Think you know print? Think again!
Print marketing can be misunderstood, so we’re here to explode some of the most common myths and misconceptions around a medium that’s actually any savvy marketer’s dream.
After restrictions and home working, most people are pretty fed up of Zoom calls, incessant emails, and existing through social media. We’re suffering from digital burnout and total technological saturation, so finding a way to connect with your customers – not just on a screen – is a great way to cut through the noise and get your message heard, and your brand noticed.
But with worries ranging from costs to environmental concerns, not everyone understands the inherent power of a print marketing campaign. Until now.
5 mail marketing myths, and why they’re wide of the mark
Myth 1: Print is slow to activate, with long lead times.
Pah! Not with the right supplier.
Sometimes you’re just up against it, and you need a time-sensitive solution. But that doesn’t mean an email campaign is your only hope. A good print supplier will have the right connections to be able to meet any challenge, head-on. In fact, we recently partnered with another print provider to fulfil a mammoth ask: printing and delivering over one million copies of a tabloid newspaper, during a pandemic, in just five days.
We made it happen, because that’s the power of print.
Myth 2: Print is just too expensive.
Actually, it costs less than you think.
Cost per contact. It’s an important thing to consider for any marketer. The overall outlay of your digital marketing campaign may be lower, but print has the potential to reach a lot more people and be viewed far more frequently – making the cost per contact lower. In addition to this, PPC is becoming more expensive, while the cost of mail remains flat.
Put simply, print marketing often gives you more bang for your buck.
Myth 3: Print is difficult to measure.
You can now automate and trigger mail in the same way as digital, meaning measurement is in-built. Plus mail is great for conversion.
Here’s the thing: mail and digital don’t have to exist in silo; in fact, they absolutely shouldn’t. Mail primes recipients for digital messaging, making mail a great medium for conversion. At no time was this more apparent than during lockdown, with a 70% increase in mail-driven online traffic against the same period the previous year. On top of that, a whopping 42% of 15-44 year olds have searched for info about a company online as a result of receiving mail over the past 12 months.
If you want to shift interest to conversion, mail has the nudge factor.
Myth 4: Print is boring and so old-fashioned.
Mail is endlessly creative.
There are so many possibilities with mail, meaning it’s only boring if you choose to make it boring. Gusto, Land Rover, and Just Eat are particular fans of mail marketing. Land Rover knew its audience was bored with digital advertising, so chose premium mailing that allowed potential customers to book a test drive with the click of a button: not an online button; an actual replica of the Evoque start/stop engine button.
“The creative potential and the targeting opportunities of both addressed mail and door drops makes it a highly flexible marketing tool that should be given serious consideration.” Jim Buckle, CFO, Gusto
Myth 5: Printing is bad for the environment.
Print is less carbon-intensive than you might think.
We’re all more aware of the environment these days (rightly so), and most companies want to do their bit when it comes to reducing their carbon footprint. But did you know that paper is one of the few truly sustainable products? Or that the paper industry follows respected certification schemes to ensure the paper it uses comes from a sustainable forest source? On top of that, the ICT industry accounts for 2.5-3% of global greenhouse gas emissions – a figure that’s expected to rise to 14% by 2040.
Both print and digital have an impact; the key is to work with a reputable supplier and monitor all of your channels.
The incomparable power of print
So, there you have it. Five of the most common mail marketing myths exploded.
Postal marketing is an incredibly powerful medium for both lead generation and increasing brand awareness. People feel valued when they receive something personalised through the post, and after a year of sitting in front of a screen – rather than enjoying personal interactions – it’s a clear way to cut through the digital noise and make your mark.
To find out more about how KPM can help with cost-effective, environmentally friendly, time-sensitive, fully monitored, highly creative print solutions, get in touch today.
Get in touch
To find out more about our print & mail services, and to learn how we can ensure your mail stands out, contact our friendly team today:
