Marketing for small businesses is all about getting to know your local customer base. The flower shop with a 20-mile delivery radius or the bike shop that offers service to customers throughout the surrounding 10-mile areas—these are examples of businesses that have a finite customer base. Being able to recognize and appeal to that customer base is the secret to marketing success, and
print marketing could play a huge role in that success.
While it’s more important than ever for local businesses to
optimize their online presence, there’s also a tremendous advantage of presenting a physical reminder of your existence within a particular service area. Sending out
EDDM® postcards or handing out brochures at a community event can have a profoundly more impactful effect than emails or social media posts.
With Print Marketing Comes Presence
The physicality of print marketing collateral is its biggest asset. When you hand a potential customer a business card or tack up a
flyer at your local coffee shop, you’re making a statement that’s real, in more ways than one. And, when you operate a business that exists in the real world—in a local community with a defined presence—representing your physicality with print collateral is doubly effective.
To make an even more impactful statement with print marketing, local businesses can even take a stance in their communities. Passing out handouts at a local festival or canvassing local businesses with
brochures are ways to reinforce your presence in a physical way.
Print is Personable
One of the biggest problems with
digital marketing is how impersonal it can be. Even an email addressed to you pales in comparison to a piece of general print collateral that’s physically handed to you by a person. And, when you consider the many finishes, paper stocks and embossing options of print materials, it becomes very easy to create character with print.
Any sales rep will tell you that being able to put a physical piece of paper in the hands of a prospective customer is the very best way to make a first impression. For local small businesses, this is an easy, lasting way to introduce your business and your brand to the finite number of patrons who may indulge you.
The Accessibility of Print
Finally, print marketing is supremely accessible for brick-and-mortar businesses—not only in how it’s made, but also in how it’s deployed. You can
print a banner or
window signage and put it up for all to see, all without collecting a single email address or soliciting a single person. There’s a very passive philosophy to print marketing that benefits local businesses by creating exposure without the pressure of a direct solicitation.
And when it comes to obtaining print marketing, there are few barriers to overcome. Print is affordable, making it easy for virtually any small business to budget. It’s also versatile—from
large print signage to small handouts,
business cards to brochures and beyond.
And, of course, if there’s an
AlphaGraphics near you, print is also incredibly easy to customize. With design and print professionals on staff, we can help you create the print collateral you need to help your local small business flourish. Stop in today or
get in touch with your local AlphaGraphics to learn more about the power of print marketing for local small businesses.