Print advertising has been around for years and most of us feel comfortable turning to magazines, newspapers, local flyers, etc. to build sales and awareness.
When a business has a new product or special to promote, often the first response is, “Let’s put an ad together for the local paper.” My response: “That’s great. But what else are you doing?” In today’s world a print ad alone is not going to be enough to help you 1) get your message out and 2) drive the result you’re hoping for. Don’t get me wrong, print ads are great, but we need to think beyond them.
At the heart of any marketing piece is the message you’re trying to communicate to an intended target market. Who is your target? Where do they live? How do they research a product or company? What online sites do you think they might visit? Are they on Facebook? Whose opinion do they value? What path do they take to get to/from work each day? What type of music do they listen to--and do they rely on local radio?
Understanding the lifestyle and habits of your target market will help build an effective marketing plan. And your plan doesn’t have to be expensive. For example, you could spread your message out through posters on community boards, in a 30-second radio spot, or on your Facebook page. Do you have an email list of current customers? Send them an message. Marketing efforts are often focused on attracting new customers, but guess what? Your current customers are your best customers! Don’t forget to think about getting your message out to them.
Print advertising is definitely alive and well, but that should be one of many marketing tactics you deploy to get your message out. Today’s multi-channel consumer demands more and you’ve got to reach them where they are.
This Marketing Minute is brought to you by Sarah Hurley, owner at Weber Marketing, LLC.