Seven Clear Reasons Why You Should Be Using Print – And Research To Back It Up!

Seven Clear Reasons Why You Should Be Using Print – And Research To Back It Up!

Businesses that use print have a very effective channel to create relationships with their customers. Headline Printers take a look at some of the results that prove this…

Is e-marketing as effective as it’s made out to be?

There is a lot of content out there as to why we should all focus on electronic communication. Some of that information has even been printed! If we read a lot of this information it would be easy to assume that there is no point in using print. But small businesses that ignore print risk reducing the results that they achieve from their marketing.

Businesses that use print have a very effective channel to create relationships with their customers. For instance, people tend to trust print more than an e-mail, as we will see. The smallbiz community has a better chance of controlling the customer journey if it uses print. Later on in this article you will find out just how many people take purchasing action as a result of receiving print. As a result, UK businesses are likely to achieve better results.

Businesses that ignore print may struggle to achieve the same results. Results from e-marketing are becoming harder to achieve. Print is a good way of boosting your marketing results. Let’s look at some of the results that prove this and the research behind the headlines.

1. Print is good for business

Let’s look at the results that businesses achieve from catalogues: nearly 18m people ordered from mail order catalogues or their associated websites in the past 12 months. Here are some more compelling facts about using catalogues, from research carried out by Royal Mail:
• Recipients notice them: 90% of consumers read catalogues sent to them.
• Recipients act on them: 70% go online after receiving catalogues.
• Recipients buy more often: 70%+ increase in number of purchases.
• Recipients spend more: there was an average £110 increase in online spending from people who received catalogues
It’s not just printed catalogues that achieve results.

2. Direct Mail works

Research by Royal Mail shows that 92% of direct mail gets opened. Door drops of printed leaflets are just as effective as this study by the DMA shows.

So how does e-mail compare. This research by e-mail provider Mailchimpshows that e-mail open rates can be under 15%. Interestingly, Mailchimp built their business around e-mail but they have now launched a service based on print: users have an option to send postcards to their e-mail list! And e-mail is not the only e-channel that under performs print.

3. It’s easier to understand print

People comprehend better when they read print as opposed to information on the screen. Science Nordic shared researchthat shows that students who read on screen clearly understand less. This may be the reason why so many people still want to read print.

4. People prefer print magazines

American printing company Freeport Press carried out their own researchinto consumers’ magazine preferences. There are some very interesting results that show that print is definitely wining over digital. This may also explain a huge growth in printed special interest magazines, documented by The Guardian.

Some people say that this success in print is driven by the preferences of older generations. They are wrong!

5. Young people like print

Here’s a study which details the reading preferencesof baby boomers, members of generation X and millennials. All of these groups showed a preference for printed books over e-books. So how do we explain the rise in sales of e-books? Well, perhaps all is not as it seems.

6. The tide is turning

These figures from Nielsen show that sales of printed books rose 7% in 2016 while e-book sales fell. This shows a gradual shift in preference from e-consumption back to print. However, we can do more than show the research for this. Let’s listen to business owners themselves.

7. Four out of five small business owners say print materials help them stand out

It is not just research that shows that print should work. Small biz owners are reporting success for their businesses when they use print. Here are some interesting statistics from Smallbiz Trends.

So should we all stop using e-marketing?

Of course not! E-marketing helps a lot of small businesses. However, smallbiz should definitely consider adding print back into the mix. The best results are achieved when a mix of marketing channels is used. For instance, print can drive prospects and customers to your website.

But isn’t print expensive?

This is a myth that is perpetuated by those who promote online channels. At Headline Printers we can offer you a set of flyers from under £15. Brochures and books start from just £55, including delivery and VAT. At these sorts of prices there I no reason not to give print a try. If you don’t have a designer handy, we even offer online templates so you can create artwork quickly and easily.

What are the next steps to start using print?

Here are three easy action points for you:

• 1. Decide on product or service that you would like to promote with some leaflets or direct mail
• 2. Pick a route to distribution. For instance, you could decide to send a postcard offering a new product or service to your top 100 customers. Or you could find three places where you leave leaflets for people to pick up.
• 3. Order your print quickly and easily online from Headline Printers.

Now’s your opportunity to see how effective print can be again electronic communication. Isn’t it time you used print in your business?

Seven Clear Reasons Why You Should Be Using Print – And Research To Back It Up!