Launching a business is rarely cheap or easy, and getting your brand known to your audience and competing with others in your industry can be tough. If you want to make your company a success from the start, you need a solid marketing campaign.
But, where do you start? Firstly, don’t fall into the trap of limiting your marketing strategies to only online platforms – what about the people who don’t spend all day here? For advice on getting your marketing campaigns off the ground without over-spending, check out how print marketing compares to digital, and how it can help you create a rewarding campaign for your start-up.
Marketing and print: the current situation
It’s a common misconception that print is playing the second fiddle to digital when it comes to marketing. Of course, we can’t deny that digitalization is prevalent, but that doesn’t signal the end of print. Research shows that 30% of all items produced in the printing sector are for products such as brochures, newspapers, booklets and magazines (click for more info); while 34% is for advertising and marketing products, including event programs and tickets. Since such a sizeable portion of the printing industry is devoted to marketing, it’s a fair assessment to say that many companies are reliant on it to create successful campaigns.
Anyone in business knows how crucial it is to a brand’s survival that you are constantly aware of your competition. You must always look for ways to be the more attractive option to a customer, which means that marketing and promoting your company is key. According to a report by StartUp Britain (a government-supported campaign), there are about 80 new businesses launching in the country every hour. So, you need a marketing campaign that’s unique, promotional and profitable in order to beat the competition.
The true differences between digital and print
The digital world offers plenty of advantages, but it is not without its flaws when it comes to advertising. Did you know that 80% of users don’t bother to click on any online banner advert they see? Stats like this make you wonder if it’s worth paying the competitive price for the digital space or whether opting for a print product might be more effective. What’s more, print media appears to beat digital when it comes to marketing in magazines: 63% of UK adults still read magazines (according to YouGov) and only 10% regularly read these online, which adds further credibility to the worth of print marketing.
How direct mail can transform your marketing strategy
The trick with marketing is to diversify your brand and stand out. Sometimes, simply choosing the correct format is enough, so how about direct mail? Research shows that up to 90% of direct mail is opened by recipients as opposed to just 20-30% of emails. On top of this, more than 2.5 billion direct mail coupons were exchanged in 2015 and 10.7% of the UK’s advertising expenditure was on direct mail in 2009.
Is it worth considering direct mail in your next, or first, campaign?
Designing an effective brochure with minimum spend
Alternatively, you could consider a brochure, which offers the same attractive, personal and professional appeal. To create an effective and attractive brochure, it must firstly detail your brand, message and services in short but informative sentences. Next, you want to ensure that you’ve thought about content, look and layout. Make sure you consider:
• Layout: make it easy to understand.
• USPs: help these stand out.
• Overall look: should be professional at all times.
• Header: entice the reader to want to read more.
• Content: ensure it’s proofed and concise.
• Call to action: must be it’s clear.
Work out exactly how many brochures you need to reduce waste and bring the cost down. Essentially, you must think about how many brochures your start-up needs to save yourself throwing away cash, while still maximising on your hard design work.
Conclusion
Never forget that print is generally considered more personal and professional – an ideal first impression for a start-up. If you’re now considering print marketing to promote your start-up, you could look at designing anything from business cards and posters, to stationery and case bound book printing! Digital has speed and audience reach, however, it can sometimes come across as lacking in effort, personalisation and professionalism – worth bearing in mind if you’re a new brand.
Sources
https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/01/direct-mail-marketing-statistics.html