Is traditional print better than digital marketing?

Traditional print or digital marketing for building trust

Almost 300 billion emails get sent every single day – and that figure is constantly increasing. When it comes to marketing, digital means are often highlighted as the most effective way to reach your audience. However, you ‘re not the only business reaching that audience – 300 billion others are potentially doing the same. That ‘s why so many people are starting to return to methods such as traditional print, not just to create more unique communications but also because it ‘s a key tool for building trust.

Do you trust brands online?

The short answer to this is probably a no. The online space is overflowing with offers and discounts and products and services – as well as scammers and cyber criminals, and the dark web. It ‘s not a space where we tend to instinctively trust what is being said to us, and often for good reason. Traditional print is a different story. Whether it ‘s the investment that brings print to life or just that it feels like a more familiar and credible option for many, it can make us feel very differently when we ‘re being sold to. In fact, 70% of consumers say that mail makes them feel valued.

Why is traditional print the better option?

• An antidote to over-saturation and online fatigue – Lockdowns in recent years have created a sense of real fatigue around the online world – the biggest battle for many of us today is to try and spend less time on devices and looking at screens. So, using traditional print to connect with people now has real power.
• Putting your messaging into people ‘s hands – If you ‘re using traditional print for something like direct mail, for example, you are literally putting your marketing message into the hands of your target audience. That ‘s not something you can guarantee with digital marketing, as an email might be deleted after a few seconds or even never actually read at all. Digital marketing messages are all too easily drowned out by the huge wave we receive every day, but traditional print is not.
• Stimulating the senses to create a better connection – Traditional print has a much broader impact on our senses and how we experience marketing. Your customer is not looking at a screen but engaging with the design of whatever they have received from you, whether that ‘s the texture of a postcard or the vibrancy of the colours on marketing materials. The more senses that are stimulated, the more engaging the experience and the more credibility and connection that is created. There is plenty of research to support this – personally addressed direct mail has a 96% engagement rate, for example.
• Traditional print has more longevity – Emails can be quickly deleted, but traditional print – especially aesthetically appealing designs – tends to remain for a lot longer. One survey found that direct mail was kept, on average, for 28 days.

Conclusion

If you ‘re keen to build trust and forge better connections with consumers, traditional print trumps digital marketing. Learn more about our printing services and how you can integrate direct mail into your strategy.

Alternatively, you can contact us to find out more.