Master the Art of Crafting Effective Mail

In direct mail, capturing the recipient’s attention in just a quarter of a second is essential. Imagine this: after a long, exhausting day, the recipient comes home with a list of things to do before they can relax. As they sort through their mail, they aren’t likely to linger on each piece. Your mailer must grab their attention within the average adult’s 8-second window—or risk being discarded.

To ensure your direct mail is impactful and effective, here are nine essential tips and tricks to create a design that truly stands out.

1. Make a Bold Visual Statement:
   
   First impressions matter, especially in direct mail. To capture attention immediately, focus on creating a bold visual impact. Use vivid colors and high-quality images that stand out in the pile of mail. Consider incorporating unique textures, like embossing or debossing, and special papers to engage the recipient’s sense of touch. These visual and tactile elements make your mailer memorable and increase the likelihood it will be noticed and opened.
   
   For example, if you’re promoting travel planning services, use breathtaking images that highlight the destination’s uniqueness, accompanied by elements like personalized QRs and PURLs that showcase the ease of using your services.
2. Design for the Target Audience
   
   Your design must resonate with your target audience. Tailor it to the unique preferences of each generation—modern, eye-catching graphics for younger audiences and classic, easy-to-navigate designs for older generations.
   
   For example, if you’re marketing a health and wellness product, consider how each generation might respond differently. For younger audiences, such as millennials, incorporate bold colors, dynamic visuals, and language that emphasizes self-care and innovation. For older generations, such as baby boomers, use a more traditional layout with larger, easy-to-read fonts and a focus on long-term wellness benefits. Adjusting design choices to match generational preferences ensures your message resonates effectively with each segment.
3. Optimize Front and Back Design
   
   Consistency is key when designing. Ensure both sides of your mailer are visually cohesive and impactful. Use consistent colors, fonts, and imagery to create a unified look. Prioritize key information with larger text and clear calls to action (CTAs), so recipients can easily grasp your message. To make it even more engaging, consider incorporating additional elements such as magnets that can be adhered to your mail and include essential information.
   
   For example, if you’re a healthcare provider using direct mail for a new mover campaign, include a magnet displaying emergency contact information for the local health network. A well-designed mailer with clear messaging makes it easier for recipients to process and respond to your offer.
4. Align Imagery with Messaging
   
   Effective imagery should complement and enhance your message. Choose images that directly relate to what you’re promoting.
   
   For instance, if you’re advertising a cleaning service, use images of a clean and happy home. If your service includes various offerings, a collage of images can effectively showcase these services. Relevant imagery minimizes the need for extensive text, making your mailer more engaging.
5. Be Specific and Direct
   
   Clear and precise messaging is crucial to capture the recipient’s attention. Avoid vague statements and instead, focus on specific benefits. Additionally, avoid highlighting prices without context, as this may lead to immediate dismissal if the value isn’t clear. Clearly state what the recipient can achieve by participating in your service or offer.
   
   For example, “A well-nourished dog leads to years of pet and owner happiness” is more compelling than “Happy pets, happy life” when promoting premium dog food.  
6. Strategic Logo Placement and Use
   
   Effective logo placement reinforces your brand message. Confirm that your logo is positioned in a way that complements your overall design and doesn’t clash with the text or imagery. Strategic placement helps in building brand recognition and value to your clear and cohesive message. Place your logo where it supports and amplifies the message, such as near service descriptions or key offers.
   
   For instance, if you’re promoting an eco-friendly product line, position your logo near key environmental benefits, such as “100% Recycled Materials” or “Sustainable Production Practices.” On one side of your mailer, include a phrase about your service or product, then place the logo nearby so the message resonates more—this strategy builds brand recognition.
7. Leverage Customer Testimonials
   
   Customer testimonials can significantly boost credibility. Incorporate brief, powerful testimonials that highlight customer satisfaction and support your message.
   
   Visual testimonials, such as star ratings or customer photos, can make these endorsements stand out and lend additional credibility to your mailer.
8. Include Engaging Coupons & CTAs
   
   Adding coupons and interactive elements like QR codes and personalized URLs (PURLs) can drive immediate action. Offer compelling discounts or special offers to incentivize recipients. QR codes and PURLs create an interactive experience by directing recipients to personalized landing pages, tracking responses, and providing an easy way to redeem offers.
   
   For a bookstore, for example, you could offer a discount like “Get 15% Off Your Next Purchase” with a QR code leading to a special promo page. You can add an even more creative element by making the coupon a bookmark that adheres to your mail. These elements create an engaging experience and can significantly boost response rates.
9. Tailor Your Approach to Your Brand Size
   
   Finally, consider your brand’s scale and market position when designing your direct mail. For small, local businesses, focus on personalized and relevant messaging rather than imitating larger brands. Emphasize what sets your business apart and the unique advantages you offer. Highlight your unique selling points and local benefits.
   
   For example, a small local car repair shop should focus on its personalized service rather than mimicking the direct mail of a large, national chain. Tailoring your design to reflect your brand’s size and market position ensures your direct mail resonates with your audience and differentiates you from larger competitors.
   

Final Thoughts

In the competitive world of direct mail, capturing attention in just a split second is key. By using bold visuals, targeted design, and clear messaging, you can guarantee your mail stands out and drives action. Focus on what makes your mail unique and relevant to your audience to make a lasting impression.

Ready to enhance your direct mail strategy? Contact Strata today to create designs that make a real impact!

Turning Narratives into Results

In today’s saturated marketing landscape, capturing attention and driving engagement can be daunting. Yet, storytelling remains a timeless and powerful tool that can set your direct mail apart. Remember the lure of childhood story time? Those stories did more than entertain; they built connections and delivered messages in a way that stayed with us. While we’ve outgrown story time, we can still use personalized storytelling to craft direct mail campaigns that captivate and convert.

The Power of Storytelling

Storytelling in direct mail isn’t just a creative luxury; it’s a strategic advantage, especially when the story is personalized to the recipient. According to a 2024 report by McKinsey, 71% of customers expect personalized experiences from brands, and 76% express frustration when they don’t receive it. Personalizing your direct mail with a well-crafted story can enhance engagement, improve response rates, and build long-term loyalty while creating an emotional connection that makes your message stand out.

How to Craft Compelling Narratives

1. Understand Your Audience’s Needs and Preferences

Before crafting your story, you’ll need to gain a deep understanding of your audience’s specific needs, pain points, desires, and interests. From there, you can use both first-party and third-party data and insights to tailor your narrative so that it feels personal and relevant. By aligning your message with what truly matters to your audience, you create stories that resonate on a deeper level and drive engagement.

• Example: For a direct mail campaign promoting a fitness service, start by analyzing data to identify your audience’s primary fitness challenges and goals, such as overcoming exercise plateaus, finding motivation, or achieving specific health milestones. Then, create a series of mail pieces that address these needs by featuring real customer success stories. For instance, one piece might detail how a client overcame a workout plateau with the help of personalized training programs and support from the service, while another could show how a different client found renewed motivation through specialized classes. Make sure to tailor each story to reflect the audience’s pain points and aspirations, using relatable images and testimonials.

2. Develop Relatable Personas and Plotlines

Create characters and scenarios that your audience can identify with. By developing relatable personas and compelling plotlines, you can create an emotional connection that makes your message not only memorable but also impactful.

• Example: For a campaign promoting a pet care brand, design a series of postcards featuring a heartwarming story about a beloved pet navigating its journey to wellness with the help of your products. Each postcard could follow a different chapter of the pet’s journey, tailoring each story to reflect common challenges and triumphs faced by pet owners in your target market —starting with a concern, showcasing the benefits of your products, and ending with the pet’s transformation. This approach builds empathy and connects with pet owners while also clearly showing the value of your products.

3. Enhance Stories with Personalized Visuals

Visual elements can make your story more impactful. Studies show that our brains process visuals 60,000 times faster than text, making pictures a powerful tool for quickly communicating your desired message. By using variable data printing to match the visuals to your audience’s specific demographics or locations, you can elevate the receiver’s experience and make your message much more relatable and engaging.

• Example: For a direct mail piece promoting a realtor, use before-and-after photos of homes to showcase successful property sales and renovations. Tailor these images to reflect local neighborhoods or common home styles in the area within the recipients budget based on income. This helps potential clients envision how the realtor could help them with their own properties, making the message more engaging and effective. Personalized visuals not only grab attention but also strengthen the connection with your audience, leading to better results.

4. Include a Clear and Compelling CTA

Every story should lead to a clear call to action (CTA). Ensure your CTA includes specific details, prompts the recipient to take an actionable step, and aligns with the narrative you’ve created.

• Example: If your story centers around a limited-time offer, make sure your CTA emphasizes urgency and provides easy instructions on how to take advantage of the offer. For example, use, “Get 20% off your first purchase! Scan the QR code to apply the discount at checkout.” This CTA is direct and ensures the recipient knows exactly how to act quickly.

Best Practices for Integrating Storytelling

1. Maintain Brand Consistency

Make sure your brand voice and message are consistent throughout your storytelling. Consistent branding builds trust and reinforces your identity, making your stories more credible and convincing. Additionally, consistency helps your audience easily recognize and relate to your brand, which is crucial for long-term engagement. In fact, brands that present themselves consistently across various platforms are 3-4 times more likely to achieve strong visibility. This consistency enhances brand recognition, making it easier for consumers to recognize and engage with the brand amidst market noise.

2. Personalize Based on Data

Leverage recipient data to tailor your narratives. Personalization increases relevance and engagement, as stories that address specific interests and needs are more likely to resonate. By using data to craft stories that speak directly to your audience’s motivations, you enhance the effectiveness of your campaigns. Data-driven personalization can boost engagement rates by up to 25%, proving the importance of using recipient data to create targeted and impactful stories.

3. Test and Optimize

Continuously test different storytelling approaches to find what resonates most with your audience. Experimentation is crucial for refining your strategy and enhancing results. By testing various narrative elements—such as story angles, visuals, and CTAs—you gain valuable insights into what drives engagement. In direct mail campaigns, where every detail counts, A/B testing different elements allow marketers to adapt and optimize their strategies effectively. For instance, A/B testing can increase conversion rates by up to 49%, boosting ROI and ensuring each campaign variant is as impactful as possible.

Final Thoughts

Integrating personalized storytelling into your direct mail campaigns can transform your marketing efforts, making them more captivating and effective. By crafting narratives that resonate emotionally with your audience, you enhance engagement, increase response rates, and build lasting loyalty.

Ready to harness the power of storytelling? Contact Strata to get started on creating narratives that leave a lasting impression and drive your marketing success.

Getting the Results You’re Looking For

Writing direct mail content may seem fairly simple, but in reality – it takes planning, drafting, and analysis to yield results. If you’re hoping to create concise, creative, and intriguing copy for your next direct mail campaign, follow along as we lead you through the top tips, from knowing your audience to crafting appealing incentives.

Know Your Recipient

Before even beginning to craft a direct mail piece, it’s pertinent you know who you’re sending to. Not just the list of contacts – but who they REALLY are. Their geographics, demographics, and even their psychographics. Learn about them through surveys, by research into customer trends and data, through your team (especially customer service), and so on. There are many steps you can take to get to know your current and potential audience – but make sure you take one of them before writing. The more you know about who you’re sending to, the better you can cater your content. And, keep in mind that using this understanding to not only cater – but personalize, is key.

Keep it Short & Simple

When it comes to direct mail, you want to keep text as short and simple as possible. These days, viewers have fatigue from constantly being bombarded with promotional content. Not only are they sometimes too tired to look at an ad with minimal text, but they’re also surely too tired to read large blocks of content. Keep your piece at a maximum of 3-4 sentences, with 20-25 words per sentence (if possible). Show the reader (that you know and care for according to step one, above) respect their time. Make it easy with bullet points, text hierarchy, and so on to help guide the viewer along a path.

Be direct and avoid the fluff. Direct sentences not only show respect for the viewer’s time, but establish more trust and in turn, authority, as you’re not being wishy washy or trying to confuse the recipient. Additionally, only be repetitive in your text if it’s meaningful and helpful to the overall message.

Lastly, and this one’s important – only include what’s necessary. If more information must be provided, lead the recipient to a QR code or a URL with additional content.

Write Intriguing Headers & Sub-Headers

Even if the recipient doesn’t care about your direct mail – they’re still going to (very likely) read the headline. So, make sure it’s an intriguing one, as it could make or break your piece. And make sure it’s legible and appealing, and that it tells your recipient exactly what they should expect from your mailer.

Include a Clear Call to Action

The call to action is what you want the recipient to do, and it should be obvious. This is just as important, if not more important, than the header of your piece, and many of the same rules apply to writing it. It’s important to not only make sure it’s intriguing, legible, appealing, and concise, but to include it on both sides of the mailer (if possible). You should also try to create FOMO (the fear of missing out) through a sense of urgency or scarcity. For example: “Only 20 spaces left” or “Expires in 30 days!”.

With that said, keep in mind that you should only have one call to action on your piece to not confuse the reader and make sure they know just what action you want them to take.

Incentivize

Although not always needed, incentives can be very effective when it comes to direct mail. Including a discount or exclusive opportunity can entice the reader to act, or at least finish reading the copy or flip the mailer over.

Incentives can contribute to something we touched on above, FOMO, by making the recipient feel that the mailer is exclusive and that they’ll miss out if they don’t take the next step or keep the piece handy. Like the call to action, it’s best to include the incentive on both sides.

One additional benefit to incentives? They’re great for tracking. For instance, if someone uses a discount code or coupon, you can easily tell if the campaign effectively caught their attention.

Show Proof

Including a review or testimonial on your mail piece can often increase credibility and show you have loyal, happy customers.

If you’d like to take an even easier route, simply including a recognizable, associated logo or a star rating can show your expertise and credibility and can quickly build trust.

Proofread

Even if you have amazing, well-crafted, direct content and beautiful design – if there’s even just one or two errors on your mail piece, your credibility goes down immediately.

With that said, make sure you have at least a few proofreading eyes on your piece (or even utilize a tool like Chat GPT) before sending it out.

Think Through the Format

It’s important that the right copy be in and on the right format – whether that’s a classic postcard, package, newsletter, flyer, brochure, dimensional mailer, or something else. But keep in mind – just because your mailer is bigger, doesn’t mean you should fill it all up with more even copy. Like we said before, short, sweet, and to the point is best.

Design with Purpose

We’d be remiss if we didn’t remind you that design is just as important as the copy when it comes to direct mail. Be sure to think through branding, colors, textures, graphics, images, and so on to make the best impression and appeal to your audience.

With that in mind, are you to send carefully crafted, effective direct mail pieces that include concise copy and enticing CTA? We’d be happy to help you set up and execute your next performance-driven campaign. Reach out to the experts at Strata.

Understanding Consumer Values and Behaviors

We’ve previously talked about using marketing personas to enhance the buyer journey, and we’ve touched on the basics and benefits of geographic and demographic data in several blogs. However, there’s one more (key) piece of the puzzle to incorporate if you’re going to stand out from the crowd, or should we say, pick the right crowd: psychographics. Using psychographic segmentation can help your company connect with the right audience at the right time. Let’s break it down together.

What exactly is “psychographics”?

Psychographics, simply put, is the psychological study of humans, focusing on our emotional needs and values. It supplys insight into why people make decisions. “Psychographics seek to understand the cognitive factors that drive consumer behavior.” With that in mind, psychographics can strengthen your existing quantitative data (demographics) and produce a better picture of your market – a picture of what the public wants and needs and how often they’ll be buying goods and services to fulfill those needs.

When you know how people wield their purchasing power, you can structure and prioritize your messaging to appeal to their values, remove what doesn’t resonate, and tailor your approach to the individual platforms they use. This includes being specific with the types of personalization, imagery, and voice you use in your marketing campaigns.

Activities, Interests, and Opinions (AIO)

An important psychographics acronym to remember is AIO, which stands for activities, interests, and opinions. Activities are what people like to do, interests are their inclinations and affinities, and opinions are their beliefs.

These three areas combined give you a better picture of what’s going on beyond the collected demographic data. As digital privacy has become more top–of–mind, people are selecting and sharing information with you on their terms – whether that’s via surveys, forms, or other platforms. These forms may ask them questions related to not only their demographics, but their psychographics. Are they paying attention to their fitness? Does your company care about similar social causes? How much do they invest in their pets? All this information can help you craft the perfect audience and reach them with relevant messaging. The more questions you ask, the better understanding you’ll have of who they are, why they do what they do, and, of course, their As, Is, and Os.

An Example…

Let’s say you’re opening a gym, and you’re looking into how you want to market to your community. We can look at two women who, while similar, have some key and distinct differences. Let’s name them Janine and Kerry.

JANINE

Demographic Profile	Psychographic Profile
Female	Remains active
Age 25-34	Up-to-date with millennial trends
Single, no kids	Flexible schedule
Household Income $55K+	Conscientious buyer, yet flexible budget
City dweller	Enjoys going out with friends
Dental assistant	Typically free on weekends

KERRY

Demographic Profile	Psychographic Profile
Female	Remains active
Age 25-34	Up-to-date with millennial trends
Married, one child	Tighter schedule
Household Income $110K+	Budget savvy
City dweller	Participates in child-centered activities, occasionally goes out with partner
Nurse	Varying weekend schedule

With Janine, you can see she stays active, is averse to high spending (yet will spend on certain things, it seems), and has a somewhat flexible schedule. Perhaps you send Janine a postcard with a trial pass to visit and try out your facilities. Or, you advertise one free trial week with a discounted first month with the completion of the trial. You could also showcase one-on-one personal training! She may be interested in the personal training if she finds your gym worth the cost. Lastly, since she’s free on weekends, showcase some of your weekend yoga or meditation classes with group discounts – maybe she’ll bring her friends along!

On the other hand, let’s look at Kerry. With her tighter schedule, and one child under the age of 18 at home, switching up the messaging is key. Since she doesn’t seem to have as much time to be social with friends, you may want to showcase some group fitness classes, while also noting that their times often line up with in-gym childcare. Perhaps there’s a weekly mommy-and-me class your gym offers. Whatever the case, make sure you’re supplying messaging that makes sense with her lifestyle and needs, that’s tailored to acknowledge her busy schedule. Generally, the possibilities are only amplified by the psychographic data you’ve collected – and you’re likely to make both potential customers feel seen and understood.

We highly recommend using geographic, demographic, and psychographic data as well as quota sampling to help inform your marketing tactics. If you’re not sure where to start, no problem. You can contact us today to get started on your next marketing campaign, and we’ll work with you every step of the way to ensure it’s a success.

And How Can Digital Enhance Them?

In our last blog on large format printing, we went over the top current large-scale print trends. Today, we’re diving a bit deeper, and giving you our knowledge on large-format print options (from poster board to metal) and explaining how digital aspects can enhance them.

The Variety of Large-Format Print Options

There is virtually an unending list of products, finishes, and printers when it comes to large format printing. This means a ton of options (which can seem overwhelming) but also a lot more room for creativity, more ways to think outside of the box and stand out, more options for meeting your goals, more levels of weather durability, and a wider range of budget possibilities. It’s important to think through your business’ needs, wants, and goals when it comes to large-format printing. What size will work best to catch your audience’s attention? What material will be both budget-friendly and effective? Where will be best to use large format prints?

While this is the exciting part of large format printing, it can also be the most daunting. So, it’s always helpful to work with a marketing team or partner to plan ahead and choose wisely. Since there are so many options out there, today we’ll give you a brief understanding of the ones we know well and provide often to enhance the marketing of our very own clients.

Options Strata Provides

Strata uses our HP Latex R2000 printer to create the following large format materials, although our services are never limited and always expanding:

• Decals
• Banners
• Posters
• Indoor Signage
• Outdoor Signage
• Menus
• Commercial Signage
• Seasonal Signage
• Stationary Signage
• & More

And we primarily offer them in the following finishes and materials:

• Vinyl
• Semigloss Poster Stock
• Corrugated Plastic
• Foamboard
• Ultraboard
• Coloplast
• PVC Board Stock
• Metal
• Adhesives

Like we said before, it’s always important to know and understand your needs and audience before deciding on a printer, print format, print materials, and finish. Even the little details matter when you go big!

How and Why You Should Pair Large Print with Digital

Wide-format printing can bridge the gap between the digital and physical. How? There are several ways – but here are just a few. The first, which you may be familiar with, is to include digital aspects on your materials, such as social media icons and usernames and URLs. The second, recently emerging digital touch, is the QR code. These are great for leading people to digital touchpoints from your signage – whether that’s to a website, form, menu, or another avenue. We believe that the more your customer can interact with your large-scale signage, the better.

Interested in exploring Strata’s large format services? Feel free to reach out.

The 9 Most Unique Ways to Use Print in Your Marketing

Over the past two weeks, if you’ve been keeping up with our blog, you’ve gotten the chance to hear about the true power print holds. We’ve shared why print is still so powerful in today’s marketing world, as well as tips and tricks on how to improve your current print marketing practices. Print is trustworthy, cost-effective, results-driven, and sticks with customers, and we’re here to show just that. For our final blog of The Power of Print series, we’re taking you through the 9 most unique (and powerful) ways your company can use print marketing.

1. Letters & Postcards

“Letters and postcards” can really mean a variety of things. From packages to flyers – to dimensional mailers, sending these to customers and prospects gives you a chance to include personalized messages, catered services, tailored specials and more to gain their brand loyalty and trust while breaking through the digital noise. They won’t go to waste, as 44% of customers visit a brand’s website after receiving direct mail marketing.

2. Newsletters & Updates

You may already be sending out an e-newsletter or monthly updates to your customers to keep them in the know, advertise new products and services, and send upcoming company and event information. Why not switch it up and give them a surprise with a printed version every so often? For printed newsletters or update materials, you can choose from a wide range of materials, layouts, shapes, and sizes to share your company’s news in a fun, eye-catching, and creative way. 

3. Business Cards

Business cards have been around for years, and there’s a reason they’re still used currently, despite all of the digital options available. Not only do business cards share your contact information quickly and effectively with others, but with all of the print options of today, they give you a chance to further show your brand’s quality and creativity. Unique and eye-catching business cards will always be great tools at networking events and social gatherings, and are a great way to stay on the minds of potential customers.

4. Loyalty Cards

This simple yet powerful tool will keep your customers coming back and get them excited to do so. Using loyalty program pieces or punch cards with your logo and brand is a great way to advertise and market your business, its products, and its services. Even better – make these cards super quick and easy to use by including a QR code that tracks customer purchases. Studies have shown that up to 64% of small businesses that have implemented a customer loyalty program have found that the program earns the business more money than it took to create – so get the most bang for your buck with this simple and effective print marketing piece.

5. Posters, Flags, & Banners

Posters, flags, and banners are physical marketing pieces that are so large that you can’t really ignore them. These are great advertising options because of their scale, cost effectiveness, and longevity. Use them in store, hang them in your windows, post them around town, hang them up at a tradeshow – over and over again. Spend a bit more on print quality, and you can use them for years to come.

6. Promotional Products

These non-paper items are a great print option that not everyone always thinks about. Almost every household in America has at least one magnet on their refrigerator – so, let’s make sure that one magnet promotes YOUR business. Or, place your logo and a unique design on a sticker to go on a laptop, water bottle, or phone case. Whatever makes the most sense for your audience, print it. If they like it enough and use it, you’ll get some free marketing promotion as they sport your company t-shirt, use your branded water bottle, or share your logoed hand sanitizer. Hand out these promotional items at trade shows and events, send them in the mail, or give them out as a parting gift after face-to-face meetings.

7. Calendars

Printed, branded calendars are a great opportunity to showcase your brand or products – for 365 days of the year. Offering these to clients and potential customers is a great relationship starter, and since calendars are usually front and center on desks and office walls, your company’s name has a higher chance of being remembered.

8. Brochures

Probably one of the most well-known ways to share company information, a brochure is a quick and traditional piece to remind customers of what you represent and what you have to offer. 48% of people retain direct mail for future reference – so sending them a brochure ensures that they can go back to your company information any time they’d like. Furthermore, brochures are versatile. They can be sent out, placed in establishments, or handed out at events. There are endless places and ways to get brochures circulating to share your brand and offerings.

9. Catalogs

The catalog has come a long way, and in today’s digital world, it’s much easier to design and print. The catalog is an extremely budget friendly way to share your products, and, like other print materials, it’s a great way to show your company’s quality and care by using thoughtful paper, color, and texture choices. It’s also a unique way to stand out among your competitors, and again, break through the digital noise of today.

Looking for ways to incorporate the power of unique print into your next marketing campaign? At Strata, we’re print experts (it’s in our DNA) and we’re ready to help! Contact us today to start brainstorming your next eye-catching print project.

Make a Mint off of Print

In last week’s blog, part 1 of the Power of Print series, we discussed how powerful print marketing really is, and how beneficial it can be as a central branding and promotional tool. This week, we have for you, part 2 of the series. Now that you’re convinced of its importance and relevance, we’re giving you key tips and tricks your business can use to enhance the power of your print marketing.

We know you’re busy, and you likely want to save all the time you have for productive business efforts and possibly some great marketing, so, we’re making this a quick and easy read. Like we said, we have more than a few (8, to be exact) top practices to create effective print marketing materials…

8 Ways to Improve the Power of Your Print

Know Your Audience

Any print material you distribute should be at least somewhat personalized and developed with your key audience in mind. Make sure your messaging and visuals speak to the people you’d like to reach above all else. Before even creating your print marketing materials, take time to research and understand your audience, looking into not just their wants and needs, but also their pain points and expectations.

Don’t Push Design Aside

You may think design can come as an afterthought – the last piece of pulling it all together and getting your marketing printed, but the total opposite should take place. Think through your visuals just as you would your content and call outs. Use them to connect with your audience and grab their attention. And, don’t skimp. Print’s already very cost effective, so spending that extra bit on design, paper, and colors is worth it, and could be the reason your audience starts to love your brand or continues to be loyal.

Have a Clear Message

When you’re dealing with print, there’s usually a limited amount of space available, at least compared to digital. There’s not as much room to “say it”, so your forced to “say it right” (which can be a great thing when determining necessary messaging to entice customers with fleeting attention spans). Make sure your message, especially your call to action (what you want the customer to do or know) is loud and clear – not hard to find. Don’t clump all of your products into one postcard. Instead, feature a few products, or better yet, use data to personalize the material and feature that specific customer’s favorite merchandise.

Make it Relevant

We’d like to reiterate – because of just how important it is – to always research, understand, and consider your target demographic before creating print materials. Why would your product or service interest them? Why would they need it? How could your material catch their eye? Personalizing this content will make it much more memorable and impactful. In fact, in a study conducted in 2019, 72% of consumers claimed they only engaged with marketing messages that were customized to their specific interests.

Engage the Senses

When it comes to creating print marketing, don’t just think about what the eyes can see. Print marketing is very much a multi-sensory experience. Consider textures, sounds, and scents (yes, scents!) that evoke  feelings within your customer – whether those feelings are excitement, envy, importance, or nostalgia. Incorporating a three-dimensional effect, such as a texture, embossing, or thicker areas of material, can help your print marketing stand out among the rest.

Use a Call to Action (CTA)

Like we said before, you want your call to action to be loud and clear. You don’t want your potential customer setting down your print material without clarity on what you’d like them to do. Make sure to include your address, phone number, and any other applicable contact information like an email address or social account(s). Consider including a coupon for them to use or a sign up for a rewards program, subscription, or membership.

Combine it with Digital

Gain trust and credibility by incorporating digital touches within your print marketing, like QR codes, PURLs, social accounts, and other web references. The best part? Doing so will make campaign attribution a breeze, and will make it easier for you to follow up with interested customers. 

Pick the Perfect Printer

The last step of any print marketing process is finding the right printing company to work or partner with – that has affordable yet reasonable rates – and quality print products. Seek out a company that will not only print your materials, but will care about your bottom line and success (almost) as much as you do. They’ll likely offer a variety of printing options, and will have a creative vision for your campaign and/or overall marketing.

Not to toot our own horn (okay, maybe a little), but at Strata, we’re print experts and it’s in our DNA. We’re prepared to work with you whenever you’re ready to brainstorm your next print marketing project. Just contact us when you’re prepared to make smart happen.

“Say it with Print”

In the digital age we now live in, the mindset that digital platforms will drive out traditional marketing can’t be any further from the truth. Today, we’re talking the power of print – and what it can do for your business that digital marketing alone, simply can’t.

Print Resonates

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, it’s no secret that these days, from the time we wake up to the time we go to bed, we’re almost constantly confronted with marketing. Whether that’s in music, television, signage, emails, phone calls – it’s everywhere. 69% of recent study participants said that this tremendous amount of information overwhelms them. These days, creativity’s not only a good thing to have, but a necessary skill as a business producing marketing materials. If you’re going to reach your audience, your message (and the mediums you use) must be unique, eye catching, and stand out among and above the rest. Using print materials may not be your first thought, but these days print’s grabbing the attention of potential customers much more than other channels. Materials like brochures, signage, business cards, flyers, and postcards produce a bit of nostalgia, and break away from the digital noise we’re constantly bombarded by.

All forms of marketing still work in their own ways – and we of course think that every audience has a preference, and every message has its best way of travel. But what sets print apart, are the emotions it can produce. Print engages our senses. We can physically feel the quality and craftsmanship that went into that piece of paper or box, and get a sense of the thought behind it. What paper was used? What colors are on the print? What creative choices were made? Okay, maybe not everyone is thinking these exact thoughts, but our subconscious has a sense of these elements, giving us a new view of a company, or establishing additional trust and loyalty. We know this because 82% of people in the US say the quality and graphics of a print marketing material are what captures their attention. This is especially a belief among younger generations, as Millennials and Gen Z audiences tend to be more driven by experience and personalization.

Why not use this to your advantage? Try incorporating quality images and messaging, striking colors, and appealing visuals into your marketing materials – especially if you’re targeting a younger audience – and don’t forget about what it’s printed on. Sometimes a textured paper or an irregular, surprising shape can make all the difference.

A recent San Jose State University study found that “people reading on screens take a lot of shortcuts – they spend more time browsing, scanning and hunting for keywords compared with people reading on paper.” When you have something important to say, “say it with print.”

Print is Personalized

These days, services like print marketing lead the way in personalization. In a recent survey, 72% of consumers polled found personalization to be one of the most important features of print marketing – turning it into messaging that really stands out. Not only can you send print marketing directly to your customers in the mail, you can add their name, favorite products, incorporate their pain points, and offer a specific solution to their needs – all possible with the right data. Making your audience feel special with a physical piece of mail, postcard, flyer, or delivery, can really reinforce that they’re important to your brand and company.

Print Inspires Creativity

There’s definitely something to be said about physical rather than digital when it comes to creativity. 76% of respondents from Canon’s Print for Action survey said they feel more creative when print is near. And Flora Kessler, strategy partner at Carat UK said: “There’s an element of creativity in print that you don’t always see in digital. So much budget devoted to digital…can soak up the creativity along the way.”

Print is Authentic

When companies use print media to display their message, there’s always an underlying message. That message? Stability – of imagery and wording that reflects trust and solidarity. Print can be pinned to a cork board, stuck on your refrigerator, tucked away in your pocket, and taken with you. Most importantly, it doesn’t change without your action. In this way, print is trustworthy, and therefore, much more authentic than digital alone. Print’s physical makeup also provides context. It’s tactile, and provides a story with a beginning, middle, and end. Digital media has no boundaries, and no known ownership. You can’t really be a title-holder, so to speak, of digital work, yet with print, once you pick up a piece, it’s yours to keep. Plus, print has no delete button – so it’s taken much more seriously. A digital work may be read over once or twice, but print work is read, reread, edited, edited again, and then probably goes through several other “final read throughs” and “double-checks” to follow. A printed piece is nostalgic, familiar, and comforting to most. It’s patient and kind, and does not ask you to ever “log in” to access materials.

As time goes on and marketing material options expand, the power and trust of print only grows. We’d suggest that you continue to use it, and intertwine it with digital whenever possible to get the most from your marketing and reach your audience(s) in more ways than one.

Looking for ways to incorporate the power of print into your marketing efforts? With years and years (and years) of experience under our belts, we’re print experts. Contact us today to start brainstorming your next print marketing campaign.

How to Adjust from Marketing to the Masses to the Individuals that Make Up the Masses

Over the last several decades, we have made great shifts in the way we market to our customers.

One of the most prominent of these shifts is the way in which we’ve adjusted from marketing to the masses to marketing to the individuals that make up the masses. That fundamental adjustment is what separates many successful companies — and their competition — today.

Perhaps the best way this shift manifests itself is in some of our strategic tools, and of these, one strategy stands out — using personas to map the buyer journey. Put simply, mapping the buyer journey with personas is about plotting out each stage of an eventual purchase, from recognizing a need to securing whatever service or good fulfills it from the perspective of the personas.

Let’s take a look at how we can use personas to map and enhance a buyer journey.

Create Personas

We’ve touched on personas frequently in our StrataBytes blog series, and there’s a good reason for that — personas are a valuable resource. As a refresher (or for those of us who are not familiar), personas are lifelike, highly specific representations of customers. For instance, a basic persona may look something like this:

Jillian is 32 and assists in buying MarTech systems for her company. She values being able to do her research independently. Being tech-savvy, Jillian appreciates high-level content detailing the functions of the MarTech she’s looking into. Although she’s a thoughtful and independent buyer, she likes open lines of communication should she have questions, particularly when that comes in the form of a consistent sales representative.

Of course, this is just a basic example — most companies create significantly more specific personas by using their own data and research while also making personas representing different subsets of target demographics.

Plan Outreach

Now that we’ve created our personas, we can begin using them to map our buyer’s journey, and one of the first things we’ll do is plan our outreach.

Knowing that Jillian is tech-savvy, wants to do her own research, yet still values the ability to interface with a sales representative, we might choose to send her something that is both personally inviting and incorporates digital elements.

This could be a dimensional mailer from a sales representative with a short video displayed on a touch screen. After the video ends, Jillian can explore the pre-loaded content to get a better idea of what capabilities the MarTech system has to offer, including a QR code to download a more technical eBook outlining the finer points of the MarTech.

Identify Obstacles, Friction and Bias

We can also use personas to familiarize ourselves with the obstacle customers regularly face. It’s crucial to use personas in this way to gain a better understanding of our customers by putting ourselves in their shoes. 

Identify the pain points they may encounter in their buyer’s journey. For our Jillian persona, that would include things like limited availability of information surrounding the product, difficulty conducting independent research, or trouble contacting a representative with questions.

Our job becomes about removing these pain points and ensuring our fictional company has sufficient information available for those looking to research our products independently, providing varying depth of available content ranging from introductory to technical, and creating an environment where sales representatives are easily accessible through phone, email or online chat.

Update and Maintain Your Personas

People and companies change and this change necessitates the updating of personas to match. Constantly going back to your data and research — figuring out what works and what doesn’t — will fine tune your personas into more potent tools as you continue to use them.

Remember, it’s crucial to make unique personas representing different people going through different buyer journeys.

These tactics — using personas to enhance buyer journeys — can make a huge difference in how small and large companies approach marketing. A better understanding of your customer leads to better marketing, and an enhanced experience for them means enhanced sales for you.

Interested in learning how our services can improve you buyer journey? Contact us to learn more about what Strata can do for you.