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Print marketing: an overlooked asset for start-up companies

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Print marketing: an overlooked asset for start-up companies

The digital world has proven to be a flurry of marketing opportunities, but it can be an overcrowded platform at times, especially if you’re looking to build a new brand. This is where print can be your strongest asset – contrary to rumours, print marketing is far from obsolete. Shifting focus entirely to digital marketing can prove to be a big mistake for companies, who then miss out on a whole wealth of benefits from print media, such as whole pools of audiences and methods of communication.

With so many active users spending time online these days, many firms think that this is the best platform for them to market on. But while the potential audience of digital platforms cannot be denied, its effectiveness is a trick subject; 80% of online users do not click on online banner adverts. Is it worth paying the competitive price for the digital space for just 20% – to which not all of those users will convert into sales? If you also consider that magazines are still very much a part of our lives, with 63% of UK adults still reading magazines, according to YouGov – whereas only one in ten UK adults regularly read online magazines – maybe digital isn’t so perfect after all.

As a traditional and older form of marketing, print is often wrongly branded as outdated, but the fact it is still going strong proves otherwise. It is proven to be successful, has a history of being reliable, and continues to do so based off this strong experience and background. 34% of all printing is for advertising and marketing products, such as event programmes, tickets etc, and 30% is attributed to newspapers, magazine and brochures etc. The print industry is heavily reliant on marketing and advertising.

A leading UK PVC banner supplier, Where The Trade Buys, outlines how print media can benefit your start-up business, especially on a budget.

Often, direct mail is referred to as ‘junk mail’, but data shows that consumers certainly don’t treat it like junk! In 2015, more than 2.5 billion direct mail coupons were redeemed and 54% of consumers that were surveyed revealed that they want to receive direct mail from brands that they are interested in. With 80-90% of direct mail getting opened, and just 20-30% of emails getting opened, there is a clear winner for start-up companies looking to get their message across to potential new consumers.

Many fledgling companies worry that their starting budget for marketing will limit the success of their campaign, but this isn’t the case. There are several print marketing techniques that can make your campaign a success whilst on a budget.

The competition is fierce, with around 80 start-up companies emerging in the UK every hour, according to figures from StartUp Britain. Direct mail and brochures are a good place to start – neither need to break the bank either, but it is a big business. In 2009, direct mail accounted for 10.7% of the UK’s whole advertising expenditure.

A leaflet or flyer can be designed for your firm on a budget without sacrificing quality. Simplicity works. Your main priority when designing your brochure is to ensure your branding is clear, your message stands out and your style is eye catching. Remember you are on a budget so you don’t have pages and pages to play with; stick to 8-12 pages. You want to encourage consumers to act after all, not take up an hour of their time reading your brochure. There are several must-haves, which even when designing on a budget, you must consider:

  • Attention grabbing headline.
  • Call to action.
  • Concise content – keep this limited to ‘need-to-know’ information as you don’t want to throw too much information at consumers, and this will also save you money in printing costs.
  • Unique selling point(s).
  • Clear design.
  • Keep everything accurate – don’t allow mistakes to slip through the net.

Be sure to print out the right amount of copies to suit your budget. Whilst the more copies you order, the less you pay per copy, ordering 500 brochures if you are only going to use 250 is simply a waste. Your spent money is likely to sit on a coffee table or in a cupboard gathering dust on unused brochures too. Therefore, make sure you utilise your budget wisely.

Print marketing has survived this long for a reason — it is proven to work. If the figures aren’t enough to convince you, then the affordability of it could sway you. Whilst digital platforms are useful to have to engage with customers on a familiar and mobile platform, print marketing has been proven to drive results. For start-ups, print marketing is definitely something that should be addressed.

 

Sources

https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/01/direct-mail-marketing-statistics.html

http://www.britishprint.com/downloads/documents/HE6LE8HOCC_UK_PRINTING_Facts_and_Figures_webflyer.pdf

I am the founder of Startup Today. I am the main writer and have put in many hours of work into creating this blog. If you want to find out more about me then lets get in contact.

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