Much of the work I help create and design is for direct mail and content creation.
When a client plans their content strategy part of the design process includes designing a printed version to work alongside email or multi-channel marketing.
Multichannel engagement is important for brand consistency.
It gives your customer the chance to purchase either via direct mail, website or PURL.
When I am working on a new project I always make a point of throwing print into the mix.
Why?
There are four reasons.
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Too busy, too overloaded, inbox says it’s full
Because print is a live and tangible product, it is touchy-feely and my clients value print.
I defend print’s place in the marketing mix because most systematically opt for email marketing.
Email marketing is easy to set up but our inboxes are inundated with crap that we don’t have time to read.
When your prospect finally gets around to managing their inbox they will most likely select all and delete, there goes your carefully honed, beautifully written content.
Email is one of the most effective modes of getting your marketing message to your prospect.
But why don’t you think about sending your first bit of communication to your customer by mail?
Direct mail isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, many of us are bombarded with leaflets and free flyers.
I totally get that.
A lot of it gets thrown in the bin because it was poorly written and wasn’t appealing to you.
You receive your daily post and you automatically sift through it but with email you hit the delete button.
This makes for a mighty powerful way of getting your marketing through the front door and your sales piece read.
With the right catchy headline, your sales piece is more likely to stick around.
Whilst email has changed the content marketing landscape for good, let other organisations send masses of email marketing and post out your sales piece, let it do its job.
Not only will it stand out because there is less competition through your letterbox but people are more receptive if they identify with your marketing message.
2. Personalised, unique and customer focussed
Direct mail has benefited from digital technologies and personalising a simple A5 mailer colour printed with a royal mail PPI printed in one pass, mailed out at for less than the cost of a 1st class stamp.
Whatever the quantity, 5 – 5,000 each of your sales flyers are individually and uniquely personalised to your audience’s preferences.
Try doing that with email which involves segmenting, creating and writing different messages per email.
By crafting a mail piece that connects with your recipient and personalising it so it is relevant you are pitching your product or service almost as if you were sitting opposite them.
Imagine doing that with email?
You can’t create that personal touch when your prospect’s mind is on so many other things.
They are sifting through their emails and aren’t engaging with yours, they have constant notifications reminding them of other things they should be doing.
It isn’t personal.
When they have your promotional letter in their hands as long as the sales copy has been written expertly by a copywriter then the magic will happen.
2. Privacy and trust
The arrival of the GDPR in 2018 changed the marketing landscape.
Email became more complicated without ‘opt-in’ but how can you get opt-ins without email?
Using direct mail communicates with your prospect and it’s ideal for generating leads to visit a webpage.
It encourages your prospective clients to buy online and it is great for collecting email addresses then you can follow up with an email.
Privacy is also an issue with a requirement for websites to state how they store and use your data.
Whilst customer data has to comply with GDPR rules, print is considered a ‘legitimate interest’ activity so doesn’t fall foul of the ‘opt-in’ scenario.
This means you can send direct mail to your prospects.
With the rise of phishing, scams and identity theft, emails that have links and attachments will be deleted.
Spam filters don’t like images and even with the best subject headline, your email might miss reaching its destination.
Direct mail doesn’t evoke suspicion in the same way email might, and no matter how many pages, colours or extra add-ons you add to your direct mail piece, people won’t feel nearly as suspicious reading it. 
4. That extra-special something
A mailer that is relevant and is tailored for an awareness day or offers seasonal incentives like Halloween and Valentines Day.
A sales flyer that includes colour, images, a handwritten typeface and a coloured envelope with freebies like a pen that promote your business will make it appealing.
This is impossible via email marketing.
When you plan your content marketing think about the content and how you intend to get your message out there.
A combination of email and direct mail can work really well.
If you need help with a marketing or a sales flyer drop me an email and we can have a free, no-obligation chat.
Further reading for you
https://onewomansview.co.uk/how-content-marketing-can-grow-your-business/
https://onewomansview.co.uk/how-to-use-print-to-promote-your-brand/
