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Print Vs Online Marketing: Can They Work Together?

By Megan Mackay on April 27th, 2024

Why Print Marketing Is Still Important

The internet is becoming increasingly central to modern life. It has drastically changed the way we communicate, work, shop and access information and entertainment. Due to this change, digital marketing is becoming core to most businesses' marketing strategies.

You may be wondering if there is still a place for traditional print marketing. The answer is a resounding yes.

Incorporating print marketing to complement your digital strategy will strengthen and grow your campaign. Each methodology offers benefits that the other cannot. As a result, combining them will create an even greater impact.

There are pros and cons to both methods of marketing.

Print Marketing

Pros:

  • Trustworthiness: Print marketing has been part of communication since Gutenberg’s printing press took the world by storm in the 1400s. People’s familiarity with brochures, letters, business cards and flyers means they trust them significantly more than the newer unknowns of the internet.
  • Tangibility: Holding something in your hands gives it instant credibility. Physical brochures showcase your values and reinforce your branding in a beautifully presented layout, inviting your audience to sit down and engage with the content in the same way they would read a magazine.
  • Long-lasting: A well-designed business card, brochure or letterhead will last you years. Print marketing is an investment in resources that can be used again and again with significant effect.
  • Local Audience - If you are seeking to target a local audience, using leaflets as a marketing tool is an excellent way to increase brand awareness in your area. Locating community spaces such as hotels, libraries and supermarkets to display flyers and posters will familiarise your target audience with your brand, and they will come to recognise it as trustworthy and known.

Cons:

  • Upfront Cost: Designing, writing and printing physical marketing resources involves paying an upfront cost rather than paying in smaller amounts as the campaign grows.
  • Limited Audience: Although flyers and posters can reach your neighbours effectively, they cannot spread much further. Digital marketing offers a monumentally wider reach.
  • Hard to Measure: Once you have distributed your print materials, it is difficult to track the response rate to determine their exact impact.

Digital Marketing

Pros:

  • Measurable Data: Digital marketing campaigns offer incredible insight into engagement, including ROI and the demographics and features of those who responded. All this data is used to improve your next campaign, giving you a clearer picture of how to target your ideal audience each time.
  • Wide Reach: 66.2% of the global population uses the internet. Digital marketing allows you to reach people like never before. The potential for your content to be shared and even go viral is a huge benefit of investing in your brand’s online presence. Anyone can easily access your website to find out about your products and services.
  • Targeting Your Ideal Audience: At the same time as having such a wide reach, digital marketing uses data to give you the ability to precisely target your ideal audience through SEO research and PPC campaigns. You will be presenting you business directly to the people you want to see it.

Cons:

  • Competition: In your local area, you are likely one of a handful of similar businesses. On the internet, you will find yourself competing against hundreds of global competitors as well as scammers.
  • Expertise is Needed: Standing out can be a challenge if you are unsure how to make your business rank in search results. Working with experts will help harness the power of digital marketing and enable your business to come across as a professional, trustworthy brand.
  • Regular maintenance: Unlike print materials that will last a long time, online content must be maintained. To make the most of social media, for example, it is crucial to post regularly and stay up to date with trends in communication.

The Best Method

As we have discovered, both print and online marketing have their pros and cons. By utilising a combination of online content and print marketing products you will form a robust and effective marketing strategy for your business.

This could look like including QR codes on flyers to encourage potential local customers to easily scan and be taken straight to your website. Alternatively, you could include invitations on your website for customers to be sent your beautiful brochure in the post, continuing their journey of discovering more about your services.

Combining these marketing methods will see you reap the rewards of their collective benefits.

Where to Start?

Both digital and print marketing will be most impactful when created by professionals who know how to best reach and engage your target audience.

At Vooba, not only do we offer bespoke design and print services, our experienced team can also create a campaign tailored to your business. From website design to business cards, we can optimise and market your brand to achieve the results you are looking for.

Get in Touch

We would love to discuss how Vooba can help transform your company’s marketing strategy. Get in touch with our helpful team today on 01798 667167.

SOURCES
https://www.history.com/news/printing-press-renaissance
https://www.statista.com/statistics/617136/digital-population....

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