Developing your new print campaign

Whether you’re a small business that takes care of your own marketing activities, or you’re a larger business with a marketing team, there are a plethora of mediums through which you can get your message out to your customers.  Most businesses prefer to take an integrated approach, combining online and offline activities to create awareness and response.

Is print still relevant in today’s digital world? Marketing company Salmat believe letterbox mail to be the unsung hero of marketing because it engages customers.  Research from Nielson shows consumers spend around half an hour with letterbox material, and a whopping 45% of letterbox readers have considered buying something featured in letterbox media.

While there is little doubt that digital channels play a significant part in marketing activities these days, print marketing campaigns are still hugely relevant to consumers, and many mid-tier businesses are looking to print as the top 3 categories for new marketing spend in 2017, including letterbox drops, print catalogues and magazine advertising.  According to Salmat, catalogues reach around 21.8 million Australians each week, and 58% of readers end up buying something.

If you’re about to embark on a print campaign that includes brochures, flyers or catalogues, there are a few simple tips to keep in mind to ensure that you get the best results possible. Understanding what you want to achieve

When you start with the outcome in mind, it’s a lot easier to decide the best means of achieving it.  What response are you hoping your brochure will elicit? Do you want to provide information, create awareness or sell something?  Should your customer call you, visit your website, fill out a form or something else? Know your Target Audience
A clear understanding of your target audience will help you to communicate with them in the way that is relevant to them.  Think about why they would want to buy from you or take the time to read what you have to say. What is important to them?  What problem do you solve for them?

It doesn’t matter if you’re developing a letterbox flyer advertising lawn-mowing services or a 4 page glossy brochure promoting retirement planning, the approach is always the same.  Put yourself in your prospective customers shoes and tell them how you can make their lives easier, better or simpler.

Plan your content so you grab attention, pique interest, generate desire for your product and get the reader to take specific action.

Be Clear and Consistent

Content should always be clear and consistent, relevant and engaging.  Stick to the point and never use two words when one will do.  Your readers are probably time-poor so you want your message to pop as soon as they pick up your brochure.

An attention-grabbing headline that speaks to the reader is crucial as that’s what will entice them to read on.  Develop your content in a friendly, conversational tone and avoid jargon or highly technical terms.

Above all, always aim for a consistent look – the brochure should have an immediate visual connection with your online presence, so now is not the time to introduce off-brand imagery or a new brand voice. Think about Size and Format

The size of your brochure is often determined by how much information you need to include and how your brochure will be distributed.  If you’re doing a letterbox drop, DL, A5 or A4 folded to A5 is ideal.  If you are posting something out, DL or A4 folded into 3 panels is ideal because it can be mailed in a standard envelope, which will keep the delivery costs down.

If on the other hand you are a premium brand with lots to say, a glossy, multi-page brochure is probably right for you.  For retail – particularly fast moving consumer goods – typically a multi page catalogue on lightweight stock is the best option. Know your Budget

There’s no point in dreaming about drinking champagne when you have a beer budget, so forget about high quality stock if your budget is very small.  Get to know your printer and find out what’s possible with the budget you have – a little budget can go a long way if you’re smart about it.

Make sure you understand what ROI (return on investment) you want to get out of your campaign.  Using our lawn mower as the example, if he’s spending $500 on letterbox flyers that will be distributed in the local area fortnightly for 3 months, he should have a target for the number of regular customers he wants to get as a result of the campaign.

Brand Values and Positioning

What your brand stands for and how it’s positioned are important considerations when deciding the overall look and feel of your new brochure, flyer or catalogue.  If, for example, you have a premium brand, you’ll want to publish something that fits with the values and emotions your brand evokes.

That’s why all of the car companies produce brochures that are glossy, on high quality stock and full of large but detailed imagery – this output simply fits with the positioning of their brand, and the brochures are expected to still be current and relevant for 12 months or longer.

Check your mailbox for a catalogue from a supermarket though and you’ll find it’s printed on very low cost stock that’s jam-packed full of weekly specials.  It’s not expected to last more than a week, so there’s no point in printing on quality stock.

Need some Advice?

Making a decision about producing a new brochure, flyer or catalogue can be daunting but we’re here to help – Posterboy Printing is your local print specialist for and we’re ready to help you stand out from the crowd!  Just contact us for a chat about your requirements and we’ll let you know what we think is best for your project.