2020 has been a year of disruption for marketers but there are lessons to be learned here as well. We’re sorry to say it but your marketing playbook is gone. Throw it out, set it on fire, whatever you thought worked before is no longer relevant. It’s time to rethink how you’ve been doing things, starting with how you may be looking at print.

Digital Overload

As you’re reading this, chances are you’ve received any number of emails, instant messages, texts, and social media announcements that are competing for your attention. From the onset of COVID-19, our personal and professional communications have been overwhelmingly forced to go digital. Even before the pandemic, digital marketing was facing saturation. The typical organic reach of a company’s Facebook page sits around 5.2%, forcing brands to produce large volumes of content in order to be seen. The result is an overwhelming amount of noise that makes it difficult for your brand to be heard without eating up a considerable chunk of your marketing budget.

Combining Print and Digital

Taking an omnichannel marketing approach in which you connect and engage with customers through multiple integrated tools is a smart investment. Print is a powerful channel that shouldn’t be overlooked in your marketing plan. It has a 70% higher brand recall. In a recent study, it was reported that campaigns without direct mail were judged as a good ROI 50% of the time but when a direct mail piece was present in the mix the results jumped to 83%.

Think in the Short-term

Many companies begin budgeting and forecasting in the fall months. No one anticipated the tremendous upheaval brought on by the pandemic, civil unrest and the wildfires this year. It is even harder to predict what next year will bring until this election cycle winds down and a vaccine in is widespread use. Consider breaking up your marketing plan into shorter goal segments to allow for greater flexibility and elasticity. This allows you to adapt quickly with an omnichannel approach that meets the needs of your customer and addresses what might be going on in their world in real time.

Reallocate Resources

In uncertain economic times, it is only natural for companies to want to be fiscally conservative but that doesn’t mean the quality of your marketing plan should suffer. Consider which marketing activities are no longer feasible. Trade shows and travel dollars can be converted into catalogs and product kits. Reduced foot traffic and commuter drive times mean billboard and radio advertising spending can be used for in-home direct mail offers. Meet your customers where they are – in their homes.

Target Existing Customers

Spending wisely is the most important aspect of rethinking your marketing plan. There is no need to throw money out the window when you already have customers you can reach. In fact, print is one of the best ways to activate customers already in your sales funnel. Direct mail has a 9% response rate for in-house lists and a 4.9% rate for prospects. Want to dial those number up even more? Add personalization to get their attention and build customer loyalty. Throw in a PURL for a one-two punch of print and digital personalization combined.

Looking to add more print into your marketing plan? Call Lawton for help in creating direct mail campaigns that work in tandem with your digital marketing channels for an enhanced customer experience and tap into the unlimited potential of your database.