Print Marketing Strategies That Actually Work in 2024: A Practitioner’s Guide

I have more than fifteen years of experience in marketing, and one of the things that continue to shock clients when I bring it up is that print marketing is not dead. Not even close. Actually, I have seen it experience a spectacular revival as everyone was preoccupied with Instagram algorithms and email open rates.

I assisted a local bakery chain to conduct a direct mail last month, which exceeded their online advertisements by 340 percent. The owner almost dropped off her chair on seeing the numbers. It was then that I understood we must have a real talk regarding the print marketing strategies, what has and has not been working and why tactile marketing does not lose its relevance in our screen-overloaded world.

The Reason Why Print Marketing is Worth Your Notice.

Let me be straight with you. I am not telling you to give up using digital marketing. That would be foolish. But not to regard print at all? That’s equally shortsighted.

The physical aspect of a piece of marketing material is neurologically different. A study conducted by Temple University revealed that physical advertisements elicited more emotional reaction and memory recollection than online advertisements. This is fully supported by my personal experience.

When you have a brochure, postcard, or your catalog in the hands of the person, he or she is touching and feeling several senses. They touch the paper weight, they feel the texture, perhaps even they smell the ink. These are more memorable sensory experiences that make the mind more connected as compared to clicking past another sponsored content.

Direct Mail: The Unsung Hero

Direct mail has become my special tool to clients who should be distinguished. Response rates on direct mail are at 4.4 per cent on prospect lists, as compared to the pathetic 0.12 on email. Such figures are not negligible.

And this is the point where most companies fail, they consider direct mailing a numbers game and send out generic postcards to all people in a zip code. That strategy is a waste of finances and an irritant to society.

Instead, I suggest so-called precision mail. Collaborate with a mailing list broker in order to find very specific audiences. One of the plumbing firms that I have been employed with over the last year has started using blanket mailings to neighborhoods and switched to sending the mail to homeowners whose houses were built prior to 1980. Their responds rate was three times higher since they were targeting individuals with old pipes, who were in need of their services.

Guidelines to using a direct mail

• Personalize each piece with the name of the recipient and other relevant information using the variable data printing.
• Provide a firm and well-defined proposal that has a time limit to bring urgency.
• Ensure the call-to-action is so stupidly obvious.
• Practice with various formats (self-mailers, postcards, letters) before making a big order.
• Monitor all of these with the help of individual phone numbers, QR codes, or special landing pages.
• Business Cards Still Matter (When Done Right).
• I was recently at a networking event and somebody gave me a business card that was printed on seed paper, plant it, and wildflowers grow. I still have that card. I have discarded what are likely three hundred others.

Think of odd shapes, textured paper, letter press printing or spot UV coating. Such feeling components cause individuals to stop and even check out your card instead of taking it home and throwing it away in the garbage.

Brochures and Catalogs: Your Entire Story.

• There is a tendency of digital content to be brief. People skim. They scroll. They will seldom spend time reading anything significant over the internet.
• Print enables more in-depth story telling. A catalog or brochure that is well planned allows the customer to take their time and make an in depth exploration of what you have to offer.

I was dealing with a furniture store that demanded having a thick, slick catalog in spite of their being pressured to be entirely digital. Their customers were mostly home owners whose age group is 45-65 and who enjoyed flipping the physical catalog and enjoying their morning coffee. It produced a greater number of qualified showroom visits as compared to any online campaign they employed.

Environmental Graphics and Signage.

• Go to any crowded street and tally the print marketing. Storefront signs. Window graphics. Sandwich boards. Banners. Vehicle wraps. We live in a print world, despite the digital times.
• Good signage works hard on brand awareness. A unique, catchy symbol will become an icon in a neighborhood. I have witnessed businesses boosting foot traffic as a result of the more significant investment in exterior signage- 30, even more percent.
• Take into account the psychology of placement also. Messaging at eye level is read. Below the knee line or over the sightlines of nature is neglected. It is a no-brainer, but I have seen costly banners placed in locations that no one can reasonably expect to see.

The combination of Print and Digital Strategies.

The most intelligent marketers do not have to decide on the use of print or digital, they make them co-exist.

QR codes are back with a vengeance. In comparison to 2012 and its implementations which were clunky, the smartphone cameras today recognize QR codes immediately. The location of a code on print materials can directly bring customers into the world of online content, special deals or augmented reality.

A client of one restaurant will create table tents with QR codes; these codes will connect to special menu options. The customers enjoy the secret menu atmosphere, and the restaurant has monitoring of the specific locations and times which create the highest amount of engagement.

Print Marketing Effectiveness Measurement.

The excuse used by lazy marketers is; you can not measure print. All print publications must have tracking:

• Distinct promotion codes of each campaign.
• Specific phone or extensions.
• Custom landing page URLs
• QR codes connected to definite tracking pages.
• After-sale surveys on the way you were introduced to customers.
• Measurement is missing you are merely guessing. And guessing wastes money.

Sustainability Considerations

Contemporary consumers are concerned with the effects on the environment. Recycled papers, vegetable ink and only print what you are going to use can be used. A lot of print shops are becoming carbon-neutral.

Environmental responsibility is more of an anticipated practice rather than an ethical one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is print marketing prohibitively costly to the small business?
Not necessarily. Targeted print advertising can be cheap when compared to digital advertising that is continuous and can provide better results to local businesses.

What are the frequency of my updates regarding print materials?
Review annually at minimum. Immediate update in case any of the contact information, pricing, or services have changed significantly.

Which is the best paper weight of business cards?
Aim for at least 14pt cardstock. Cards that are thicker (16pt-32pt) are more high-end.

Are QR codes still effective?
Absolutely. After the pandemic, individuals are not afraid of scanning codes. Make sure that they are not just direct to your homepage.

What is the decision I should make regarding the use of postcards or letters in direct mail?
Postcards are suitable when it comes to low profile offers and awareness. Complex services that need explanation should be done using letters.

Which print materials are needed by any business?
At the least: business cards, simple brochure or one-sheet, and business signage.