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The Relevancy of Print Media Marketing to E-Commerce

If I asked you to create a marketing campaign for an online store or service, the chances are that you’d instantly start planning a digital campaign.

After all, why would you begin planning the use of print media when customers will need to be online to use the service anyway?

Here’s the thing:

Print marketing is still a top contributor to the success of advertisement campaigns, despite many believing it’s dying out.

As powerful as digital marketing can be for E-commerce, we overlook the impact that the use of print can have.

In order to increase the reach of the campaign and target as many relevant avenues as possible, you need to increase potential customer exposure.

Digital media sure does have its advantages, but so does print. And, it’s the combination of the two that can provide you with optimum results.

Throughout this page, we’ll discuss what gives print media relevance in today’s society.

So, are you ready to learn how to help your business take off through the power of print media marketing?

Let’s get to it!

Broadening Your Appeal to a Range of Audiences

Over recent years, we’ve seen an unyielding advancement in the uses of technology.

The result?

We live in a society in which each generation had different grasps on life and the evolution of the digital world.

Everyone is different and unique, so why should your advertising campaign follow a path which limits you to one of those distinctions?

You can’t expect to broaden your appeal to a range of audiences without expanding your targeted media to suit an increased number of preferences.

For instance, consider an online store that specialises in delivering footwear.

Running a digital campaign ensures brand visibility to an extensive range of internet users. However, a digital campaign alone would be limiting your outreach to individuals who regularly use technological platforms.

You could be missing out on an extreme revenue boost!

Expanding a Loyal Customer Base by Targeting Local Clientele

Digital campaigns are great for spreading the word far and wide.

However, did you know that returning and loyal customers are more likely to provide a more generous revenue than new ones?

Therefore, it’s essential to build a strong customer base.

If you’re a fully online service, the chances are that people living or working a short distance you operate from are more likely to know the company exists than those from out of the area.

Already you have a base here for potential custom. Capitalise on this by utilising print media marketing to provide local residents with more information.

It’s usually easier to interest someone with a base knowledge of the company in your products than someone who’s never heard the name. 

Of course, you do want to spread the word as far as possible to get your name out there and build your reputation with people who’ve not previously heard of you. Still, it’s crucial not to neglect the influence of loyal local custom on revenue and business success.

Continuity of Exposure to Advertisement

Yes, your advertisement should be memorable from the first instance.

However, there are ways to make people take even more notice.

If you have a piece of paper near you, try this quick challenge:

Write down the names of as many TV advertisements you’ve recently seen as you can in 30 seconds.

Repeat this for another 30 seconds with campaigns you’ve seen on social media.

Now take a look at which list it longer.

Chances are that it’s the first one, correct?

Consider why that is.

In the majority of circumstances, social media interactions with sponsored ads are fleeting. On the other hand, the same TV adverts will appear on your screen again and again.

So, although both may be equally memorable in design, the TV ones are stuck in your head more because you got exposed to them for extended periods of time.

The same applies to print VS digital media.

Print media offers a much higher degree of continuity to exposure.

This consistency is because the reader has a physical copy of the advertisement, so it isn’t as quick to ‘disappear’.

You will scroll past a Facebook advertisement or skip through a TV commercial, but it isn’t as easy to dismiss print.

Items like menus and leaflets tend to end up on a table or a pin board somewhere.

As a result, you keep on coming back to them. Not only this, but you can also go over select information again and again at your own pace.

By having this easy and consistent access, the reader will often have more information about the business committed to memory.

Even if that isn’t the case, they’ll know where to get a quick reference for a specific business type as they’ll be aware of the printed media being in the house.

This continuity is one of the reasons why print media is still relevant in today’s society.

Promoting Business Quality and Customer Experience

Believe it or not, the use of printed media says a lot about your company.

The quality of your business and the experience your customers would have by interacting with you can both get portrayed with any form of print marketing.

For example, customers will subconsciously (or occasionally actively) make a mental association between the standard of the print and the quality of the business.

When creating your advertisements and contemplating the material and design elements, ensure you plan in a way that highlights your business well.

For instance, take the stock type used.

Would you use a low GSM paper for business cards?

No!

Why?

It would be evident that the printing wasn’t to the high standard expected from business cards.

As a result, recipients of the ‘cards’ could infer a whole host of potential issues with the company, such as the following:

There’s no effort put into essential tasks.

The business isn’t committed to making every aspect of their work high-quality.

Focusing on efficient strategies and upholding standards is not a priority.

In a nutshell, the level of work put into the design and finish of your printed marketing materials subconsciously reflects the standards of the company as a whole.

If the customer has an impressive experience with the advertisement, they’ll be more confident in the fact that they’ll receive top-quality service from the business.

Effective Printed Campaigns

When planning your printed campaign, it’s important to remember that you need to try and stand out from the crowd.

There are multiple ways that you can do this, but it’s about finding what works best for you and your business.

Here are a few top tips to make your materials stand out:

1. Mix It Up

For the majority of print media marketing tools, people will use a standard set of shapes and designs.

If you really want to stand out, it may be beneficial to use something that goes against the norm.

The benefit of this is that it makes your campaign memorable!

For example, door drop leaflets are usually rectangular, as are business cards.

Try and mix it up with something the either represents your business or is going to get you noticed.

Here are a couple of examples to demonstrate:

• A flower-shaped business card for a florist

Or

• A circular or crescent-shaped leaflet to represent the moon eyes for a bed store

You can also add die-cut elements to the printed media instead of changing the entire shape.

Keep the base shape the same, and then add cut-outs within it.

For instance, you could use a rectangular leaflet containing a die-cut sheep silhouette to advertise woollen garments.

These little edits help you go that step further to stand out from the crowd!

2. Incorporate Visuals

One of the main appeals of print media marketing is the imagery element.

The audience pays sole attention to what they see in front of them.

However, if readers are not interested in what they see, the chances are that they will not want to continue reading or taking further action.

Choosing the right images is necessary to ensure that you keep the interest of potential clients.

Text-heavy leaflets are less likely to be read thoroughly because the reader can get bored.

Make sure that you include any form of visual – such as diagrams, images, or graphics – to highlight your services!

3. Add Texture

Printed media is highly effective due to its appeal to the senses.

From the smell of fresh paper to the feel of it physically in your hand, physical printed advertisements provide an enhanced overall experience for the consumer.

As a result, further focusing on this is a great way to stand out from the crowd.

How can you do this?

Well, you may find it beneficial to either emboss or deboss the paper, which is where you can raise or depress elements of the stock to give different levels and feels.

4. Call to Action

Include a CTA!

Including an action for the reader to go on and carry out encourages additional research into your company or further involvement with your campaigns.

When looking for a print to digital conversion and direction of attention – this is vital.

If you want to see more about this specific point, check out the ‘Incorporating Digital Media Within Printed Marketing’ section further up the page.

Increasing Your Companies’ Profitability

Let’s take a quick look at some of the ways print media can increase profitability for your business.

We’ve already discussed the profit gained by expanding your customer base and reaching wider audiences, as well as proving your company’s quality. However, there’s more to it than that.

Increasing profitability can be as much about incentive as it is information.

There are a few little tips and tricks at your disposal.

Each of the following profit-boosting techniques can provide a boost to your company – even if the profit margin isn’t as high as it would regularly be.

Being business smart isn’t always about instant gratification when it comes to profit.

Taking an initial cut to gain trust, build your reputation, and obtain loyal custom can result in a more substantial boost over time.

What to Avoid in Print Media Marketing

While there are an incredible amount of elements you should run towards when designing your media campaign, there are also multiple you should avoid.

Each of the following points can cause significant issues with your campaign – from producing minimal to no profit gain to losing out on money from marketing to worsening the reputation of the brand.

Overcrowding Pages

The last thing you want to do is confuse readers or put them off reading.

If your layout is not clear, or there is too much on the page, potential customers will not be as inclined to look at the information.

The information should be kept minimal (while still being explanatory enough for its purpose) and organised. Doing this ensures the customer takes in more knowledge as opposed to using all their brainpower to decipher what is on the page.

Mixed Designs & Overcolouring

Similar to the above point, not sticking to one theme or bombarding the page with colour will be off-putting to readers.

As mentioned throughout this page, aesthetics can mean everything when it comes to drawing in readers. So, the colouring and theme must be consistent and appealing.

You need to provide a healthy balance for the senses.

If your brain is trying too hard to comprehend the visuals, it cannot take in as much of the vital knowledge.

Distributing Poor Quality Products

This point is a simple one.

Refer back to the section highlighting how print media can show the quality of your company and how it can demonstrate customer experience.

If you distribute campaign media of a subpar quality, you can lose potential custom due to the inferred below-average quality of the business.

Always make sure you are happy with the print standard and never settle for something unsatisfactory.

Tiny Text & Hard to Read Fonts

Have you spotted a pattern with all the things to avoid yet?

Everything mentioned so far is to do with drawing the readers in and improving the absorption of information.

If the text is too small, or if the font too fancy or illustrative, people will be less inclined to take notice of anything other than the images.

Any printed media should be clear and uncomplicated to read.

Spelling and Grammar Errors

You need to have perfect speling and grammer if you want readers to take you seriously.

I expect that most of you have already figured out that the mistakes in the previous sentence were intentional. However, if you didn’t:

Did you momentarily question my ability to be providing advice ,and information due to a lack of ability to proofread and ensure the quality of my work?

That’s exactly what could happen with your readers. All it takes is a moment to put doubt in their heads about your company. 

You wouldn’t sell a product or service without checking it over and over until it’s right, so why should your marketing material be any different?

Not Considering Light 

When working on perfecting your design, you need to figure out whether your printing choices will be effective in all lights.

For example, you may have an image-heavy leaflet which you want to be highly glossy to show off the photography. But this might not be the best option if you are displaying it in high light areas because it may impact the ease of reading due to the reflection.

Always choose the type of paper (and whether or not you plan to use a coating) based on the advertisement location.

Omitting a CTA

The biggest of all the missed opportunities!

A compelling call to action can drive huge profit returns from a campaign, so not including one can massively impact potential boosts.

While this is the least likely mistake to harm the business’s reputation, it can provide a deterioration in the influence of the campaign.

Top Printed Materials for Your Marketing Campaign

With the range of print options available to you, it’s no wonder that choosing the best one can be difficult.

So, observe our top suggestions in the visual below, then we’ll show the main advantages and disadvantages of each media type. 

The following points should enable you to make more informed decisions regarding the best form of print media marketing campaign for your business.

Posters

✔️ – Custom poster printing is available on a huge range of stock types and is highly adaptable.

✔️ – Posters are often a cheaper form of printing.

❌ – Can be difficult to get enough information on due to adaptations needed according to placement.

❌ – Often not as effective as other forms of marketing for being visible to wider audiences.

Flyers/Leaflets

✔️ – Perfect for fitting larger amounts of information into one area.

✔️ – Offers the largest freedom in terms of designs and themes due to the amount of space you have to work with. 

❌ – Can be more expensive per piece due to binding and the number of pages.

❌ – One of the harder materials to get the recipients to read through as you need to keep their attention.

Direct Mail

✔️ – Reach a large and varied audience of people who you may not otherwise reach.

✔️ – Simple in comparison to techniques which involve trying to physically hand out marketing materials. 

❌ – Extremely time consuming to hand out and often requires more copies.

❌ – Less targeted to specific audiences.

Stickers

✔️ – Can be designed to suit a range of environments, whether you use vinyl sticker printing or polypropylene sticker printing.

✔️ – Online sticker printing is easy to use and design to get eye-catching products.

❌ – Unable to portray much unformation.

❌ – Doesn’t have longevity compared to other materials as they’re more likely to be lost by the recipient. 

Signs/Banners

✔️ – Signs and banners are available in a range of materials. So, whether you want vinyl banner printing or PVC banner printing, you can find a suitable material.

✔️ – Available in multiple styles, allowing you to use anything from large to small to hung or even roller banner printing.

❌ – More expensive per piece due to the size.

❌ – Less/no back-ups if one item gets damaged.

Business Cards

✔️ – Small and effective to show basic contact information.

✔️ – Easy to hand out and comfortably fits in a potential clients pocket.

❌ – Show little information.

❌ – Often expensive to print for the size of them.

Custom T-Shirts

✔️ – Easier to reach mass audience.

✔️ – One of the best for creating long lasting impression.

❌ – Expensive and need the help of your team.

❌ – Show little information.

Integrating Print and Digital Media Campaigns

By now, it’s clear that print media still has a considerable impact on marketing campaigns in the current society – despite the prevalence and effectiveness of digital advertisements.

Question is:

How can you compellingly integrate the two to maximise a campaign’s success?

Well, it’s absolutely vital that you find the right balance for your business.

There’s no set formula for creating the perfect campaign, so you shouldn’t try and follow one.

Your best option is trial and error.

It may seem strange, but this is the best way to determine what works for your business.

Trial what’s effective in print, and what gets a better digital response. Then, combine the two.

For example:

Your research finds that your initial leaflet campaign improved site traffic, but didn’t have a significant impact in sales.

However…

You ran an e-mail campaign which didn’t particularly reach a huge audience, but boosted sales with the people it did.

So…

An effective way to integrate the two methods would be to utilise the audience reach of the leaflet to encourage people to sign up to e-mail updates on the website.

The result?

The people who visit your site from the information on the leaflet are more likely to sign up to e-mail updates, thus improving the reach of the digital campaign, and boosting sales!

Research the benefits and drawbacks of each campign style, then utilise their strengths in collaboration with each other. 

In many cases, this can be achieved by linking one with the other – such as through CTA’s.

One of the main things to keep in mind is that you must have strong connections between the campaigns to avoid confusion for audiences. 

Keep the information similar, yet relevant to the platform.

Learning to effectively integrate the two is a long and detailed process. But when you get it right, it will do wonders for your business!

The Future of Print Media in E-Commerce

Print media will always have relevance in society due to a number of reasons.

Reliability

With the number of fake social media pages and scam advertisements around on the internet, print media will never lose its air of reliability.

Readers can always be more confident in the fact that information portrayed through printed media is likely to be more reliable.

But why is print more dependable?

Print takes more time, energy, and money than a scam social ad would.

Untrustworthy sources are out to make a quick buck, so the ad’s are designed to take minimal time and effort on behalf of the person running it.

On the other hand, printed campaigns can show more thought, and they focus on long run profit returns. I.e. Sometimes you have to spend a little to get something in return.

Essentially, they’re reliable due to the care and attention to detail businesses put into creating the campaign.

Quality

There is value in quality, so any item portraying a high quality will always be a useful tool.

As mentioned further up this page, the quality of printed media campaigns can say a lot about a business as a whole.

There’s way more opportunities to discover and explore how to improve printed media, which can be done through a variety of elements – such as the following:

• Paper Type
• Ink
• Binding
• Finish
• Aesthetics and Written Quality of the Content
• Ad Placement

This list isn’t exclusive, but it gives you a good idea.

With digital media, you can only really consider the aesthetics and written quality of the content, and the placement of the advertisement.

Any other aspects are pretty much out of your control.

So, with printed media, your ability to control the quality of most (if not all) aspects gives customers a more solid idea of your business, in addition to showing them that you care about everything you produce.

Exposure

This point is another we touched on further up the page, but it’s highly relevant as to why I don’t think we’ll ever see print media vanishing.

The whole purpose of advertisement is to stick in the head of the consumer.

The more impactful the campaign – the more chance of you being remembered!

As such, one of the best ways to create impact is to create consistent exposure.

One of the best ways to visualise this is to think of it as applied to a negative situation. Yes, that sounds strange, but it really helps you get a feel of the full impact.

Let’s take a common fear – spiders.

There’s two different paths you take when you go for a walk.

On the one, you encounter a spider hanging from a branch once every few months – so it doesn’t really bother you.

However, you see a huge spider which makes you go weak with fear every time you use the other path.

If a friend with a love for all things creepy crawly asks for a route recommendation, which would you choose?

Of course, you’d pick the first path. You’ve been scared by the spiders there so many times that it’s more likely you’ll have built a natural association between that route and the animal.

The same principle goes for advertisement.

If you’re exposed to something for longer, it has a larger connection to your brain, thus causing easier recall when the information is needed.

Nostalgic Value

Despite everything, there will always be an element of nostalgia to print media.

Advertisements on paper have existed way before digital media, so they will continue to have an emotional connection that cannot be gained through technology.

There’s a natural response within us which finds something satisfying about physically being able to hold onto or interact with an advertisement.

If you look at the current trends, they would predict that print would gradually die out because it has been gradually taken over by digital over the past few years.

That being said, there’s no way to accurately forecast what prominence it will take due to the unpredictability of future technology and the position of society. And the reasons above show strong evidence for print never dying out at all!

Share your thoughts regarding print media and where you feel it will stand in society in the years to come!