Targeted Promotional Marketing

  There has certainly been a lot of talk about the death of print and the rise of the internet, but what is often overlooked is the way that the business is changing, and the way that data-driven digital technology is turning the industry on its head. It is very easy to look at the data that shows that print budgets for major companies are shrinking, that the average length of a print run is a fraction of what it was just five years ago, and think that the smart money is no longer on printing as a major means of advertising. But, the truth might be very different from what the statistics indicate at first glance.

Better, instead of more
  There is one major development in the world of marketing that is making more of a difference than any other: demographic research. Dozens of companies make it their business to know what people are doing, and what they like. With this knowledge, companies are able to execute advertising campaigns that are narrowly focused, using data to aim their mail blasts less like a shotgun and more like a laser. When mailing pieces are sent to the right people, they tend to be much more effective, yielding the same returns, but with smaller costs and reduced waste.

More accessible to the little guy
  The competitive nature of the print world is good news for the small business owner. New technologies mean that the once prohibitively expensive world of commercial printing is now wide open for exploitation by a new group of people altogether. Within the last few years, advancements in computer speed, software availability, and equipment efficiencies have seriously lowered the buy-in price for printing. Today, it is not uncommon for small businesses with print budgets under a thousand dollars to get any of the following pieces made:

Catalogs
Rate Sheets
Product Line Cards
Trade Show Brochures
Custom Order Forms

Not too long ago, several of these projects could have cost close to ten thousand dollars each. But, the advent of Adobe Indesign, Adobe Photoshop, Digital Photography, and Digital Print Technologies have opened the door to more people than ever before.

Print Complements the Internet
If your goal is to drive business to your website, studies have shown that print marketing does a great job of getting people interested. Using print and web together creates a powerful one-two punch that more and more advertisers are using to their advantage.

First, a postcard, folding card, or other inexpensive printed piece is sent to a prospective client. But, instead of using the piece to make an immediate sale, the mail piece simply invites the recipient to your website, where you can dazzle them with examples of your creativity and craft.

When the potential client contacts you via email through your website, the door is opened to send another, more thorough printed piece, such as a portfolio, catalog, or mini-book.

Using this simple method, you can easily turn interest into a sale, without ever wasting money on the excessive and wasteful mass-marketing campaigns of yesteryear.