From multinational corporations through to micro businesses, we deliver exceptional quality print media to a huge range of our valued clients.
But what we especially love is how print media packs such a powerful punch for our small business clients. By implementing some key strategies and taking advantage of the unique position small business holds within communities, small businesses can leverage print media to great advantage.
We’ve collected together some information and tips that can help your small business in your next marketing campaign.
Understanding the Print Marketing Landscape
The Value of Print Marketing
Print marketing remains a powerful tool for businesses due to its tangible nature and ability to create lasting impressions. Unlike digital ads that can be easily ignored or forgotten, print materials often reside in customers’ homes or offices, providing constant brand visibility.
Did You Know?
Direct mail campaigns have a response rate of 4.4%, significantly higher than the average email response rate of 0.12%.
Challenges Small Businesses Face
Small businesses often face budget constraints, limited resources, and less brand recognition compared to larger enterprises. These challenges can make it difficult to compete directly. However, small businesses have unique advantages they can leverage to create impactful print marketing campaigns.
Leveraging Unique Strengths
Personalisation and Local Targeting
One of the key strengths of small businesses is their local knowledge. Small businesses can utilise this advantage to create personalised and geo-targeted print campaigns that resonate with the community. This can include highlighting local events, using local landmarks in designs, and addressing community-specific needs and interests.
Flexibility and Agility
Smaller businesses can also pivot more quickly than larger corporations. This flexibility allows them to adapt their marketing strategies in real-time based on feedback and market trends, providing a significant advantage in creating timely and relevant print campaigns.
Quick Tip
Use geo-targeted print campaigns to connect with your local community effectively.
Cost-Effective Print Marketing Strategies
Budget-Friendly Materials
While larger enterprises may have the luxury of elaborate print campaigns, small businesses can focus on cost-effective yet impactful materials. Flyers, brochures, and postcards are affordable options that can yield a high return on investment. These materials can be distributed in local areas, placed in strategic locations, or included with customer purchases. Talk to us about the many options available for materials and printing. We can help you formulate a print strategy to cover the area you need within your budget.
DIY Design Tools
User-friendly design tools such as Canva and Adobe Spark enable small businesses to create professional-looking print materials if engaging a graphic designer is out of your budget. These platforms offer customisable templates, allowing you to maintain brand consistency and produce high-quality designs.
Pro Tip
Use DIY design tools like Canva to create professional-looking print materials without breaking the bank.
Building Strong Customer Relationships
Customer Loyalty Programs
Consider using personalised print materials such as loyalty cards, thank-you notes, and customised mail. These thoughtful elements can significantly enhance customer retention. Sending personalised print materials makes customers feel valued and appreciated, fostering stronger relationships and encouraging repeat business.
Storytelling and Brand Authenticity
One huge advantage of small businesses is their unique ability to tell authentic stories about their origins, values, and mission. Think about incorporating storytelling into your print marketing materials. It will enable you to create an emotional connection with your customers, building brand loyalty and trust.
Quick Tip
Leverage your unique brand story in print materials to stand out from larger competitors.
Partnering with Local Businesses
Collaborative Print Campaigns
Partnering with other local businesses for joint marketing efforts can amplify your reach and reduce your costs. Collaborative print campaigns, such as co-branded flyers or joint promotions, can enable businesses to access each other’s customer base, creating a win-win situation. Small businesses can also band together to promote community or fundraising events, such as the local Carols By Candlelight, or a charity fun-run. By supporting your community you create a positive ongoing relationship with the people and businesses around you.
Cross-Promotions
Cross-promotional print campaigns can be highly effective. For example, a local café can partner up with a nearby bookstore, offering discount flyers for each other’s services. This strategy not only increases visibility but also builds a sense of community and mutual support among local businesses. And who doesn’t love the offer of a book discount when they’re sipping a latte?
Fact
Collaborative print campaigns with local businesses can amplify reach and reduce marketing costs
Measuring and Optimising Print Campaigns
Tracking Performance
Tracking the effectiveness of your print campaigns is really useful for your future sales. Adding contact methods for your customers to respond to your promotions, such as unique QR codes, custom URLs, and your store’s phone number can help you measure the response rates and effectiveness of each campaign. This data allows you to make informed decisions and refine your strategies for your next campaign.
Success Insight
Tracking your print campaign’s performance with QR codes and custom URLs can provide valuable insights for improvement
Digital Integration
Combining Print with Digital
Don’t forget to include your digital channels in your print marketing. This will create a cohesive and omnichannel experience. For instance, your print materials can include your social media handles, website URLs, and email sign-up prompts. When your customers begin to access you online as well as in their day-to-day interactions, their recognition of your brand increases. Digital integration also helps you track engagement and drives traffic to online platforms, creating a seamless customer journey.
Let’s get your next print campaign rolling
With Invicium’s dedicated Small Business Strategies, we can ensure your print campaign is effective and targeted to your customer base. And of course we specialise in delivering your materials on time and on budget.
What we offer
We deliver a uniquely customised approach to assisting you. You can choose from a single service, right through to having us completely manage your print campaign. Our aim is to deliver you stress-free printing that will stand out from the crowd.
From creative consulting and sourcing to final production and quality control, we can provide you with a complete end-to-end solution to all your printing needs.
Dedicated Partnership
We’ll assign you an experienced account manager responsible for guiding you through the entire printing process – completely stress free. We’re knowledgeable and accessible when you need us.
Customised Solutions
Your business is different from any other, and your print campaign should be a reflection of your particular needs. We design your campaign from the ground up, providing options that will best serve your business and brand.
Creative Print Ideas
With our extensive experience of brand printing, we can help you select print options that resonate with your brand. We strive for compatibility between your brand, design and printing choices for a seamless result.
End-to-End service
Fuss-free campaign management is what we do best. We work within your budget to produce quality printing that elevates your brand. We deliver on time so you can make the most of your print campaign.
Quality Control
When we say quality, we mean it. We know you are trusting us not only with your printing, but with your business’ image and reputation. We lead the industry in quality print fulfilment that seeks out emerging technologies and style, keeping your brand fresh and current.
Excel in Print Marketing
Competing with larger enterprises in print marketing may seem daunting for small businesses, but with the right strategies, it’s entirely possible. By leveraging your unique strengths, utilising cost-effective marketing materials, building strong customer relationships, and integrating digital channels, you can create impactful and competitive print campaigns. As you implement these strategies, consider how Invicium’s expertise in print marketing and fulfilment can support your efforts and help you achieve your business goals.