Wondering how to combine Print and Digital Advertising? It may sound complicated but let’s take a look at some easy ways to combine print and digital advertising and find out why this combo has the marketing experts talking.
What is Print Advertising?
Print advertising is physically printed promotional material including posters, billboards, brochures, direct mail flyers, newspaper and magazines ads, business stationery and signage to name a few.
What is Digital Advertising?
Digital Advertising on the other hand uses web platforms such as social media and search engines to publish promotional material and ads in a digital format suited to the web.
Why is it important to combine Print and Digital Advertising?
Each advertising strategy is uniquely positioned to reach your target audience in different ways.
It’s easy to assume that everyone is online these days. But the truth is print remains a powerful force and striking a balance between digital and print strategy can help you achieve highly effective campaigns.
Print Advertising is trusted
In a recent survey of UK consumers’ perceptions of traditional print versus digital advertising media, 42% said that they trust print ads when they’re making a purchase decision while only 10% trust digital ads.
Print advertising has been around forever and as consumers we accept print on face value, much more readily than the ads we see online. This tradition of trust makes print a powerful form of advertising.
If your online presence has a number of followers but falls short on paying customers, consider complementing your digital efforts with printed mail flyers, posters or running a print ad in your local paper.
By reinforcing your brand message in the world offline, you can build authenticity and trust and turn those fans into valued customers.
The marketing rule of seven
This marketing ‘rule of seven’ says that your prospective customer should see and or hear your marketing message at least seven times before they are ready to buy.
This may seem like a lot but in reality these seven touch points are miniscule in the thousands of advertising messages we encounter daily. Think about it, it’s very rare that you rush into buying something the first time you see it advertised. More often than not you stick with brands that are familiar or you compare and research, look for reviews and talk to others before committing to purchase.
When you combine print and digital advertising you create opportunities along the customer journey to boost brand awareness and build trust. Not only does print advertising add more touch points, it also injects variety and memorability that helps you to stand out from your competitors. By combining print and digital advertising not only do you gain more opportunities to engage and delight your audience along their customer journey. You also boost brand awareness and nurture trust.
Consider a social media ad campaign, backed up with special offer flyers in the mail. It’s the ultimate way to make an impression with your customers and connect with them in dynamic and thoughtful ways.
Use print advertising to drive customers to your website or social pages
One of the simplest ways to combine print and digital advertising is to include your social media handles and web address on all printed promotional material.
By including your digital info on your print material you make it easy for customers to find you online and effectively drive traffic to your website and social channels.
This is a great way to turn one-time buyers into long term customers and can be as simple as dropping a printed postcard or business card in with their purchase.
Take the opportunity to say thanks for shopping and invite them to leave a review, or snap a photo of their new purchase and tag you.
Not only do you gain reviews and grow your following, the customer has also been given the chance to learn more about you and see further products and services available on your website.
Digital Advertising offers a wealth of customer data
Social media and web advertising gathers valuable demographic information about your followers and this data is an excellent resource to help you understand your customer audience.
Information is power after all, and applying what you learn will allow you improve your offering. Use the data to improve your print advertising strategy, provide more relevant promotions and take action to grow your business.
Find the right mix of digital and print advertising for your business
However you choose to reach out to your customers, ensure that your advertising method and message is relevant and valuable to your audience. Combining print and digital advertising allows you personalize your content for a highly targeted campaign.
Pay attention to the design of your printed and digital media and consider how they work together. By aiming for a consistent, cohesive look and using the same style of imagery and colour scheme across your messaging you can ensure that you are building your brand look and feel and not confusing your customers.
Always track your campaigns to understand your success and inform later efforts. Have a QR code or a unique promo code included on your print advertising to help you track how many people are carry over from print to digital followers.
Finally, always include a clear call to action on both your digital and print advertising that is easy for customers to follow. If you ask them to use a promo code, ensure it is clear where the promo code field can be entered and what discount they will unlock.
If you would like to learn more about how to put print advertising to work for your business, check out our print advertising services or get in touch with our team at Kaizen Print Enniskillen.
