When it comes time to drive traffic to their websites, many Raleigh businesses turn to the usual suspects: Social media, search engine optimization and paid online advertising.
The problem with all three of these marketing channels it that they’re highly competitive, and at the end of the day, only a handful of websites can be #1. The competition now has to play catch-up, and if they’re in a super competitive market, that’s often an exercise in futility. Fortunately, there are several other ways to drive digital traffic to your website, and your competitors are most likely not taking advantage of them. We’re going to look at how printed marketing materials can drive valid traffic to your company website and which ones you should audit to ensure that they contain your latest updated digital contact information.
Landing Page
Does your business or organization have a landing page set up on your website? If not, this is one of the first things that you should address. A landing page is different from a product page in that it specifically targets a promotion or audience. For example, if a prospective customer receives a direct mail piece promising a coupon, and the URL leads to the home page, they will most likely get confused when they go to your website. Instead of linking to the home page, create a dedicated landing page that has information that backs up the promises that were made by your direct mailer. This way, it will allow the website visitor to have a more congruent experience and find the information that they’re looking for.
Direct Mail
Direct mail has become very popular over the past few years, thanks in part to the rising costs of online advertising. You can send out a mailer that offers a discount, coupon code, or some other promotion that has the URL to your company website printed on the front and back. A contact form on your landing page will allow you to secure their email address and market to them in the future. Dimensional mailers are printed media that are not in the traditional shape of a rectangle. When someone goes to retrieve their mail, it tends to stick out from the rest of the bills and junk mail. They’re a great way to help increase conversions through your direct mail campaigns. If you don’t have a solid marketing list, you can take advantage of lead generation services, which will create one for you. Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) is another excellent way of blanketing an entire geographical area with your mailers without having a targeted marketing list.
Catalogs
If your Raleigh business sells or manufactures multiple products, a printed catalog is a great way to pique interest. Not only can your sales reps pass them off to prospective buyers and customers, but the catalogs will also most likely remain on their desks or shelves in their office. Most websites have long URLs on their product pages. Typically, this isn’t an issue—but if you want to print those URLs underneath each respective product in your catalog, there’s a good chance nobody is going to want to type a 100-character URL into their browser. This is where personalized URLs (PURLs) can add value. For example, instead of having to type: http://www.Fakewidgetwebsite.com/products/widgets/blue-widgets/small-blue-widgets.html They will instead type: http://www.fakewidgetwebsite.com/product and get instantly redirected to the more complex URL.
Misc. Printed Materials
When was the last time you performed an audit on your printed marketing materials? Business cards, stationery, forms, and brochures are just a few of the many things that could have wrong or misleading digital information. For example, have any of the following changed since you last printed their information on your printed marketing materials?
- Website address
- Social media accounts
- Promotions
- Contact info (including email addresses)
At AlphaGraphics of Downtown Raleigh, we have worked with many local businesses whose digital information has changed over time. We’ve seen this most with sales materials—the printed sell sheets and product info pages that weren’t updated when the company changed their digital contact information.
Printing and Marketing Help in Raleigh
It’s important to update your printed marketing materials regularly. This will encourage people to visit your website. Over time, it can also help grow your social media accounts and followers. If you’re ready to get started, give the experts at AlphaGraphics Raleigh a call. At AlphaGraphics of Downtown Raleigh, we’re much more than a print shop. We’re also marketing experts who you can count on to help you when it comes time to market your business. To learn more about how AlphaGraphics of Downtown Raleigh can help with your content graphic design and marketing needs, you may
email us,
request a quote, or call us at
(919) 832-2828.