Why you should be combining print and digital marketing in 2021

I’m sure you’ve heard the statement, “print is dead” at one time or another.

There have been various claims that digital media will make “old school” applications, such as direct mail completely obsolete.

But that simply isn’t true.

Research carried out throughout 2020 clearly demonstrated how mail matters more than ever. In fact a whopping 96% of mail was engaged with in Q2 last year. You can find out more about that research here.   

But back to the reasons why you should be combining mail and print…

The tactile nature of mail has real cut through in an age where there’s an ever increasing volume of digital noise.

And the thing is, you shouldn’t really be choosing one or the other. Print and digital marketing work wonderfully together.

Here are just a handful of reasons why mail marketing is the perfect complement to digital.

Mail is trusted

Granted, digital channels such as social media provide an ideal platform to build brand awareness and trust by showing a more relatable side to your business.

But according to statistics, 87% rate messages delivered by mail as believable, compared to messages delivered by digital channels such as email which only got 48%*.

There’s so much noise online now, it makes sense. Mail is not only trusted, it’s tangible, measurable and can be used to reinforce the message you share digitally.

Drive traffic to your digital channels and vice versa

Mail is a valuable tool for the digital marketer too. Mail has shown its value in driving online traffic, with a 70% YoY increase last year. (Source: JICMAIL, Q2 2018 – Q2 2020)

When you prepare your next mailer, don’t miss the opportunity to include your social media handles and a link to your website.

It’s a great way to raise the profile of your digital channels. You could even drive traffic to a specific campaign landing page which includes a great CTA, a range of products or an email sign up. That all depends on the objective of your campaign.

Consider including a QR code and a clear call to action on your next printed flyers and leaflets.

Using a unique URL will allow you to measure hits from that exact mailer in which it features.

Listen to your audience

How DO THEY want to hear from you?

Your audience might prefer to receive post from you over emails, and vice versa.

There are various factors involved that will help you decide on the most appropriate and effective channels to use to get your message across.

If you’re dealing with B2B marketing for example, a high quality glossy brochure presenting all of your services might carry more impact than, let’s say, a series of social media posts.

Mix it up

Every day more and more companies put their full efforts into online marketing, making it their main advertising channel.

But every day we’re all exposed to more and more ads, pop-ups, and social feeds full of sponsored posts.

It’s very easy to glaze over all that digital noise, it’s less easy to ignore a physical brochure or letter that has been directly mailed to you.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Try to find the perfect balance between online and offline activity. The two avenues work hand-in-hand to increase the impact of your marketing.

Source: *Royal Mail MarketReach, The Value of Mail is Uncertain

 

Talk to the specialists

Hi! We’re a professional mailing house and print services provider based in Leeds, West Yorkshire.

We have the know-how, equipment and resources to deliver on your print, direct mail and digital communications and do just that for a number of clients, big and small.

We offer fully integrated print and mailing solutions so we can handle every aspect for you.

Contact us today to see how we can help.

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