Five Print Marketing Trends to Put Into Use Before the End of the Year

Content is Key To help gain a real advantage over your competition, it is important to pay attention to the content of your printed marketing materials. Make sure to note what is working and what needs improvement. Make your content exciting and unique. You want your potential reader to be enthused enough to read what you are printing and that it provides your audience with the proper information to make that next step and contact your firm, visit your website or call a sales representative. Many marketing efforts are wasted because they fail to understand what their customers and potential clients want.   Spread Your Message with Social Media Merging printed media with your online social media is a great combination. It is a great way to unite one audience with another. You should be marketing your printed pieces on your social media sites, and marketing your social media presence in your printed materials. When starting a new marketing campaign – post content that is similar to what your audience is reading in your printed marketing materials. If the information is vastly different – you risk losing the important connection between the digital media and printed media that you are trying to create. Make sure the social media links will take your customers to content they would expect to see after reading your printed materials.   Is Your Website easy to Find? If you have a website, you should always include the web address on your printed pieces. If you do not have a website – you should get one! Your website should be easy to find. Always keep in mind how your printed marketing materials relate to your website, and the other way around as well. Directing traffic to your website should be taken advantage of – collecting sales leads, promoting sales or new offers.   Creating Inbound Marketing Leads The main purpose for sending out marketing materials such as postcards, letters, flyers, etc. is to generate inbound marketing leads. That should be the main focus of your printed marketing pieces. Be sure to provide several methods to contact your firm – ways that are convenient to all of your potential customers. Phone number, website address, social media contacts, email address, physical building locations and fax number. Sending out great marketing pieces will generate a lot of response. Make sure the customer can easily get in contact with your sales staff or that they can easily obtain the information they seek.   Quality and Design Some thought needs to be put into the message and also the designs of the marketing materials you are sending out. Does the quality reflect positively on your company and reinforce confidence in your brand, or does it look cheap? How does it look on the paper? Does the content make sense? Does it catch the eye? Does it spur your target audience to the next step and move them to contact your company? Some targeted groups may respond better to a marketing piece that focuses more on images and less on text, while others may seek detailed information over flashy graphics. Focus your message and design to be something that your potential customer will best respond to. Consider the reasons you are attracted to a printed marketing piece. You want to choose a printer that will produce a good quality piece, and you may also want to use the services of a designer to make sure your printed materials are attractive and look good.