Let’s first address the big, unsurprising statistic in the room: 74 percent of millenials claim to get their news and information from digital sources alone. This makes sense for multiple reasons:
1. Millennials were raised on devices.
2. Millennials conduct work and engage socially on digital platforms—so their News app is always a mere click away.
3. Digital information is easily accessible on-the-go.
The third reason (its instantaneous accessibility) is impossible to contend with, and it’s precisely the reason why marketing has turned digital. Digital offers variety—both in content and ways in which you interact with potential customers. With SEO and remarketing, we can guide traffic to our sites and, in essence, control what people see. It’s remarkable.
But digital is not paper. It will never be paper. Targeted print marketing is powerful.
It’s not so much the feel of the paper or its odor (though old paperbacks do have that intoxicating aroma) or the fact that it doesn’t require a plug. Rather, print marketing is more valued because it’s far less common. Consider the number of emails in your digital inbox to the number of items in your physical mailbox. If a local theater is promoting their next theatrical production, is the theater more likely to grab your attention through a Mail Chimp blast to the general public… or through a direct mail marketing campaign, featuring a colorful brochure that the recipients can flip through, tack to their bulletin board, or stick on their fridge?
So where should you spend your marketing dollars in 2018? Where will you have the greatest impact?
Business Cards. There’s no better introduction or close to a meeting than a crisp, well-designed business card on solid cardstock. You can certainly “email them your contact information,” but sharing your Outlook vCard with prospective clients doesn’t have the same “wow” factor.
Direct Mail Marketing. About 56 percent of consumers consider direct mail to be the most trustworthy type of marketing, and a vast majority claim that it’s more personal than any online advertisement. Most of all, it’s far less competition.
Brochures. Forwarding a link to your website isn’t the only (or necessarily the most effective) way to acquaint a prospective client with your business and capabilities. Brochures are a great means of introducing yourself to potential partners, updating a former client, and communicating your design aesthetic.
Thank You Cards. A well-crafted thank you email is certainly a sign of appreciation, but it requires minimal effort on your part. A thank you card, on the other hand, shows investment, and it implies that you’ll be a worthwhile investment as a business partner.
Have no fear… we’re not going to ask you to ditch the digital realm altogether. The digital space, albeit vastly overcrowded, still has plenty of its own advantages. As always, what works best seems to be a balance between the two: understanding the benefits of digital marketing vs. targeted print marketing and strategizing accordingly.
About Brand Poets
Founded by Tana M. Llinas, Brand Poets is a collective of strategists, visual storytellers, and digital artisans crafting smart, poignant campaigns that command attention. www.brandpoets.com
