It’s really stereotypical to assume that today’s digital marketing trends are out to get classic strategies that involve print or telemarketing. “Everyone gets their media online.” “I’ll just Google it.” “Email is faster.” Blahblahblah.
And yet, plenty of experts will say “Wait a minute!” and then start singing the opposite song. It’s the opposite song but it remains the same. Old methods still do a lot of good according their statistics. Digital methods have proven flaws. Again, blahblahblah.
Has it ever occurred to you that digital methods can actually save (and should save) their proverbial seniors? Here are several reasons how (and why).
Print has a certain appeal.
It’s a little petty but if you’ve seen the likes of WW2 posters, you might grow a little fondness for print memorabilia. It’s not just the picture. Even the materials themselves invoke a sense of history and nostalgia. While not the best reason, there are still people who have a thing for print material (and some could be your next prospects). Reasons include portability, decoration, authenticity etc. In any case, it’s just their thing. Finally, that appeal is the reason why print copies of old documents and memorabilia are preserved in a digital format. You can’t really kill off a medium when you’re being used to actually remind people that it existed in some part of history.
Print prompts digital actions.
Ever saw something in the paper or in a store that got you to search online? Some say that’s the reason why print is dead. But if print never existed, what else could’ve prompted the search?
Here’s another situation. Suppose you have an event and your prospects learn about after seeing it featured on a local newspaper. Unfortunately, circumstances led them to losing that newspaper and your press release on it (e.g. coffee spill, accidental tossing). The only things they have left are the few keywords of information that were on it.
In both situations, both the loss and the acquisition of a print copy prompted them to look you up. In both cases, the influence of print is felt with digital serving as a strong support.
Print comes back from digital.
Likewise, the cycle goes in full circle once digital media gets back on print. Consider it one more reason why marketers and designers need to work together in print marketing campaigns. There are times when it’s easier to carry a company’s info on a card. A prospect’s office could have a blackout in the middle of the day but you still end up taking their call because they have your information physically on hand.
When you’re trying to support a telemarketing or event marketing strategy, don’t limit your options to just one form of media. It’s more likely that one form can act as a powerful back-up for the other. Much of the world outside the internet is still influenced by print and much of that outside world affects how people interact online.