We may have entered a so-called ‘digital age’, but businesses overlook the power of print at their peril. Today, having a strong online presence is, of course, absolutely vital, with more aspects of our everyday lives being transferred online and the growth of e-commerce meaning any company – selling goods, products and services of any kind – needs a powerful digital marketing campaign. Yet despite this, the printed word is far from dead, and neglecting this more ‘traditional’ channel of communication could mean your business is missing a trick. With a bit of creative flair and the right products, great design and print really could help your business grow.
Building a brand
A company of any shape and size needs to develop a coherent brand if they are to succeed, and that brand has to be consistent across all the communication channels it uses, from the signage outside your premises to the business cards in your pocket. A coherent brand creates a unique identity for your business, which allows customers to better engage with you, your work, your core beliefs and your company’s story.
Every business has a story to tell, and the very best branding campaigns help put that narrative across. When your digital media marketing ties up with your ‘real world’ printed marketing, you can develop a strong, diverse and incredibly effective campaign which will generate interest in your business, attracting ever greater numbers of customers from ever more varied walks of life.
Can the pen be mightier than the mouse?
Printed materials such as leaflets, advertising brochures, branded letterheads, office stationery and business cards can reach a whole new demographic, when it comes to generating new custom for your business. There’s still something incredibly satisfying about holding the printed word in your hands. Distributing something tangible and ‘real world’ can have a big impact and bring in customers who may not have had any other way of discovering and engaging with your company and brand. Although people of every age are now conducting more and more of their lives online, there are still plenty of potential customers who don’t want to interact in this way. We’re not just talking about older adults either, but also young, tech-savvy but cynical ‘Millennials’, who regularly shop online and have had enough negative experiences to be naturally wary of trying a new and unfamiliar retailer.
Printed materials have a solid and reassuring feel to them, and when they look attractive, they’re hard to ignore. When looking at things on screens, particularly the smaller screens of smartphones or tablets, there is a tendency to just skim through text and glance over images, without really taking in or fully engaging with the content. That can mean customers miss out on vital information or simply switch off before they get round to exploring your online catalogue or making a purchase.
By comparison, a beautifully illustrated and well-written leaflet or brochure can be more successful at grabbing and holding a viewer’s interest. For all the screens we have incorporated into our daily lives, research has shown that most people still feel more comfortable reading a physical document than trying to focus on the glowing face of a computer or portable device.
Also consider the impact that a glossy brochure or leaflet can have when hand-posted through a letterbox. The vast majority of your existing and potential customers will probably live within a few miles’ radius of your business premises, and can easily be targeted with printed materials delivered by your team. Even now, with the ping of emails and texts a constant in most people’s lives, hearing the letterbox rattle still generates that little buzz of excitement. When they receive your printed product, people inevitably have to look at it, even if it’s just to decide whether it’s something they’re interested in, or whether it’s heading for the recycling. With powerful branding, a clear layout and a strong message, it will make more of an impact and greatly increase the chances that it will end up saved for future reference.
Printed materials: the choices are endless
The printed products you choose should complement the digital branding you have. Most companies will have a stylised version of their company name, a logo and a set of colours which make up their unique branding, and keeping these consistent between your website and email advertising and the printed materials you select is very important.
A design and print campaign can really help your business grow, when it complements and works with your digital marketing strategy. Branded business cards are a great way of making your business memorable, especially at networking events or occasions when you can hand them out to customers. With branded office stationery and letterheads, you can ensure that any documentation you have to send out is also working to promote your company, while leaflets, brochures and other advertising materials can have a much wider appeal and reach far more people than a brief slot on the local radio station or a small ad in the local paper.
With great advances in the printing technology now available to specialist design and print firms, the choice of printed materials is virtually limitless. A good design team will be able to craft creative, vibrant and eye-catching printed products, enabling you to combine this traditional yet effective channel of communication with your digital branding and help your business reach a wider audience.
How can we help?
Here at The Sussex Sign Company, we have a team dedicated to producing bespoke printed products perfectly tailored to your business needs. With a whole range of packages available, we can undertake projects of any size and scope to help you get the very best in branded printed materials – from basic artwork printing and running up business cards, to full re-branding exercises. Simply get in touch today to see how we can help your business grow. Call us on 01273 424900