It’s easy to overlook the importance of traditional customer touchpoints like print media.
After all, as a business owner or marketing manager, you’re likely focused on optimising your digital presence and reaching customers through social media, email and your website.
However, while digital media dominates modern marketing, print remains a vital and irreplaceable touchpoint that can help you connect with your audience in unique and impactful ways.
This blog examines print’s vital role in the marketing mix. We’ll take a closer look at its benefits and explore how it can help you connect with your audience in ways that digital media can’t match.
Understanding customer touchpoints
Before we dive into the specific benefits of print media, let’s take a step back and define what we mean by customer touchpoints.
According to HubSpot¹, customer touchpoints are the various points of interaction between a brand and its customers. These occur across a wide range of channels, both online and offline. Each one presents an opportunity to shape your customers’ perception and experience of your brand. Some common examples of customer touchpoints include:
- Your website and social media profiles
- Email newsletters and marketing campaigns
- Print materials like brochures, flyers and direct mail
- In-person interactions at events or in your store
- Customer service interactions via phone, email or chat
Each of these touchpoints plays a crucial role in building a relationship between your business and your customers. They provide opportunities to communicate your brand message and values, showcase your products or services and create a positive and memorable experience that keeps your customers coming back for more.
So, understanding the unique strengths and benefits of each touchpoint will help you create a marketing mix that effectively reaches and engages your target audience.
Connecting with diverse demographics
One of the key benefits of print media is its ability to reach a wider, more diverse audience than digital channels alone. While digital marketing can be highly targeted and effective, it’s important to remember that not everyone is regularly online or actively engaging with digital content.
Incorporating print into your marketing mix ensures that your message reaches a broader demographic, including those who may be overlooked by purely digital campaigns.
Print media is accessible to all generations, from younger audiences who appreciate the tactile and engaging nature of print to older generations who may be more comfortable with traditional media. This is especially important to keep in mind as the UK population continues to age². Using print media will help you effectively communicate with this growing demographic and ensure that your brand remains relevant and accessible to all.
The increasing trend of remote work is another factor to consider. As more people work from home, mail-outs and direct mail campaigns can be highly effective ways to reach your target audience. With fewer distractions and a more focused environment, people are more likely to engage with and act upon the print materials they receive. In fact, according to Royal Mail³, 83% of adults open all their posted mail, while the BPIF says that 21% of all addressed mail and door drop items⁴ result in commercial activity. That’s a one-in-five rate of return.
Want to learn more about how print can improve your marketing? Check out our podcast below and hear Mike, our Head of Design & Print, share his expertise…
Print’s engaging nature
Print media offers engagement and connection that digital channels often struggle to match.
When someone holds a piece of printed media in their hands, whether it’s a brochure, flyer or magazine, they form a tangible and memorable connection with your brand. These tactile experiences evoke emotions and create lasting impressions that digital media can’t replicate.
According to a recent study⁵, print requires 21% less effort to read and process compared to digital media. This means that your audience is more likely to absorb and retain the information presented in your print materials, making it a powerful tool for communicating complex ideas or showcasing your products and services in detail.
Another report, from the Direct Marketing Association⁶, stated that 96% of consumers engage with printed media (up from 91% in 2019), and 92% were driven online by what they read in print. Such high engagement rates demonstrate print’s enduring appeal and its ability to capture and hold people’s attention in a way that digital media often struggles to achieve.
When you invest in high-quality, well-designed print materials, you’re creating a valuable opportunity to connect with your audience on a deeper level and build a stronger, more memorable brand experience.
Building trust through print
In an era marked by ‘fake news’, data breaches and the growing presence of artificial intelligence (AI), building trust with your audience has never been more critical – or more challenging.
Fortunately, print media offers a powerful way to establish credibility and create a sense of reliability that can set your business apart from the competition.
Print media is often perceived as more trustworthy because it’s tangible and permanent. Unlike digital content, which can be easily altered or deleted, print materials have a physical presence that conveys authenticity and commitment. When you invest in high-quality print media, you’re demonstrating to your audience that you stand behind your message and are willing to put your reputation – and money – on the line.
Moreover, print media benefits from a sense of nostalgia and familiarity that can enhance its perceived reliability. For generations, people have turned to printed books, magazines and newspapers as trusted sources of information and entertainment. Tapping into this deep-rooted cultural association helps create a sense of comfort and confidence in your brand that digital media may struggle to match.
Print media is also unaffected by intrusive pop-up ads or other digital distractions that can undermine the credibility of your message. When someone engages with your print materials, they can give their full attention to your content without being bombarded by competing messages or calls to action. Creating a more focused, uninterrupted experience can help to build trust and establish your brand as a reliable and authoritative voice in your industry.
Of course, this isn’t to say that digital media doesn’t have its unique advantages or that it can’t build trust with your audience. However, incorporating print into your marketing mix creates a more rounded and credible brand experience that resonates with your audience on multiple levels.
Creating an immersive brand experience
Print media offers a unique opportunity to create an immersive and engaging customer touchpoint that goes beyond the limitations of digital channels.
The feel of the paper, the way it catches the light and the textures it creates can all contribute to a more meaningful and memorable interaction with your brand.
For example, textured, uncoated paper with organic colours can help to convey a sense of authenticity and naturalness. And a glossy, vividly coloured flyer can generate excitement and anticipation.
Carefully considering these tactile elements can help you create printed materials that not only communicate your message but also evoke an emotional response and reinforce your brand’s identity. You can’t achieve this level of customisation and attention to detail with digital media. It’s what makes print a powerful tool for creating a truly immersive brand experience.
Addressing environmental concerns
Concerns about sustainability and environmental impact continue to grow.
So, addressing the common misconception that print media is inherently bad for the environment is essential. In reality, modern print production methods are increasingly environmentally conscious, with a focus on minimising waste, maximising recyclability and using eco-friendly materials and processes.
Creating focused campaigns with shorter digital print runs is one way to be more sustainable.
Rather than overproducing materials that may end up in the bin, many businesses opt for targeted, personalised print campaigns that minimise waste and maximise impact. Carefully considering the size and scope of your print runs can help reduce your environmental footprint while still achieving your marketing goals.
Using recyclable or biodegradable materials is another essential factor to consider. Many modern printing processes now use recycled paper and vegetable-based or solvent-free inks as sustainable alternatives to traditional print consumables. They can help ensure your print media doesn’t end up in landfill or contribute to pollution.
Prioritising sustainability in your print marketing efforts doesn’t just reduce your environmental impact. It also demonstrates your commitment to responsible business practices. It can be a powerful way to build trust and credibility with your audience, particularly among younger generations who are increasingly concerned about the environment and the role that businesses play in protecting it.
Integrating print and digital for maximum impact
Of course, sustainability is just one factor to consider when creating a successful marketing strategy.
While printed media offers numerous unique benefits, it’s essential to recognise that the most effective marketing campaigns often combine print and digital channels to create a cohesive and compelling brand experience. By leveraging the strengths of both print and digital media, you can create a multi-channel marketing strategy that engages your audience at every touchpoint and drives meaningful results for your business.
A recent survey⁷ found that campaigns that integrate print and digital elements deliver 49% more sales and 125% more customer inquiries than digital-only campaigns. These figures highlight the power of a well-coordinated, multi-channel approach in capturing your audience’s attention and motivating them to take action.
When you combine the tangible, immersive nature of print with the reach and interactivity of digital media, you create a marketing experience that’s more than the sum of its parts.
You can use direct mail to drive traffic to a personalised landing page, where customers can access exclusive content or offers. Or include QR codes on your printed materials that link to engaging video content or interactive product demonstrations.
Creating seamless connections between your print and digital marketing efforts guides your audience through a compelling brand journey that builds trust, drives engagement and, ultimately, boosts conversions.
The key is to approach your marketing strategy with a holistic mindset, considering how each customer touchpoint can work together to create a unified and memorable brand experience.
"The beauty of print is it's tactile. It's engaging.
"You see it. You touch it. You want to pick it up.
"There are so many marketing touchpoints, but you can put a piece of print on your desk at home or in the office and you can just keep picking it up. You can only do that with print."
So, is print the most important customer touchpoint?
As we’ve explored throughout this blog, print media remains a crucial touchpoint in the marketing mix. While it might not be the most important customer touchpoint, it’s certainly near the top of the list, which means you can’t afford to ignore it.
From its ability to connect with diverse demographics and create immersive brand experiences to its power to drive action and build trust, print offers a compelling way to engage your audience and achieve your marketing goals.
However, it’s important to remember that print is just one piece of the marketing jigsaw. To truly maximise your impact, it’s essential to integrate your print efforts with your digital activities to create a seamless brand experience across all channels.
Whether you’re a seasoned marketing manager or a business owner just starting to explore your options, investing in a well-coordinated, multi-channel approach that leverages the power of print is a smart move.
The key to success isn’t about choosing between print and digital. It’s about finding the right balance and creating a cohesive approach that resonates with your audience across all touchpoints.
With a strategic, creative and integrated approach, you can harness the power of print to take your marketing efforts to the next level and achieve your business goals with confidence.
And that’s where QBD can help. We’ll work with you to understand your business, customers, objectives and ambitions before creating bespoke design-led print solutions that capture your brand’s essence and the message you want to convey. We combine creative flair and technical expertise with strategic insight and understanding to create printed materials that help businesses stay connected to their ideal customers.
We also offer a wide range of digital marketing solutions – from websites and SEO to lead generation, social media content and graphic design – to make sure you’re covered across every customer touchpoint, online or offline.
To learn more about our services and how we can make print a major part of your ongoing marketing strategy, book a free, no-obligation consultation. We look forward to hearing from you.
About the author
Mike Walker is our Head of Design & Print. Drawing on 30 years’ experience in the print industry and senior graphic designer skills, he works with a wide range of businesses, helping them achieve their goals with creative design and print solutions. He provides services and expertise across a broad spectrum of work, including brochures, flyers, annual reports, stationery, logo development, adverts, posters and exhibition displays.
Sources
¹ HubSpot – 20 Customer Touchpoints That Will Optimise Your Customer Journey
² ONS – Future of an Ageing Population statistics by area
³ Royal Mail – Door drops: helping you to grow your business
⁴ BPIF – UK printing facts & figures
⁵ Forbes article – Paper Beats Digital In Many Ways, According To Neuroscience
⁶ DMA – What is The Response Rate From Direct Mail Campaigns?
⁷ SmallBizGenius – Direct Mail Statistics