Digital and print marketing are like hot chocolate with marshmallows. Separately they are pretty good but when you put them together things get amazing. In this week’s post we’ll share 5 easy ways to get your print and digital efforts working together like mac & cheese or peanut butter and jelly.
# 1 – Create Print Campaign with Personalized URL’s
We all know that it is much easier to get access to a postal mailing list than it is an email list. They next step is to engage that contact through print so they share their email and join your mailing list Including a Personalized URL or (PURL) on your next mailing is a great way to move contacts to that next step. For those unfamiliar with the term, a PURL is a personalized URL sometimes called a custom URL. It’s a webpage address that is personalized for each individual contact (e.g. – amazon.com/johnsmith) This URL takes the user to a unique webpage or mini-site with personalized content created specifically for them.
Using a PURL on your next direct mail piece is a great way to engage your lead list. Using their name in the URL makes it personal and memorable. Once you have driven them to the webpage and shared some relevant content they are far more likely to share their email address and further engage with your brand.
The best part is how simple it is to track your ROI when using PURL’s. Because each URL is unique you can easily track engagement, which can be tough with print marketing.
#2 – Use Digital Data to Create Personalized Direct Mail
We just explored how you can use print marketing to increase your digital reach. However, you can just as easily use your email and other digital data to enhance your direct mail efforts.
Using the data collected from your digital campaigns you can create targeted print pieces that relevant to that user. For example, if they share their birthday on a web form, send them a print piece with a special offer. If a user is spending time viewing one specific product page on your website, you can send them additional information that can help make sure you are on their mind when it is time to close the deal.
#3 – Reinforce Those Social Handles
Let’s say you created an amazing new social media campaign. You are consistently posting using your clever campaign hashtags and handles and getting great response. What else is there to do?
This is the perfect opportunity to take it to the next level. By offering clever print pieces featuring your handles and hashtags you keep the momentum going and a good campaign can turn to great just like that.
Find a print piece that works for you. It can be a simple sticker or a branded item that is relevant to your brand (i.e. water bottles for a fitness brand). They key is to have your social handles and campaign tags front and center so they stay on everyone’s mind.
#4 – Social Media Campaigns Meet Variable Printing
A contact that is engaged with your brand via social media is in a great place in the marketing funnel. They are likely interacting with your brand and revealing themselves through these social interactions. Monitoring which posts a contact is engaging with offers great insight into what is most important to them.
Using this data to create variable print marketing pieces can help you take the relationship to another level. A great example of this is a hair products brand that created a Facebook quiz matching users with their perfect hair color and offering a free sample. This encouraged users to share valuable contact information such as email and mailing address. To increase the personalization the sample they shipped out included contact’s name and some fun info they had shared in the quiz.
#5 – Give Away Hard Copies of Content
You work hard to create digital content that is interesting and valuable to your audience. Why let it end there? Think of it this way… some people like e-books but for others only a printed book will do. The same is true for all of those amazing white papers and online downloads you have on your website.
A handsomely printed copy of an industry white paper can make a great leave behind after a sales meeting. Another great idea is a printed guide of some sort that they can hang on their wall. If the information is useful to them and it looks nice they will hang it up and your brand will be in front of the every day.
