Printed Materials in a Digital World

By Jamie Spencer

From online shopping and banking to web-based socializing, “online everything” is the norm these days. People have rapidly become accustomed to instantaneous, customized information via the Internet, with little time for anything that isn’t electronic and clickable. So what room does that leave in your marketing strategy for traditional printed materials such as brochures and direct mail pieces?

Plenty, as it turns out!

It’s logical that the best marketing campaigns utilize several different approaches to get messages to target audiences: more communication options means more potential contacts and a farther-reaching brand message.

The fact is, even with the ongoing shift to an increasingly online lifestyle, the physical world still exists. There will always be clients that expect printed materials as the next logical level of information once they have perused your website: there’s an undeniable solidity to a business card or brochure in-hand. By relying solely on a web-based presence at the expense of a minimal printed identity, you run the risk of portraying your company as a seemingly virtual organization that exists only in an intangible web form.

So what role do printed pieces play in an increasingly digital landscape?

Printed pieces reinforce the human element
We are sensory, tactile creatures by nature. Being able to see something is one thing; being able to touch and hold it is another. By delivering information (quite literally) to a customer’s fingertips via a brochure, for example, you reinforce the powerful sense that you are there for them; that you are more than just a collection of Web pages, forms and e-mail addresses.

Printed pieces are an effective leave-behind
After meeting a potential client for the first time, a well-designed brochure left with them can be more powerful than a web address hastily scribbled onto a napkin. The psychological benefit of having a printed piece in-hand reiterates your commitment to the new relationship and positively reinforces that you will “be there” for the client when they need your services.

Printed pieces connect with a wider audience
There are plenty of people who aren’t wired to a smart phone 24/7 and want the option of getting your information in one physical package, or perhaps simply prefer a traditional printed piece because of its familiarity.

Printed pieces enhance your online presence (and vice-versa!)
Finally, keep in mind that print- and web-based marketing are not mutually exclusive! One of the strongest relationships these two types of marketing can form is the beneficial enhancement of one another: your printed materials can drive customers to your website, and your website can make people want to learn more via your printed materials. To tie them together, it is important to maintain a consistent brand across all pieces.

Although the Internet (and online marketing in general) have clearly come to dominate business communication, a significant number of people still feel most comfortable with a tangible printed piece in their hands. Because of the reasons covered above, it remains in your company’s best interest to complement and enhance online marketing tactics with print materials to reach all potential clients.

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