Summary
- Print and digital media work best together as part of an effective omnichannel strategy.
- Some use cases for integrating print and digital media include welcoming new customers, driving people into action, and retargeting and re-engaging your audience.
Print media in marketing refers to direct mail, postcards, flyers and print ads. It has distinct advantages in terms of marketing effectiveness and efficiency over digital marketing and digital advertising.
The U.S. Postal Service partnered with neuromarketing researchers from Temple University to study the difference in the impact of print and digital advertisements. The study ran in 2015 and was expanded in 2019. They discovered that people spent more time reviewing print media, and print ads, both visual and tactile, elicited a stronger emotional response and left a longer impression.
On the other hand, the study showed that digital media works better for focused attention. People spent more time on key components of a digital ad. And, of course, digital media is more cost-effective and can be executed faster.
Print media as part of an omnichannel strategy
The best approach is to use print and digital media as part of your omnichannel strategy. Digital ads are effective in delivering marketing messages quickly. Print media, such as direct mail, can then be used to emotionally connect with the target audience and drive them to act.
Print and digital marketing complement each other, and consumers want both to help them make decisions. Our Vericast Awareness-to-Action Study revealed that 47% of consumers like to receive offers from print and online media, so they don’t miss out on savings. Almost two-thirds of millennial parents said the same thing. Forty-six percent of consumers go online for more information after reading a direct mail ad, while 41% said direct mail ads prompted them to purchase online, with 55% of millennials agreeing.
Examples of print + digital media tactics
There are numerous opportunities to amplify print media with digital and vice versa. Here are some examples:
- Run a display ad calling attention to check special offers in their mailbox.
- Drive consumers receiving your direct mail to go online to use an exclusive coupon to make a purchase.
- A/B test digital campaigns and use your findings to tweak your creative and messaging in direct mail campaigns.
- Include a QR code or unique URL in your direct mail ad to track conversions and drive recipients online for additional information or an expansive experience.
- Send out a mailer and follow up with an email reminder and retargeting ads.
- Use a CTV ad to engage the audience and drive them to an online experience where they can opt in to receive mailings.
Ten use cases for integrating print media with digital
There are many situations when you can combine direct mail campaigns with digital campaigns as part of your omnichannel strategy. Here are 10 use cases to consider:
1. Welcome new customers
Wouldn’t it delight new customers if they received a welcome kit in the mail after buying something from your website? It can be as simple as a postcard with a trackable CTA to visit onboarding landing pages and instructions to complete missing account data. Since print media is a powerful vehicle for making deeper emotional connections, a direct mailer will make customers feel valued.
2. Build your list
You can send direct mail to prospects and existing customers to request their email addresses and other information. If you incentivize them with a special offer and drive them online using a QR code or unique URL to claim that offer, you may be able to get them to opt into your email list. It becomes easier to send follow-up offers via email or retargeting display ads.
3. Build brand awareness
People spend more time reviewing print media. You can send direct mail to connect with them with visuals and messaging that resonates. Your mailer can be a print catalog that shows your products in a lifestyle setting, allowing them to imagine themselves buying and using your items. Then include a CTA to visit your website for more information.
4. Drive people into action
Your prospects may be ignoring your digital ads and emails. Or they see them but do not act on your offers. You can reinforce your digital campaigns by sending postcards or direct mail as part of your overall campaign. You can remind them of the same online offer or give them an exclusive, time-limited coupon they need to redeem online. Unique codes can be used for different segments so you can track redemptions.
5. Build a local community
If you have local events, you can encourage online customers to participate in your community-building projects such as meet-ups, trade shows, or user clubs. Send them physical tickets.
6. Reach out to abandoned cart shoppers
You may have customers or prospects who abandon their shopping carts online. You can retarget them with direct mail if your digital retargeting ads are not driving results. Obtain mailing addresses and send a retargeting postcard with a coupon code or special offer to get their attention and bring them back online.
7. Retarget customers
You can also retarget your current customers with direct mail. You can send direct mail to first-time customers with cross-selling and upselling campaigns to turn them into repeat customers. You can send postcards to your loyal customers and reward them with special offers they can claim online.
8. Reengage inactive customers
Some customers have not bought anything from you for quite some time. Others may have unsubscribed from your email list. You can send a re-engagement postcard to inactive customers with discounts or announcements of new products.
9. Turn subscribers into customers
You may also have prospects who subscribed to your email list because of your educational content but never purchased anything. You can send them direct mail with an irresistible offer to prompt action.
10. Reward VIP customers
Send special messages to your VIP customers with offers, exclusive invitations, birthday greetings and branded gifts to keep them engaged, feel valued and encourage more purchases. A personalized approach can mean an even greater impact.
Work with the right partner
The most efficient way to integrate print media with digital into one omnichannel campaign is to work with a single partner that specializes in both, ensuring a cohesive strategy, consistent messaging and unified data points.
At Vericast, we use predictive intelligence to convert billions of consumer signals into meaningful action across online and offline channels. In addition to audience selection and mailing list procurement expertise, our print marketing solutions include direct mail packages, solo direct mail and Dynamic Postcards, and our national footprint includes over 88 million households — we offer one of the largest residential mailing lists available (You can also provide your own mailing list or customer data.).
You can build a campaign, integrating print with our online advertising capabilities, from display, video and connected TV advertising to email, social media and mobile ads.
Contact us and take your omnichannel marketing to the next level.
