A new year brings new opportunities, so now’s the best time to set some strong, attainable goals for your business. Among them is likely a sales quota—an almighty number to beat—which can get the gears turning in your creative team. How can you reel in more prospects?
As your marketing team strategizes for the coming quarter, it’s easy to overlook the power of print marketing. After all, the convenience and popularity of email campaigns and social media have diminished the need for print marketing efforts. Everyone is online: Why not follow the crowd?
It’s a no-brainer that you need to develop an online presence and social media strategy. But businesses that aim to go the extra mile recognize the importance of blending their digital marketing strategy with print marketing.
There’s no good reason to view print and digital separately—print marketing can work alongside your digital strategies, optimizing cost efficiency and increasing your overall reach. The right materials can promote your online campaigns by incorporating hashtags, social media icons, and website URLs. Essentially, you’re encouraging greater exposure and keeping your brand at the forefront of your prospects’ mind, online or off.
The benefits of print marketing speak for themselves. But the question is, which materials will be most beneficial for your company’s specific marketing efforts? There’s no shortage of options; from direct mail to signs and banners, you’ll get the most bang for your buck by selecting a print product that complements your current marketing strategies.
Selecting the right print marketing materials requires that you consider your budget, company size, industry type, and more. Below, we’ve listed four of our top print marketing materials, along with the businesses and industries we believe will benefit most from using them.
Brochures
Brochures are an evergreen marketing material because they’re capable of bundling plenty of pertinent information into a concise and handy resource. They’re easy to manufacture, distribute, and read. Perhaps the best part is their shelf life: A well-written brochure can serve your company for years to come without requiring any updates.
Brochures suit a wide range of business types and industries. They don’t require any hand-holding: You can distribute them at trade shows, send them in the mail, or leave them out for collection at a brochure rack or your front lobby.
Designing an effective brochure is your first step. If you’re unsure of where to start, take a look at our tips on creating an effective brochure for your business.
Business Cards
Another age-old practice, business cards are a perfect personal touch for your sales and marketing strategies, and they’re not going away anytime soon. Despite the vigor of the internet, it’s tough to beat the accessibility and cost-effectiveness of a business card.
This is another print material that works for many different industries, but businesses that prioritize face-to-face operations will benefit the most. If your company commonly sends representatives to conferences, lectures, or in-person meetings, it’s a good idea to equip them with attractive and up-to-date business cards.
You can individualize your cards to feature the unique contact information of each rep; alternatively, a more cost-effective option is to design a company-wide business card, featuring general contact information. Either way, they’re well worth the investment.
Catalogs
When you picture a catalog, you might be inclined to think that they can only serve retail companies. In reality, catalogs can be customized to feature various forms of content, from promotions to company news and even case studies. You can leverage this format to send quarterly or annual information without getting buried in an email inbox.
Catalogs don’t have to be bulky. Consumers don’t have time for content that’s hundreds of pages thick. Less is more, and quality over quantity will get the job done (and save you time and money on production).
Typically, a catalog is most successful when it’s targeted toward warm leads or active clients; this marketing material isn’t recommended for cold campaigns. Once you’ve established a solid client base, give this format a go.
Posters & Signage
There’s nothing more eye-catching than a well-placed and effectively designed sign. Posters can be an excellent form of marketing and advertising for up-and-coming companies or businesses with storefronts. They’re a catch-all way to increase your pool of prospects without breaking the bank.
Posters require a creative edge: It’s all about the design. Every factor comes into play, from size and scale to print material. If you’re new to poster advertising and don’t know where to begin, check out our list of benefits and suggestions.
More Materials for Your Print Marketing Strategy
There’s no limit to what you can do with print marketing. We’ve only skimmed the surface when it comes to available materials; how you capitalize on them is entirely up to you.Contact Advertisers Printing in the St. Louis area for more strategies, tips, and print products that can help leverage your marketing efforts.