“Don’t let the lack of time or the boundaries of a comfort zone completely dictate your marketing strategy.”
This solid advice comes from Victor Clarke of Clarke Print | Web | Digital. After all, since when is fast, cheap and easy a good thing?
“If something digital works, then, of course, do it,” Clarke continues. “But keep in mind a printed means of marketing most likely will enhance your digital strategy even more.”
“It is relatively easy to run a native ad in social media compared to designing, printing, and distributing brochures,” he continues. “A blog post might be more fun to write and share than a compelling message in a direct mail piece letter. However, ‘easy’ is not a good measuring stick for effective marketing.”
Clarke does an interesting breakdown of the true cost of digital vs. print, taking ROI into account. And he recommends, in order to close the deal, adding print to the sales funnel can make a pivotal difference.
“For example, McDonald’s has a brochure at the cash register containing the nutritional information for each of their menu items,” Clarke explains. “How do you think this impacts average ticket sales and returning customers? What if they had only published it online?”
“McDonald’s wrote the brochure for health-oriented guests who use specific criteria, in addition to taste, to place their order. It even impacts how often guests will eat at the restaurant since they only want food that meets their preferences. Placing it at the register helps guests make choices faster, and they can take it home with them.”
It’s an interesting take from the floor that Clarke offers, and he sees it every day in his own work. He urges, “Take an inventory of your marketing portfolio. What’s the balance between online and offline? How well does each asset support current and planned campaigns? What does each cost compared to how well it’s working? What gaps or opportunities are we missing? I bet you’ll find a little better-positioned print direct marketing campaign will improve your results.”
We believe he’s right.