Print is Alive and Well (and should be part of your next campaign).

You’ve heard it for years now – print is dying. As a veteran of the printing industry I’ve even said it myself, but is it really? You still get catalogs, brochures, magazines and other forms of printed communication in your mailbox every day. And let’s face it – you still glance through those items on a daily basis. The reality is, if you’re not utilizing print, you’re actually missing out on a valuable form of communication.

Social media and the digital world have their benefits, but those aren’t your only options, nor will they ever solely be. As alarming as the rumors are, print won’t be going away anytime soon. It’s still a very powerful component for businesses due to its ability to cut through the clutter of the internet. Print is just changing as technology changes, so it’s merely different than what it was before.

Here are three ways print is evolving.

  1. Digital Printing
    Digital printing has been around for a while now. Digital printing is an economical way to print what you need, when you need it. You can print on demand, revel in a short turnaround time, and even make modifications to your art after you send it to the printer. A neat aspect of digital printing is variable-data printing (VDP), a process where you can customize each printed piece to its intended recipient. Text, graphics and images can all be changed from piece to piece without stopping or slowing down the printing process because it uses information from a database or external file. So, a set of personalized letters, each with the same basic layout, can be printed with a different name and address on each letter.
  2. Social Media
    Print and social media share a mutually beneficial relationship these days – print can help draw attention to your social media sites and your social media sites can help strengthen your print campaign. Notice how most business cards now list a Facebook address or other social media URL? Take advantage of all those nice comments and testimonials you get on your social profile and add them to your printed materials to make your marketing that much more effective.
  3. Beyond Paper
    Most people forget that print extends far beyond typical paper products, such as business cards and brochures. Print can also include promotional items, such as drinkware, magnets, pens, keychains, coasters, and even apparel. Promotional items tend to be thought of as gifts, not marketing collateral, but if you have an inanimate object, there’s a good chance you can get your logo printed on it and include it as part of your print campaign.

Print media isn’t dead – it’s just playing an important supporting role in an increasingly digitized world.