As technology continues to develop—and change the way we do business—many have considered print a dead medium and online marketing the wave of the future. Nevertheless, the print industry is far from dead; in fact, print marketing has only continued to grow and evolve alongside the upsurge of new technology.

Direct mail continues to be used heavily, with a 43% share of total local retail advertising. And, according to a Pitney Bowes survey, 76% of small businesses say their ideal marketing strategy encompasses a combination of both print and digital communication.

There are many reasons why print is (and will remain) an effective tool for delivering your message to your audiences.

Variable Printing

Although variable printing is by no means a new process, consumers have been using it with more frequency as advancements in printing technology have lowered the cost. Variable printing allows you to uniquely customize each piece of media by changing certain elements from piece to piece, taking advantage of the power of complex personalization.

For example, you could run a mailer campaign and personalize each postcard with the name of the recipient, or create unique coupons with individual serial numbers so that you can track which customers used them. When this technique is used with variable images, for example, you could create a series of assorted business cards, each with a different photo background.


Photo: Eon Jung

Personalized print media has a more powerful presence than a personalized email, because the audience can recognize that it takes more effort to customize print media than digital. Accordingly, the audience feels special because of what is a personal touch often lacking in traditional print marketing.

QR Codes and NFC

As our smartphone and tablet technologies continue to grow and develop, so too has the interactivity of print media.

It used to be that the only way to advertise your Web presence via print was to include the URL and hope that the audience took the time to type it into a browser. Nowadays, QR codes and NFC technology make it possible for your print media to directly connect customers to your website.


Photo: Mark Goh

QR codes can be customized with colors and patterns to better integrate into your print marketing designs and to give you the opportunity to add branded elements.

NFC (near-field communication) is a new technology that is not available in all devices, but it is sure to replace QR codes down the line. NFC technology uses a tiny microchip to send a signal directly to your mobile device without the need for scanning. Tap the print media against your mobile device, and the NFC chip will instantly connect you to the website.


Photo: Timo Arnall

These technologies can also be used in more creative ways than simply connecting your audience to a website. They can be used to distribute files, play videos, or activate augmented reality features that encourage your audience to explore and engage, as well as share with others.

Print and Social Media

Social networking has become an integral part of the way entrepreneurs reach their customers, but the idea of networking has been around much longer than Facebook and Twitter. After all, what's a business card if not a social medium? When you hand a potential customer or business relation a business card, you're making a social connection with that person and giving them the means to do the same with you.

Social media can also be fully integrated with any print marketing strategy or campaign. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find a business card from a serious entrepreneur without his or her Facebook address, Twitter address, or other social networking URL printed on it. (Slightly over half of respondents to a Nielsen survey said they used a social media advertising campaign in conjunction with print media.) 


Photo: Sarah Papierz

Though some designers unfortunately make tragic mistakes when working with print and social media, the two often share a symbiotic relationship: print media help to draw attention to your social media sites, and your social media profiles can be used to strengthen your print campaign.

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Print's Not Dead: Print Marketing Will Thrive in 2014 and Beyond

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

image of Vladimir Gendelman

Vladimir Gendelman is founder and CEO of Company Folders Inc. He has spent over a decade learning the ins and outs of print marketing and specializes in helping businesses create quality marketing materials they can be proud of.

LinkedIn: Vladimir Gendelman