How to Combine Print and Digital Marketing

To really get the best results for any marketing campaign, an approach which combines print and digital marketing is best. Multi-channel campaigns are more likely to reach a prospective customer at the right time and place for them to want to make a purchase. Additionally, prospects are more likely to convert when you use follow-up tactics.  For example, if someone abandons a shopping cart on a website, they’re more likely to return and complete a purchase later if they are shown digital ads of the item they almost bought. Of course, we can’t forget about mail – now one of the most trusted forms of communication to customers.

So, what is the best way to combine tactics so that you are getting the benefits of both print and digital marketing?

Mail and Digital Advertising

Once you’ve crafted a beautiful mailing piece with a strong call-to-action (CTA) that’s just right for your audience, an ad with the same feel and CTA can be created. Since you’ve already got postal data on everyone you’re trying to reach, that same list of mailing addresses can be used to deliver digital ads to the homes or business you’re already reaching. What this means is that your target audience will not only receive a great printed mail piece but will also get continued reinforcement about what you have to offer as they browse the web. Now, you have twice the impact and opportunity to reach your customers!

Additionally, if you are targeting people outside the home – maybe for a business campaign – you can still use digital ads to reach mobile devices, laptops and more as people move around.

Venue Campaigns

One way to use digital advertising to reach people outside the home is with a venue campaign. In this combination of digital and print marketing, you’ll start with your digital ad and then follow-up with a print mailer. For example, imagine a college campus on move-in day. There are tons of items a new student entering a dorm for the first time might discover they need or want, and you know this is a group tied to their mobile devices. A well-time and targeted advertisement for a lamp could easily do the trick. Plus, once they’ve seen your ad, you can follow-up with mailed pieces about other items they might need, or even send a mailed piece to their parents with other ideas about what their kids might need. Venue campaigns also can be used to target concert-goers with mailed pieces about similar concerts coming up in their area. There are tons of opportunities here to capture their interest with an ad and then follow it with your more robust mailed piece.

Another Combination to Try

The world is your oyster when it comes to putting together print and digital marketing, so there are tons of different ways to combine tactics for the best results. Another campaign to try out is a mailed piece, followed by an email with digital retargeting. This gives you the opportunity to send, for example, a coupon to the home then follow it with an email reminder. If someone clicks to view an item in the email, then they’ll see digital ads continuing to show them that item, making them more likely to purchase.

Choose a Good Partner

One word of caution when you’re embarking on a new adventure to combine your print and digital marketing – be careful who you work with when you do this. There a lot of places that will deliver ads via Internet cookies (little trackers on websites). When delivering ads this way, it’s often more difficult to reach an actual human. Many advertisers waste budgeting on digital ads that don’t land in front of the people they are trying to reach. Similarly, some people new to the world of digital ads might struggle with the creative.

If you need help with combining print and digital channels, AccuData’s team of experts is on-hand to assist you in making sure your ad looks great and is getting to your target audience. Contact us today and we’ll help you get started!

Written by AccuData Integrated Marketing