What if there was a marketing tactic that was proven to boost recall of your brand? One that caused prospects to spend more time with your message? One that led to increased sales?
There is. But there’s a problem. Even though it’s scientifically proven to move the needle in big ways, there’s a good chance you won’t take advantage of it.
Why? Because it’s not the newest, coolest, sexiest tech. In fact, it’s almost the opposite. It’s print. And it works better than you imagine.
According to Scientific American, “People understand and remember what they read on paper better than what they read onscreen.” Go ahead. Read that again. Better yet, print this out and read the hard copy.
Here’s some proof. Many retailers who switched to online catalogs watched their sales plummet. That’s why you’re seeing catalogs in your mailbox again. Magazine readership is up, too, as are book sales, as people rediscover the joy of a literal page turner. Sales literature is in demand as well, especially for complex products or services. And the ROI for targeted mail is as strong as ever – or stronger.
Best of all, you can crank up your ROI with a few tactics that make print work even harder.
For example, you can inexpensively add augmented reality and turn any print piece, from a sales brochure or direct mail piece to a magazine ad or sales tag, into an interactive marketing machine. It takes your message off the page and brings it to life on the viewer’s phone, in the form of video or an alternate view. It can even take them to a web page, where you can capture their device for retargeting.
Using variable data printing, you can personalize direct mail using all kinds of information from your own database or a purchased list — not just names, but age, gender, neighborhood, college, likes, dislikes, past purchases and future interests.
You can easily choose from a jaw-dropping variety of textures and special effects during the printing process. The added tactile dimension will boost the amount of time a reader spends with your piece — and even get them to pass it around.
Of course, none of this matters if your print piece is poorly designed or off message. So be sure you’ve got an offer that’s hard to resist, and that the design of your print pitch is one your prospects will find appealing. Then use some of the many approaches available to add elements of interactivity, and watch your return soar.