January 15, 2023

Marketing – 8 Tips for your print marketing strategy

As the new year begins, it’s time to review and update your print marketing strategy. At Seriously, we see January as an opportunity to set new goals and evaluate our past efforts. This includes not only our overall marketing strategy, but also our approach to print marketing.

Having a dedicated strategy for print marketing is essential for a business’s success. At Seriously, we believe print is a versatile and powerful tool that can help bring in new clients and increase brand recognition. By having a strategy in place, you can ensure you’re making the most of this medium and have something to reflect on at the end of the year.

Here are our 8 top tips for building your print marketing strategy:

1. Know your Target Audience

Knowing your target audience is crucial for all aspects of your marketing, including print. By understanding what your audience desires and their specific needs, you can create a clear message in your print designs that showcases how your products or services can help them achieve their goals.

2. Use print to compliment digital

Print and digital marketing are complementary and by combining the two, you can significantly increase the reach of your marketing efforts. One effective way to integrate print and digital is by using print designs on social media pages and websites, and including social media handles and icons on your print materials. To ensure consistency and build brand awareness, it’s important to keep branding and language consistent across all content platforms.

3. Track your results

Although there may not be built-in analytics for print campaigns, there are still simple ways to measure their impact. Using landing pages, discount codes, coupons, or asking customer service representatives to track where customers heard about your service can provide valuable data on the reach and effectiveness of your campaign, and highlight any areas that need improvement.

4. Take stock of your stock

Proper planning is crucial when creating a print strategy, especially given the current longer than usual turnaround times, and costs.

When developing your strategy, take some time to anticipate what you will need. By taking inventory of your stock and planning ahead, you will save yourself time and stress in the long run.

5. Determine your costs

Calculating a realistic budget is essential when writing a print marketing strategy. Keeping track of your inventory and plotting out your next batch of events, will mean you can order in bulk and avoid any last-minute orders which could go out of budget.

6. Direct your marketing

High-quality, unique and tangible direct mail pieces are an effective way to build brand recognition. A well-designed leaflet, brochure, or promotional item delivered directly to your target audience’s mailbox is a memorable and impactful marketing technique. When planning your print marketing strategy, consider incorporating direct mail pieces, especially if you’re a local business such as an estate agent, gardener, or tradesperson.

7. Cover the whole marketing mix

Your print marketing strategy should encompass all elements of the marketing mix, including exhibition displays and external signage. These larger items are just as important as smaller print materials, and by including them in your strategy, you can ensure that they are not an afterthought, but a well-planned and consistent marketing asset that aligns with your brand.

8. Do what you do best, then outsource the rest!

This quote is something we live by in our own business to free up time for focusing on our strengths. Whether it’s yourself, a team member, or an outsourced print management service, designating someone to oversee printing as part of your strategy will ensure everything is executed on time, within budget, and without confusion.

In summary

As the new year begins, it’s a perfect opportunity to evaluate your current print marketing strategy or develop one that complements your overall marketing plan. If you need assistance in implementing your strategy, feel free to reach out to schedule a complimentary discovery call.