Does print still have a place in a world of digital and mobile marketing?

There is no doubt that we all struggle to find the best way to market our businesses with many small companies moving away from traditional print marketing as a way to cut costs and lessen their impact on the carbon footprint.

During these tough economic times companies are tightening their financial belts and turning their attention solely to digital and content marketing to create awareness and promote sales.

That said, printed collateral still has its place in certain businesses serving a specific demographic that appreciate and need a tangible representation of their product or service.

Certain sectors, such as retail, still rely on this tangible form of marketing to promote their products but manage to balance this with advertising across the relevant digital channels.

Whether you’re a superbrand or a one man band, getting the right marketing mix is critical and whilst content marketing is a hot topic at the moment, traditional print marketing can still be used effectively to drive customers online.  Here’s three tried and tested ways marketers use to reach specific target audiences:

Effective business networking – cards and flyers

Making a lasting impression when marketing face-to-face by handing someone a card or flyer is more likely to make your message stick. And, there’s some really clever designs and techniques out there which will give you an edge

The tangible, physical nature of print will help you network within your chosen circles allowing you to target local businesses, meet new prospects and exchange ideas much more effectively.

Smart targeting – direct mail

We all still love to receive a physical card with a special message in the post, so a personalized well-crafted campaign communicating special offers, discounts or events will show that you value your customer and appreciate their business.

If you schedule these messages carefully and sparingly, personally engaging your target audience, you’ll avoid being regarded as junk mail; if the message is relevant to the recipient, they are much more likely to respond.

Testing alternative media – press advertising

The most effective marketing plan is likely to cover different types of media to communicate business propositions and messages.

Whilst blogs and social networking is one effective way of driving traffic to your website, different customer types respond to very different types of media.  An older, more mature demographic may not surf the web as much as maybe reading a magazine or a newspaper.

A well designed advertisement in a relevant publication appealing to your specific target audience could be an effective alternative way to communicate with your customers.

So whilst traditional marketing methods seem to no longer curry favour, and with marketing budgets constantly being slashed, it’s all too easy to pass up on print.

I think there’s certainly still room for print marketing alongside newer digital marketing techniques, it’s all about making sure you don’t lose sight of your P’s!

Christine Davey
@DaveyMarketing

If you’d like some help on creating effective printed communications, Tweet me or call me on 01273 772033 today.

Photoshoot: a day in a professional photography studio. . .

As a marketing professional, images play an important part in creating an impact; whether it’s making sure you have consistent, good quality representation of your products or you need to project a warm and welcoming impression, good creative imagery plays a key part in your marketing activities.

My own bio images were starting to look a little tired and whilst representative of my personality, I felt it was time to create a better impression by investing some time and money in a professional photoshoot.

Having met Ted Davis on several occasions over the years and collaborating with him on several marketing projects I had never actually experienced an actual photoshoot with Ted, who is a fabulous professional photographer based in Hove.

Studio 323 is located in historic Palmeira Square, overlooking the beautiful gardens and the sea and occupies a space that was once the first floor drawing room of a large Victorian house.

The studio provides 500 square feet of space, 14 foot ceilings, and is equipped with full blackout facilities for studio photography or generous daylight for naturally lit work.  The view from the windows of this magnificent space provides the perfect backdrop and setting for many types of photoshoot.

Here are some of the resulting images Ted created for me. . . .

Christine Davey
@DaveyMarketing

If you’d like some help implementing your marketing activities Tweet me or call me on 01273 772033 for an initial chat over a coffee!

Is Direct Marketing ‘old fashioned’ or just under-used?

I read an article today which cited some traditional marketing methods as ‘old fashioned’, specifically print marketing such as newsletters and branded promotional products.

I tweeted the article in agreement that, whilst fewer businesses are using the more traditional direct marketing methods, they could still achieve excellent results if they included them as part of their marketing mix.  If the message is relevant and targeted, a well designed piece of direct marketing can also translate perfectly online.

The most effective marketing plan is likely to cover different types of media to communicate specific business propositions and messages and Direct Marketing still has its’ place as a tangible representation of your product or service.

Still considered as one of the cheapest, yet most effective ways to create customers, Direct Mail generates a response rate of around 4%, whilst the cost per lead is generally the same or comparable to the cost of email marketing.  Customers created through direct mail are also more likely to perform repeat business.

Direct Mail is a great medium to drive your customers online to purchase your product or service, with the added benefit of tracking sales and collecting data through simple coding methods such as a promo code or a QR (quick response) code.

Promotional products are also still a very popular medium for businesses to gain brand recognition.  Physical items such as pens, calendars and sticky memo pads, printed with your logo and web address, are great reminders for potential customers who might have a need for your products or services; easily able to recall your business whilst sitting at their desk!

Even better results can be achieved by including some of these traditional methods in your marketing mix, especially as fewer businesses are using them you stand a better chance of being noticed.

Old fashioned, or just under-used, direct marketing will never die!

Christine Davey
@DaveyMarketing

If you’d like some help on producing print marketing Tweet me or call me on 01273 772033 today.