Print Marketing & Digital Success
When it comes to print marketing to drive digital success, it's not always easy to understand. Many industries are known by the two main groups they are separated into. Think of digital and analog watches. Laptop and desktop computers. Automatic and manual cars. Too often this means we are forced to choose—unless we want to own both. But in the strongest industries, the products and services in each group support each other. This is a pretty well-kept secret about the marketing industry. Contrary to popular belief, print and digital marketing can get along just fine. Keep reading for the full story.
At some point, we’ve probably all heard about the value of any business or advertiser of finding the right target market. In one of its common forms, the reasoning goes that the
key to maximizing advertising ROI lies in putting the right message in front of the right people at the right time and in the right form. Of these steps, the last—how to convey a message that attracts and engages viewers—is often the least clear, even when the target market and message are firmly in place. With the realities of rapid change and multimedia content that marketers face today, there are simply too many advertising choices available for the selection to be clear-cut. This is a great problem to have.
Despite the huge number of marketing channels available today, most of them can be classified as either print or digital. Lately, digital advertising seems to be gaining more traction in the market. With the continued growth of the Internet and surge in computer use and literacy (particularly among younger generations), it is easy to see why many people write articles about the decline in print marketing since the start of the Internet Age.
Crucially, this point of view overlooks the interdependence of digital and print marketing. Each has strengths that distinguish it as a unique and valuable marketing channel. And each channel is at its best when it supports the message of and leads viewers to the other.
Data Talks
The numbers show that this mutual reinforcement is more than just a theory. Here are a few facts from a
popular graphic design and advertising firm:
Among online consumers, those who were directed to a website from a direct mail piece spend on average 13% more
- Relative to single-medium shoppers, multimedia shoppers spend on average 30% more
- Compared to other websites, those supported by catalogs generate 163% more revenue
Besides completing digital media, print marketing offers distinct advantages in and of itself. One huge edge it provides is that
70% of people prefer to read print rather than from a screen. As a result of this—and because of all the distractions online—
we tend to read print word for word versus skimming digital content. We also pay more attention to and remember more of what we see and read in print.
These trends make print media an ideal medium for drawing consumers to the Web. By excelling at catching and holding our attention, print functions as the entry point to the more instantaneous and voluminous material available online. Other than listing a Web address, print media can encourage viewers to go online by using smartphone-compatible
QR codes or augmented reality features, such as flyers that display animated elements when scanned.
As some truly cutting-edge multi-channel
marketing campaigns have shown, integrated print and digital media are fertile ground for personalized messages packed with fun interactive features. If you enjoy getting ads with discounts, how would you like a direct mail piece with a personalized message
and a URL sending you to a website where you could have a real-time customized shopping experience? What about visiting an airport where you could scan a barcode on temporary construction fencing with your phone and receive images and videos of the planned changes? You guessed it—these campaigns
were used, by Econsultancy marketing and England's Gatwick Airport, respectively.
Of course, there are much more possibilities for connecting print and digital channels. What they all share: the ability to leverage print media as an engaging and memorable contact point to drive sales and boost website views.
Have you had success with either print or digital marketing—or both? Which methods have you found work best to engage with customers? Leave a comment below and we'll comment back.
To learn more about how AlphaGraphics of Downtown Raleigh can produce and design your next project, you may email us, request a quote or call us at (919) 832-2828.