Digital marketing has been a godsend for marketing. Despite all its complexities, flaws, and nuisances (spam, anyone?), reaching customers through electronic screens has become the default of the 21st century.
Yet in an age when SEO, PPC, and PDFs get all the attention, it’s easy to forget about one of the most effective methods for engaging your audience: print collateral. Done well, this traditional marketing approach has great potential and some distinct advantages over its digital counterparts. Let’s take a closer look at what print collateral might be able to do for your brand.
What Exactly Is Print Collateral?
When we talk about print collateral, we’re referring to physical, printed materials that share information about a business and its products or services. Types of print collateral include:
- Brochures and flyers
- Business cards and stationery
- Catalogs
- Direct mail pieces
- Print ads in magazines or newspapers
- And an endless list of printable commodities such as calendars, maps, hats, lip balm, etc.
Often called “leave behind” items, print collateral engages audiences in a tangible way that can stay with them for long periods. While most of these pieces may end up in the trash, they can make a lasting impression during a consumer’s journey to becoming your customer — especially if they have meaningful value worth holding on to (such as a sports team schedule or a refrigerator magnet).
The Importance of Print Collateral in Digital Marketing
So why does print collateral still matter in our increasingly digital world? The answer is simple: print offers something that digital mediums can’t — tangibility. Physical materials create a more direct, deeper level of engagement with your audience. They present information in a way that can be more memorable and personal (and in some cases may offer collectibility or memento value).
When print collateral works in sync with digital marketing efforts, it provides a multi-channel approach that can impact a wider variety of audience types. These materials are primarily used for purposes such as:
Raising Brand Awareness
Brochures, flyers, and posters help introduce your brand to new audiences and leave them with a regular reminder of what you have to offer.
Generating Leads
Business cards, postcards, and direct mail pieces can be a key step in the process of capturing contact information from potential customers.
Educating Customers
Brochures, booklets, and white papers offer detailed information about your products or services and can instill a sense of urgency in the need to “act now.”
Building Relationships
Newsletters, event invitations, coupons, and thank-you notes can help nurture relationships with existing customers and remind them that your brand isn’t a digital figment of their imagination.
Adding Value
Customers can perceive your brand as generous and empathetic when you give them something of tangible value that makes their lives better.
Integrating Print Collateral With Digital Marketing
Countless brands have found success in combining print collateral with their digital marketing strategy. Some common examples include:
- QR codes can direct users to your website or specific landing page, creating a seamless transition between the physical and digital realms
- Personalized direct mail, such as special offers or birthday cards, can increase engagement and promote customer loyalty
- Social media promotions on print collateral encourage customers to take an action step to engage with you online and increase your chances of closing a sale
A Literal Back of the Napkin Idea
One of our clients relies heavily on digital marketing because its target audience is mostly rural and spread out across the country. Reaching those customers through their phones and computers is the top priority of this client’s marketing strategy.
However, the AMPED team identified opportunities to create new customer touchpoints in physical locations where their potential clientele spent consistent time: local restaurants and churches. We worked with the client to craft a print collateral campaign using napkins to provide immediate, relevant information about the business. It’s so far been successful in winning new customers who may not have otherwise been aware of the client’s services available in their home town.
Print collateral gives your intended market a tangible reminder of how you can make their lives better — and it doesn’t disappear the second your audience taps or keeps scrolling.
Print Collateral and So Much More With AMPED
A significant aspect of marketing your business through print collateral is the nearly endless possibilities it offers. With a sound strategy, built-in measurability, and a fair amount of creativity, brands can reach consumers in ways that work — and work quite well.
When developing your marketing strategy, consider how incorporating both print and digital tactics can help you find and retain customers. And if you want help, then turn to a team with experience in creating thousands of highly effective print collateral marketing materials — AMPED.
At AMPED, we can transform your marketing experience through both digital and print marketing services in ways that are trackable and measurable. We believe that all marketing should have a return on its investment, and our team of experts is ready to prove it to you.
Connect with the AMPED team today to learn how.
