One plus one equals three sounds like a conspiracy theory or new math, but it’s really a formula for marketing success using two major channels. Specifically, merging both print marketing and digital marketing. Most of the time, one plus one equals two, but when it comes to these powerhouses, they have the power of three when added together.
With multichannel marketing, so many companies have the opportunity to amplify their marketing efforts tenfold simply by adding an extra channel. If you’re ready to discover how multichannel marketing with digital and print marketing works, keep reading to find out more.
It’s not uncommon to have two different things that, when married together, add up to something better than each would on its own. Take, for example, peanut butter and jelly. Both are very good on their own, but when you combine them, wow, they add up to something pretty amazing. Something much better than when eaten individually.
Not surprisingly, advertising has a similar story. Let’s take two effective advertising channels: print and digital. Individually, both are effective ways to engage consumers. However, when you marry these two media, the combined result is even greater than just using each medium on its own.
According to the Social News Group, advertising across both print and digital channels results in customers buying up to 250% more frequently than when promoting a single channel. Furthermore, the article also states, “82% of consumers trust print ads over digital when purchasing.”
More than that, think about yourself in a similar situation. Do you immediately buy a product as soon as you see the digital ad flit across your screen? If you’re like many other consumers in the world, you wait until you can make a more informed decision and better trust the company—and it just so happens that one of the best ways to boost credibility is through the mere-exposure effect.
The mere-exposure effect is the natural inclination of someone to feel more comfortable with the well-known. The more someone is exposed to something, the more known it becomes and the more comfortable they become. This effect can be seen regarding people, objects, marketing companies and more.
If you’re wondering why two marketing channels are better than one, it comes down to how consumers are buying differently now compared to a few years ago. The Digital Marketing Institute reports that “72% of consumers want to connect with companies in a variety of ways. Integrated campaigns blend online and offline advertising methods to effectively reach the most people and convert prospects into customers.”
Related Content: The Two Sides of Multi-Channel Marketing
Let’s take a deeper dive into how consumers are buying today.
Many of you are familiar with the traditional marketing funnel, where we want to make many people aware of us at the top and have them filter through the process and have a sale come out at the bottom.
But over the years, the process has evolved from a funnel into more of a path-to-purchase.
Awareness: Creating brand or product awareness is still essential, and it still requires multiple impressions to get recognition. Once shoppers are considering a purchase, this is where we introduce a new loop that can be vital to making the sale.
Consideration: The research and discovery stage can be influenced by many sources, from internet research to printed ads and offers, to word-of-mouth testimonials. A buyer can stay in this loop for extended periods and the more ways and the more frequently we engage with them while here, the higher the likelihood you will get them to convert and make a sale.
Decision/Purchase: Once they are closer to buying, using promotional advertising (think direct mail with offers and coupons) continues to be one of the highest-rated conversion tactics around. For example, the 2020 Valassis Consumer Intel Report revealed that 68% of all consumers use coupons they get in the mail, while 82% of millennials do so.
Another recent study found that 65% of parents and 70% of millennial parents regularly read direct mail ads.
Fortunately for today’s marketers, both print and digital formats effectively activate customers at all stages along the purchase path. However, it’s their combined usage that maximizes the dollars spent on advertising and generates a greater return than just using them on their own.
We have shared this statistic before, but it bears repeating; this comes from our own Consumer Pulse Survey taken just a few months ago. Almost 55% of respondents told us they preferred print or valued print and digital advertising equally. If you are only using digital ads, you should strongly consider adding a print campaign. Not only will you get results like those above, but you will also increase the return on your existing digital advertising.
37% search online for more info after receiving direct mail.
In the current market, consumers are turning to both traditional and completely new channels to find products and services. While older methods are still being used, there is a surplus of new channels for marketers, including:
With so many different channels, the question ultimately becomes, “Which channel should I use to promote my product or service?”
Choosing which channel works best for your product or service is dependent on your particular audience. Some companies wrongly assume that they should utilize every platform, but that’s simply not true (or feasible) for most businesses.
Ad spend works best when used in the channels where your consumers are most likely to be found. The idea of social media selling sounds great in theory, but in reality, it’s a very specific marketing niche that oftentimes appeals to a younger audience.
The true combination of channels that should be utilized comes down to digital marketing and print marketing. With these two channels, you get better-performing ads that enhance each other rather than focusing on one single channel.
Digital marketing is great for targeting a wider, more global audience, while print marketing and direct mail target specific local audiences and get the immediate responses and in-person visits that businesses thrive from. Together, your campaign can be unstoppable. That’s why 1+1=3 when it comes to multichannel marketing.
Whether you’re currently using digital marketing and want to add print marketing to your repertoire or vice versa, we have two phenomenal options for amplifying your campaigns.
Our team at Signature Graphics provides both comprehensive print services and la carte options—with design, printing, assembling and delivering services to choose from. If you’re currently using digital marketing and need to amplify your campaign results and ROI, we can help you with bulk printing, print marketing and more.
Our digital partner, Mailbox Merchants, offers a combination of shared direct mail, postcard marketing and digital advertisements. Whether you need to target customers in certain ZIP codes or need video and display ads, this covers all your digital and local advertising needs.
If you have successfully used digital to promote your business, but would like to investigate how adding print marketing to your mix can help, let us know, and we can put you in touch with a source we trust.
With today’s path-to-purchase influencing buying, it’s all about surrounding consumers with compelling messages at the right time and in various ways to get them to buy. Are you ready to enhance your campaign with print marketing materials?
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