As the lines between market segments continue to blur, innovative marketers look for new ideas, applications and technologies to build their businesses. Traditionally, print marketing have gained trust and authenticity through various trials and tribulations. The question is, can it stand the test of time, especially when digital marketing seems more swift, contemporary and inexpensive. On the contrary, although digital marketing has its advantages, it is worth considering that it is also intangible, uncongenial and forgettable. These factors may cause a Real Estate Investors digital marketing campaign to dissolve quickly in the short-lived digital chaos of the present online world.
It is no surprise that the print media has already made ample room to accommodate the ever exploding digital ascend. In fact, many digital companies leverage print advertising as a promising medium with high caliber glossy content to market their brand for e.g. Airbnb, CNET, Net-a-Porter and so on and so forth. The unison of print media with digital platforms is a new-fangled nontraditional promotion strategy that is gaining steam with each passing day.
Let us set the launch pad for a successful marketing campaign which can be built from the intermingling of print and digital media using the following 5 approaches:
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Implement QR Codes and Personalized URLS:
QR codes can be printed on anything and everything. When consumers scan those QR codes they can gain useful consumer data. When users follow a personalized URL on their device, they are actually consuming the printed material. Using this information you can track the customer patterns like how, when and where does he use your services. This can help you design a strategy to drive traffic to your online campaigns and gain a fair understanding about his purchasing habits. QR codes and personalized tools act as a bridge that enables a cross pollination between your printed marketing and the online marketing efforts.
Incorporating Sturdy Call to Action (CTAs) in Print Material:
CTAs can be implemented in the form of promo codes, in emails, social media icons on flyers or limited period offers via letter for selected magazine readers who opt-in for subscriptions. Any well-built call to action has the potential to push your existing customer or prospect to visit your website, access your promotional offers and avail some if appropriate. CTAs boost online traffic, provide valuable insight to the consumer preferences and help measure the cross Affiliates marketing efforts. Thus your passive printing material can now be a carrier device to enable the digital response from a bigger spectrum of users.
Use of Variable Printing and Social Media:
Personalization and social media are instrumental in the success of any kind of marketing campaign. Be it Twitter, YouTube, Facebook or Google, all lead the digital campaigns in a unique way. Variable printing helps you create custom images and graphics as per your print marketing solution needs. You can post such personalized and relevant content to interact with a wider range of audience on social media and create a tremendous brand awareness. A personalized letter, seasonal greetings or goodies can be distributed to target your printed marketing towards interest groups beyond demographics like gender, age, marital status etc. by gathering data from social media. So feel free to explore various variable printing possibilities.
Constant Consumer Feedback and Cross-platform Collaboration:
Useful analytics in terms of customer taste, their buying preferences and inclination to particular features is something that every sales team builds their promotional schemes upon. Both print and digital mediums need to identify what encouraged a consumer to visit a website, subscribe to a newsletter or purchase particular a product. What else can be better than a direct real customer’s feedback to gain this significant data? You can leverage cross platform creative strategies to gain honest customer opinions using in-app/online surveys, email questionnaires, contests, or giving exclusive access to offers based on unique idea sharing.
Use of Augmented Reality:
Augmented reality enables you to track ROI on printed material. The AR apps with image recognition enable use of unique designs and dazzling snaps instead of mundane QR codes. Hence audience can unlock an entire new arena of digital engagement at the tip of their fingers. AR-tag can scan actions like opening of a website, making a phone call, sending an email or a link to business pages or games. The URL referrer helps track the digital responses and arrive at ROI measure using data scanned by of AR. Thus AR can make your print media come alive by providing an interactive tour to your brand where user can go through catalogues, brochures and store display.
Clearly abandoning print marketing model or the digital marketing model is not worth as a solution for current digital disruption. Although due to their fundamental difference as mediums of communication, initially the revenue from print and digital approaches seems mutually exclusive. However, potential for analytical convergence using the above techniques can allow print and digital marketing to coexist and produce cumulative marketing that outnumbers the sum of its parts.
