Your Tangible Brand 101
You’ve got all the pieces in place: office space, personnel, target market, digital strategy. Now what? You’ve got to think what your game plan is as far as how to market to your audience outside of the digital sphere. Social media and SEO is undoubtedly the fastest growing sector of marketing. However, the other side of the coin should never, under any circumstances, be ignored. The ying to the digital yang is your print (or tangible) branding strategy. Does your target market have something tangible from you that they can hold onto? Are you making a direct mail campaign to target a specific territory? You should be.
What exactly is the genesis of a print campaign? What should you be doing? To put it simply: A lot. There are a myriad of avenues to take within a print marketing strategy.
Corporate Identity Package
This package truly encompasses your brand in a nutshell. It is the first and most significant impression you make upon a new prospect or business partner — even if you’re giving away this package after a seminar, tradeshow, or class. A solid corporate identity package includes business cards, letterhead, envelopes, brochures and presentation folders. You never want to let a prospect leave your office or presence empty handed.
Direct Mail
Direct mail is possibly the best piece of literature you can produce for your company’s marketing strategy. Studies have shown that the more tangible something is, the more memorable it is—even in a digital age. When you send a piece of mail to someone’s doorstep, there are forced to hold it. People get a lot of “junk” mail. So, how do you make your marketing piece non-inclusive to the junk mail? Simple– stand out. Let your brand be heard http://onhealthy.net through the post card, flyer or brochure that you’ve bestowed upon them. We, as the curious beings we are, gaze at the rainbow in the sky, not the dark clouds around it.
Banners
Banners are the most in-your-face form of marketing you can do as a business owner. It is a large platform in which you are advertising your services and showcasing your brand. But what exactly do you do with it? Where can you use it? The short answer: anywhere. At IAS we have several around the office, we use them for expos/tradeshows, and when putting on classes. Be creative with your materials but make sure that your banner is not littered with unnecessary information. It should be simple, yet effective and match your brand identity. As much as you may love unicorns and rainbows, it’s unlikely it’s part of your brand identity (if it is, then use it!).
Food for thought:
- 60% of consumers say print is the most trustworthy type of marketing.
- More than 80% of social media users enjoy receiving special offers in the mail.
- When direct mail is coupled with other marketing strategies, response rates increase by an average of 20%.
- Direct mail brings in 80% of all donations for nonprofits.
- The readership of direct mail has gone UP since the 1980’s by roughly 4%.
Look at those numbers. If that mouth-watering meal of thought didn’t satisfy you, I’m not sure what will please your palate. Print and tangible marketing is not something of the past, nor do I see if going anywhere anytime soon. It is something that must be championed, and executed with precision to promote your brand. If you haven’t gotten started on your print strategy, there’s no time like the present!