It can be difficult to determine the best way to allocate a marketing budget. Print tends to be more expensive than digital, but the potential cost effectiveness may be more significant. It needn’t be one thing or the other, however. in fact, by combining print and digital marketing you’re likely to reach a broader audience demographic and achieve a greater return on your marketing investment. What’s the best way to marry print and digital in your marketing campaigns going forward? PMG Print Management has five top suggestions.
Interactive print
Interactive print is very much on trend right now as marketers experiment with new technologies in pursuit of truly eye-catching effects. ‘Interactive print’ is a catch-all term that covers all print marketing materials with an interactive element – some might involve digital technologies, while others utilise the physical properties of paper, card and ink in innovative ways. Take a look at our article on exploring interactive print for inspiration.
Integrated campaigns
Integrated marketing campaigns utilise a variety of platforms to reach as broad an audience as possible. The trick here it so devise a marketing strategy that is flexible and versatile, capable of appealing to people through brochures and flyers, point-of-sale advertisements, social media posts, microvideo and more. Be consistent and make sure that everything from colour schemes to copy carries the same message wherever your integrated campaigns might reach.
Newsletters
The digital revolution has seen the world embrace smartphones, tablets and other interactive technologies, but that doesn’t mean that we all want to consume digital content all of the time. Do you have a popular, successful email newsletter? If so, consider releasing a print version too. High production values and good quality images will mean that your newsletter looks even better in print than it does online, helping to improve brand loyalty and establish your company as a trusted thought leader.
Prompts to online content
Some brands are better at marrying print and digital than others. The big takeaway chains can be placed in the former category. Brands such as Dominos Pizza and Pizza Hut send menus and vouchers to the houses of potential customers, prompting them to go online and use their promotional codes to save money on their next order. It’s a clever means of using print marketing to attract customers to a digital sales portal, and it needn’t be reserved for takeaway delivery services alone.
Promotions
Promotions present a strong opportunity to marry print and digital marketing. Lots of consumer brands use this approach – just think of the prize codes soft drink and snack food companies often include in their product packaging. The promise of a prize (or entry into a prize draw) is often enough to attract customers to your site, thereby establishing brand awareness and prompting additional sales. The cost of a prize giveaway is little when stacked against the publicity such campaigns can bring.
We’re print management experts here at PMG, but that doesn’t mean that we’ll push print ahead of digital when it doesn’t make sense to do so. We want to help you achieve your marketing aims this year, and have all sorts of ideas to marry print and digital in your business. Contact us today to find out more.
