Digital marketing is a popular method for getting your business seen, but is it the best option on a local scale?
If you own a small business, you’ve probably considered several different ways to spread the word of your company’s services. There are many different options available, from email marketing to social media advertisement. These all fall under the general term of ‘digital marketing’, which is both popular and effective.
However, if you’re looking to spread the word of your business on a local scale, things become more challenging. Social media is great for broadening the net in terms of your audience, but is it really the most effective way to hone in your marketing on the people in your area who might be most interested in what you can provide?
Print is an effective alternative when marketing locally. It offers a way to get word of your business services directly to people in the local area, even through their front doors. And thanks to its flexibility and affordability, print marketing is accessible to even the smallest or newest local business.
The evidence
You might think that the frequency and effectiveness of print marketing are in decline, due to the digital revolution. But the statistics say otherwise.
Direct mail marketing response rates have increased by 14% since 2004, and the average return on investing in print marketing is 13 to 1. Not only is print marketing effective, but it is also popular. 92% of young shoppers say they prefer direct mail when it comes to making purchasing decisions. Almost 40% of customers say they try a business for the first time because of direct mail marketing and 56% of customers see print marketing as the most trustworthy form of marketing.
Print marketing can also help you create returning local customers, as almost half (48%) of people who receive useful direct mail hold on to it for future reference. Direct mail gives you the opportunity to target a specific customer in a specific location, meaning your material can personalised as a way of ensuring maximum response rates.
How to make the most of print marketing
Now that you know print marketing is a viable option for local businesses, it’s important to know how to make the most of it. This is dependent on several key factors.
Firstly, you’ll need a professional design which stands out to potential customers. Investing in a polished, high quality leaflet design can be profitable in the long run, especially if the image, colour and layout decisions you make fall in line with your business USP and aesthetic. You also need to think carefully about the content itself. What services do you want to outline to your customers, and what is going to make them take notice? Take the most prominent benefit of choosing your business and make it stand out in the text. If there are any time sensitive offers included in your material, make sure these are clear to readers.
Of course, a huge part of knowing what specific language and content will work is knowing who exactly you’re targeting. This is where local marketing can benefit from print, as you can look at trends and issues in your area and use them to determine the best way to obtain a response from your audience. What local issues are relevant to the services your business could provide for the community?
London Letterbox Marketing can reach any of the 3.3 million addresses across London, whether for general marketing or community engagement. If you are ready to roll with your next campaign, call us today on 0208 408 71 11 and find out what we can do for you.