With so much focus on digital marketing, it’s no wonder so many small businesses don’t take advantage of good, old-fashioned printed media. Yes, the Internet is the best way to reach a wider market, but it isn’t the only way. If you are targeting a smaller, more localized market, you may want to rethink your marketing strategies. It is important to understand all the ways in which hardcopy print is still a vital component in any marketing strategy.

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A Bird in the Hand Is Worth Two in the Bush

While the old adage doesn’t exactly apply to printed media, it can be best understood in this context. For example, if you want someone you’ve just met to remember your name and what it is your company does, handing them custom business cards gives them something tangible they can hold onto. Telling them the name of your company or your website URL does you no good if they can’t remember what you said! How many times have you met with someone only to get home and forgotten their name?

You know what they do and the industry they are in, but for the life of you didn’t retain enough information even for a Google search. All those forgotten details are out there in the bush somewhere. Why not hand them the bird? Business cards can easily be referred back to, which is why they have traditionally been so effective as a marketing tool.

Finding the Most Effective Print Media for Your Business

Now it boils down to finding the right print media for your business. The idea is to add new customers through a print media strategy, so what can you print that someone will want to keep? Many restaurants have begun using ‘To Go’ menus, even if takeaway foods only account for a small percentage of their total sales. As each person leaves, they are handed a menu along with their customer receipt and you would be surprised at the number of people who actually keep those menus.

A hard copy is, as stated above, a tangible reminder of who you are and what you do, and for the tens of million business men and women who are easily distracted, you aren’t relying on memory when they want to talk more about your products or services. So then, what kind of print media would work best in your industry. Yes, business cards work, but why not offer something likely to be posted in a highly visible location? That’s why calendars are so effective! From keyrings to mousepads to baseball caps, give your important leads something they will surely want to keep and/or display.

Marketing on a Different Level

Print media operates on a different level than online marketing. The ultimate goal is to give them something well-designed that will remind them of what it is you do, and who you are. With something tangible, that lead can literally ‘feel’ your presence. They don’t need to search the Internet to find you, if they can even remember enough to begin searching. No, you probably won’t reach as wide a market as you can with digital marketing, but you can be assured that you will be better remembered if they have something to hold onto. Why use print media?

A bird in the hand truly is worth more than two in the ethereal bush..