, key chains, and all types of print marketing materials to gain attention for their company.

A lot of companies prefer print marketing methods because they help to install a sense of urgency in their customers. Instead of clicking off the ad like you do online, it will sit there on your fridge until you do something about it. Flyers are a common print marketing method that helps to install this sense of urgency. Normally flyers will have coupons attached along with an expiration date. The goal is to motivate the customer to buy the product before it's too late.

This type of marketing is a powerful tool since it puts the action steps upon the customers.

When customers come into your store, offer them a brochure. Think of when you are in the waiting room at the dentist office and the brochures you can find there, usually you can learn about gingivitis and root canals so you know how to take care of your teeth. Brochures may not always be something you mail to your customers, but they are a great way to educate your audience.

Print marketing is a great way to build relationships with your customers. Many businesses will send out thank-you letters through print marketing. Turn the thank-you mailer into a sales strategy by offering discount codes along with the letter. Don't forget to include a catalog or something that has a few products highlighted so they know where to order.

If you are planning to host a large conference, print marketing is definitely the way to go. The conference program must go out to your target audience along with a registration form that your customers can fill out online or mail in. The other benefit of printing the program to mail is that you can hand out extras at the actual conference if some of your attendees have forgotten theirs. Try to keep the program small because it will cost you a ton of money to print when you start adding multiple pages to the program.

Before you engage in a print marketing promotion, know a little bit about your target audience. How much information do they want to see on the item that is mailed to them? Do they want a few action words or do they need a long description? Include enough detail to catch their attention and send them online to gain more information.

It is important to look over your finalized product multiple times before you send it to the printer. Unlike online marketing, you will have a harder time altering the information that has been printed. The only way to fix a spelling error is to re-run your item, which can get pretty expensive.