5 Ways Print Marketing Can Increase Online Sales

When you're looking to drive more traffic to your business, there are many ways to choose from. However, one approach stands out as practical and simple: print marketing.

Print possesses a unique power to capture audiences that online cannot. 65% of consumers are influenced to purchase after receiving a direct mail piece. Print offers longevity that online mediums lack, and it enjoys a higher level of trust from people.

Nevertheless, print and online platforms can work hand in hand to maximize results. Here are five ways print marketing can increase online traffic and sales.

5 Ways Print Marketing Can Increase Online Sales

1. Utilize QR Codes on Your Print Materials

Incorporating QR codes in your print advertising makes it effortless for people to find you.

By simply scanning the code on the print marketing piece, users are directed straight to your webpage. You can use this to drive traffic to your online presence.

2. Highlight Your Website Address

You want to ensure your website URL is front and center in everything you print.

This way, individuals seeking additional information or wanting to learn more about your business can easily find their way to your website.

3. Include Direct Calls to Action

Ensure that you include the next step in all your print materials.

What would you have the potential customer do next? Should they call, visit your website, or email you? Then make sure you ask for that!

Be sure to consider your demographic when naming the next step. Some generations prefer phone calls, while others may opt for digital communication.

4. Harness the Power of Hashtags

When using hashtags in your print marketing, conduct some research to ensure uniqueness.

Once you create a hashtag, it becomes a direct gateway to your website. Include it on posters, signs, brochures, and direct mail pieces to encourage customers to use it.

5. Create a Newsletter

Complement your print newsletters with supplementary online content.

When you write a newsletter and have more information on your website, it will drive people to your online presence. Include pertinent information, graphics, and charts online to supplement your newsletter. Include the domain where they can find more information.

One study found that seven out of 10 Americans find print direct mail more personal than online ads. People appreciate the printed piece much more than online information, but the two work well together. When you take the above steps, you can maximize your marketing efforts.

When you need more ideas on using print to further your online presence, go to our website. We can help you produce creative ideas and exciting opportunities.

 

5 Ways to Use Social Media and Print Marketing Together to Your Advantage

Figuring out which channels to use for your company's next campaign can be tricky: sometimes, a more traditional print-ads approach seems useful, while other times, a social media campaign feels like the way to go. 

But in reality, combining these two channels can create an even more effective result for your company! 

With a few easy things to keep in mind, your company can use print ads to increase social media engagement and use social media to boost the ROI on your printed materials. 

5 Ways to Use Social Media and Print Marketing Together to Your Advantage

1. Use Social Proof from Media Accounts

Potential customers rely on other consumers' testimonials when deciding whether to purchase from your company.

A recent report showed that 93.4% of consumers depend on customer reviews when investigating retailers for the first time. Use this to your company's advantage by bringing those reviews directly to consumers through your print materials.

Include quotes of honest reviews from your company's media accounts on your next direct mail design, and invite consumers to see what others say about your company on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram as a call to action (CTA).

2. Make it Easy with QR Codes and Short URLs

Including information about your social media accounts on your direct mail is a good start, but it won't get you very far if it isn't convenient and quick for people to utilize. 

Firstly, if you include a URL, ensure it isn't too long for people to type into their search engine. You can use websites like TinyURL.com to convert a long URL into one that's easier for consumers to search.

QR codes are the height of convenience, and they can take consumers to one of your social media pages, websites, or online resources with just a quick scan of their phone camera. 

3. Design Exclusive Media-Related Offers

An easy way to use print marketing as a bridge to your online marketing is by using a media-related CTA on your print materials.

For instance, consumers will be motivated to follow your social accounts if you use print for advertising a special offer or discount for new followers.

4. Try Out Hashtags

Include hashtags on your direct mail and encourage customers to post photos of your products or company using that hashtag!

It could become a viral social media campaign, creating something big from a simple direct mail design.

5. Gather Data for Direct Mail Using Media

Social media provides a pre-organized way to discern which pieces of your content consumers are most engaged by. 

If a photo on one of your social accounts has the most likes, use it as the cover image for your next direct mail piece. See which data your customers like, share, and comment on, and use that to your advantage. 

Are you ready to try combining social media and print for your next marketing campaign? Partner with us, and we'll show you how! Give us a call today to get started. Check out how you can increase your Direct Mail response effectively.

8 Creative Summer Special-Day Promotion Ideas

 

8 Creative Summer Special-Day Promotion Ideas

Summer is approaching, and along with the warm weather come dozens of opportunities for your company to connect with customers!

Creative campaigns are one of the best ways to engage customers and inspire them to purchase from you. Why not try discounts and promotions centered around unique holidays? 

Research has shown that consumers respond more positively to special day-themed products and promotions than to ordinary campaigns. So here are eight ideas for special day-themed promotions to use in your direct mail this summer!

8 Creative Summer Special-Day Promotion Ideas

1. June 2nd- National Donut Day 

Who wouldn’t be motivated by a sweet incentive?

Try mailing coupons that read “Bring in this coupon for a free donut with purchase!” to draw customers to your store. 

2. June 5th- Thank You Day  

This is a great time to reinforce connections with existing customers.

Mail out a card from your company thanking your customers for their loyalty and choosing to use your services! 

You could even add a discount code (ex., THANK-YOU-5) to nudge them toward another purchase.

3. June 11th- National Children’s Day

A day to celebrate kids should always be celebrated!

Let your customers with families know you’re supporting them and appreciate them by doing something fun for their kids. 

You could include a kids’ craft or coloring page in your mailing packet and information about a sale on any kid’s clothing, decorations, bedding, toys, or games your company might sell. 

4. June 22nd- Positive Media Day 

This is an excellent opportunity to bolster your company’s social media presence!

Mail out a flier celebrating Positive Media Day and encourage customers to follow your company’s accounts. 

You could also introduce a “challenge” for customers to make a funny or uplifting social media post and use your company’s designated hashtag along with #positivemediaday to be entered into a giveaway!

5. June 27th- National Sunglasses Day 

There are a couple of ways you could get creative with this day.

You could try offering a free pair of branded sunglasses to each customer that stops by, offering a discount for each customer that comes into your store wearing their sunglasses, or an online coupon code such as SUNNIES-10 for 10% off.

6. July 12th- National Simplicity Day

Embrace the simple things at your company with this holiday, and encourage customers to do the same by offering a sale price on the “basics.” 

A great way to do this is to create an “essentials” bundle or package of different services and products at a discounted price. Consider sending direct mail that uses the tagline “Keeping it Simple with a National Simplicity Day Sale” or something similar. 

7. July 15th- National Give Something Away Day

In honor of Give Something Away Day, you could give something away to your customers!

The Zero Price Effect has rationalized that customers perceive free products to have a high value because there’s no risk to it since they’re not spending anything. 

An easy example would be a BOGO (buy one, get one) sale or simply including a product of lesser value as a “gift” with any purchase made on that day. 

8. August 8th- National Dollar Day

A creative design for a direct mail piece celebrating National Dollar Day would be to create a rectangular postcard printed with a dollar bill-like image and advertising $1 off each product or service purchased that day.

Go ahead and use some of these ideas, or create your own, to celebrate unique holidays and engage your customers with your direct mail this summer! And when you are ready to print, give us a call. 

6 Top Ways to Promote Your Brand Via Word of Mouth

 You want the word out…the good word! But how does that happen organically?

Sometimes it takes some help to brand your business and get word-of-mouth advertising. There are so many things you can do to help it along. Let’s take a look.

6 Top Ways to Promote Your Brand Via Word of Mouth

1. Hire an influencer

Sometimes using an influencer helps spur word-of-mouth advertising.

This method creates an image in people’s minds and gets people talking about what you offer. A recent study by Sideqik found that 7 out of 10 consumers trust influencers’ recommendations just as much as the opinion of real-world friends.

If you can’t get a significant influencer, try contacting a micro-influencer. Reach out to bloggers, video bloggers, or DIYers with a smaller following whose goal is to share subject matter expertise by producing tutorials, shout-outs, how-to guides, day-in-the-life videos, and so on. 

2. Create a unique experience

Get people to talk about your business because you treated them so well that they can’t stop talking about it.

No company wants bad publicity, but people are quick to speak. So make sure you do all you can to offer what you promise and surpass it.

Try adding a thank you note or a gift to the order. According to SDL, more than half of all consumers (58%) share their positive experiences with a company on social media.

3. Keep branding elements consistent

No matter how you promote your business and brand, you must ensure your language is appropriate for your specific audience. 

Think about the kind of language you use in your marketing materials, signage, and slogan, as well as on your social media profiles. Does it convey the image that you want to associate with your brand?

Additionally, pick engaging colors and fonts but keep them consistent across all print and packaging materials to create a branding impression that remains in your audience’s mind.

4. Solve a real problem

No matter who is talking about you, they will spread the word if you can help them solve an issue.

Make it obvious how you can help. Then, when they try out your product, they can see the truth and tell their friends.

5. Use a visual trigger

Create a space people want to snap pictures with or near and share on social media.

First, play it up if you have a unique decorating style, an unusual prop, a photo, art, or other items. Then, encourage people to take and post pictures next to it.

6. Use a hashtag

Hashtags are a way to categorize content on social media by topic or theme, e.g., #printmarketing. If you create a hashtag that includes your business name and encourage visitors to use it when posting about your business, potential customers can use it to find you online. So it will boost your name recognition.

While tracking whether the sales came from the hashtag or some other channel can be tricky, this simple tactic helps build more vital brand awareness.

The possibilities are as endless as your creativity. If you need more ideas, especially in the printed realm, check us out today!

9 Solid Ways to Combine Digital and Print to Boost Your Campaign

 Contrary to popular opinion, print is not dead, and it remains an integral part of marketing and advertising. 

Today, you can't rely solely on digital ads to increase customer traffic. Likewise, you can't just rely on old-school advertising to do the job.

Writing words on paper is tactile and fun to hold. It also creates a feeling of value that a pop-up ad can't do. Paper is something that has to be reckoned with. You can't just turn a blind eye. You have to physically throw it away--after reading it. 

Once it's your customers' hands, you have the advantage of grasping their attention. Be forthcoming about what you are selling or trying to call their attention to.

Using high-quality paper and fine print can give the impression of prestige and quality, and with the physical item in your hands, it is way more engaging for readers than an email or a pop-up.

Digital helps expand on the conversation you started with the customer. It allows for more information to be shared, and it's interactive in that the customer can click for more information on your website.

So, if you take the best aspects of each marketing tool, you will see the difference compared to running a solely digital or print campaign.

9 Solid Ways to Combine Digital and Print to Boost Your Campaign

1. QR Code

Use a QR code to link to your digital platform.

This is a quick and easy way to get the most out of your advertising.

2. Include Your Web Address

Add your website to the printed pieces.

This way, the customer instantly knows how to get more information or contact you. You can even create a specific landing page for the campaign.

3. Exclusive content

Advertise exclusive content within your print pieces to gain new followers on a specific social platform.

4. Social Media

Use your social media to obtain customer information so you can send on-target materials to them.

5. Giveaway

Advertise a giveaway on your printed piece and include a QR code or URL that takes the consumer to a page where they can redeem the gift.

6. Colors

When combining print and digital efforts, give them a cohesive look by using the same colors and fonts.

7. Campaign Tracking

Add a UTM or Urchin Tracking Module to the web address or QR code that you put on your print campaign.

A UTM is a simple text code that can be added to any URL or webpage to generate Google Analytics data.

8. Hashtags

Printing specific hashtags on materials is yet another way to funnel all marketing channels toward a single campaign. 

Indiana University used this approach with newly-admitted college students by including the hashtag #IUSaidYes on their acceptance letter packages.

9. Augmented Reality

Use an augmented reality code in your print advertising to stand out more.

This high-tech tactic tracks the results through the code and can also boost your online presence. These two together are unstoppable.

When it comes to marketing, combining digital and print will help boost your campaign and reach the right audience. 

When it comes to print marketing, we are here to help your marketing dollars go further! Contact us today.

5 Best Ways to Combine Print and Social Media

 

Print and social media go hand in hand.

Promoting your business online is great because it doesn’t cost much and helps track customers.

But people still shop at stores and go to companies in the flesh. You must be ready for people when they stop at your business place.

So here’s the best way to combine the two ways to market your business: print and social media. Take a look.

5 Best Ways to Combine Print and Social Media

1. Post on Facebook.

Post regularly to actively reach your audience. It doesn’t have to be much, but it will keep your name at the top of everyone’s mind.

For example, try posting an inspirational quote, or try your hand at writing a short article on where your business excels.

2. Don’t forget Linkedin.

Another great social media tool is Linkedin. This reaches specifically to other business people, and it doesn’t have to be a long post.

Still, it’s the perfect way to spotlight your products and services. Let people know what you offer and how you can help them.

Use testimonials to let the public know you have helped others succeed.  

3. QR codes are making a comeback.

Adding a QR code to your printed materials will combine the two worlds, online and offline.

Link it to a coupon or sale just for them when they scan the code. This will take them to a specific site that will inevitably help you track what they are looking for.

4. Create giveaways.

Run a promotion using printed materials to engage customers and offer something exciting.

Use rack cards or flyers with all your contact information and a call to action. Even though this method uses direct mail and printed items, it proves worthwhile.

Research consistently demonstrates that direct mail outperforms other marketing tactics regarding response rate.

5. Use hashtags.

Hashtags help you tie everything back to your brand and make it easier for you to track mentions of your campaign, event, product, or business.

This enables you to use both the printed word and online in a combined effort. For example, Indiana University leveraged hashtags as part of a brilliant admission promotion.

The simple use of the hashtag #IUsaidYes on bright, bold red envelopes produced a viral social media campaign when students began posting selfies with their acceptance letters.

Whether you prefer—online or offline marketing—you need both in advertising.

We are a part of your success because we offer quick, reliable service.

Need something soon? Check us out today!