Baseball season just started a few weeks ago. Even still, boy, that’s an odd question, right? We all know that they work TOGETHER for a team in a game, one an essential tool for defense and the other...part of an explosive offense. Suffice it to say, the game would be over quickly if a team had to choose between these two indispensable tools. So, the answer to the question above is: NEITHER! They're both needed!
The same can be said about Digital and Print. In over 20 years of helping businesses market themselves, I can't tell you the number of times I’ve heard someone say, “I prefer emails and social”, or “I only send postcards.” WHY, OH WHY would you limit yourself like that? We live at a point in time that intersects Guggenheim and The Internet. It’s a glorious moment, "trusted and iconic" on one end and "immediate and actionable" on the other.
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Just like the glove and bat mentioned above, each of these marketing methods has their own function, which just so happens to complement the other. Digital is measurable, cost-effective, has a wide reach and brings the recipient an opportunity for immediate action. Print, on the other hand, is impactful, personal and focused. People believe what’s in print…so much so that it’s the most trusted form of advertising. It still pulls the best numbers of any form of marketing. Print messages will resonate more if they reinforce a digital message, and visa-versa. Create a call-to-action on your printed postcard or letter that utilizes digital, and your conversion rate will increase. A perfect example of this is a QR code. Thought by many to be passé and useless, a QR code is anything but! It essentially doubles the effectiveness of your print, by allowing someone to immediately transfer to digital, where they can engage and respond. Click here to check how many darts are left. (Those who say they're useless don't use them properly!)
One more inning...
Before you move on to your next item on the todo list, take a moment to come up with three ways you can pair your print marketing with your digital marketing…right now, today. Can you include a QR code for your prospect to find out their home’s value? Can you offer an informational article on proper home care, only available if they type in a simple, truncated web address? Can you deploy a marketing campaign utilizing both digital and print…immediately and in one swift action? When you come up with these three pairing methods, you’re on your way to a BANNER SEASON!
Comments