The Internet is an astounding thing; no one in his right mind would attempt to argue against that. Email marketing has its place, but all too many businesses are abusing this tool to the point of exhaustion. Exhaustion of the customer, that is. As you may have experienced firsthand (perhaps even as both recipient and sender), when customers receive daily emails from a business, their attention fades with every new mailing. They become desensitized, and unless your subject line reads “80% Off Everything in Our Online Store,” the click-through rate dwindles.
But does a print marketing campaign promise a better response? In fact, it does. Printing eye- and mind-catching print marketing materials can ensure the customer’s attention is piqued, give them an offer they can literally grab onto, and has the ability to quickly change hands should your flyer or postcard not be relevant to the initial recipient, and gives you the opportunity to put a real human face to your business with very little investment on your part (think printing and distributing flyers vs. the tens of thousands of dollars that go into creating even a local television commercial). Here are some tips to help you maximize the effectiveness – read: profitability – of your print media.
• Put the “Meat” Up Top
There is no time or space for beating around the bush when you are advertising. That rule applies for any form of marketing, and flyers and postcards are no exception. Put yourself in the place of the 
average consumer, think about what about your offer would be most important to that person, package it into an exciting little headline, and put that headline up at the top of the page. Are you offering a discount? Lower prices than the competition? A freebie? Waiving a fee? Whatever the main benefit you are offering, put it in a headline.
• Add a Human Element
Our brains are trained from birth to scan for faces. We are fascinated with faces. So include one on your flyer, and you can use this fact of human nature to maximize the response rate to your marketing efforts. (Choose a face that’s easy on the eyes, obviously! And for best results, have the pictured person be peering out at the reader – not looking down or to the side.)
• Print Flyers that Double as Coupons
A newsletter, flyer, or postcard is most effective when it motivates a customer into action. A great way to ensure that your audience will be moved to act is to include a coupon on your print marketing materials. Whatever offer you 
are prepared to dangle in front of the customer, make sure they take you up on it, and fast, by including a prominent expiration date or other limit on your flyer or postcard. If you are sending your direct mail postcards out to reach customers on May 21st, give the customer until about June 7th to take you up on your offer. This ensures that they will have time to make it to your business to redeem the coupon, but also presses them to take advantage of your offer before it’s too late. There are exceptions. For example, if you are offering a half-price oil change at your shop, you may want to give the customer a three-month window and print a business card-size coupon people can tuck into their wallets for future use. Again, put yourself in the shoes of the consumer to make sure your offer is useful, practical, and enticing. An additional benefit of printing coupons this way is that it allows you to keep track of your response rate when people bring your flyer or postcard back into your store.
• Use Eye-Catching Design
It goes without saying that your EDDM postcard or flyer should grab the consumer’s attention. If you send something printed in sparse black ink on a white background, your recipient, who is probably overloaded with “junk” mail, will probably assume it’s not worth their attention and toss it in the trash. Use bright colors on your flyer, and print in unusual shapes to make your offer stand out.
• Send Various Flyers to Test the Market
Every market is different, and they are all ever changing. Try sending out two or more different flyers or postcards to test the waters of your particular market. Send one postcard that offers 30% off, and another that offers $10 off at your restaurant and see which one customers use most. Send one flyer in reds and yellows and one in blues and greens to see what appeals to the people you are targeting. Change the wording of your headline, etc. Eventually, your customer responses will help you tweak your campaign to perfection.
Contact Elite Flyers to help out with your print marketing campaign today!
About Jenny DixonJennifer has been apart of the EliteFlyers.com team for over 15 years. She brings a deep understanding of web marketing, thoughtful strategies, that she's able to design, manage, print, deliver multi-media campaigns to meet all client's goals. Her personal portfolio includes high-end design and printing of business cards, flyers, post cards for elite businesses and individuals from all over the world.
