Are Brochures Still Relevant in the Digital Age?

While direct mailing and traditional marketing have made room for digital advertising, brochures and other hard-copy print resources are still quite relevant in the modern market. While some small businesses and large corporations have forsaken printed advertising for online alternatives and social media, the most effective advertising campaigns feature a mix of both print and digital resources. 

By adding a layer of printed material — brochures, postcards, posters — to your marketing, you can enhance your brand reach and achieve greater brand recognition in your market. There are still a wide variety of reasons your customers might appreciate brochures and other hard-copy advertisements. Here are seven ways brochures can enhance your brand:

1. Make a good first impression

Brochures remain an excellent resource for making a good first impression with a potential client or customer. Because of their compact design, brochures can be placed in high-traffic areas of your office, your partners’ offices, and public spaces. When someone notices your brochure and picks it up, they are met with a wealth of clear information that is specific to your offering; often much more information than can be delivered in a digital advertisement. 

This means prospects get a detailed look at your offering, rather than merely scrolling past an online ad. They can keep your printed brochure and save it until they need to reach out. This brochure then serves as a consistent reminder for them to contact you, and they can look at it multiple times or pass it off to another potential client, sparking effective referrals and word-of-mouth advertising. 

2. Establish your brand’s style

Brochures are a great way to solidify your brand, since so much of the focus is on its aesthetic. By creating a sleek, crisp, and concise brochure that is easy to read, you present a professional appearance to potential clients. You can also include images, language, and benefit statements that go into more detail about your product or service. 

All of this contributes to your overall brand style. Are you strictly professional and focused on B2B sales? Are you targeting millennials with humour or tongue-in-cheek copy? Does your product need to be seen in pictures to be understood or appreciated? All of these details can be addressed in a brochure, helping to reinforce your company’s overall brand. 

3. Sparks a working relationship

Much like a business card, direct mail brochures can be passed along to potential clients, leads, and referrals with ease. This physical exchange solidifies the bond between your company and your clients, reinforcing the business relationship and opening the door for further communication. 

As this handover often occurs face-to-face, it helps make a personal impression in the digital age. Many people and businesses still prefer the personal “human touch” when it comes to sales, so print marketing and direct mail advertising contribute to building a long-term working relationship. 

4. Cost-effective marketing 

Since bulk printing brochures is a cost-effective way to spread your message, you can make them for virtually any special offer or deal. They can also be passed from your clients to possible referrals, growing your reach to individuals who may not have seen your print or digital ads. By putting a discount code or special offer on your brochures, you can also encourage new prospects to become first-time clients. 

When you include a special offer in a physical brochure — rather than posting it on your social media pages for everyone in your reach — you are effectively inviting these clients to join a more exclusive club. This further reinforces the connection and leads to repeat business. 

5. Connects with digital strategies 

Printed brochures are not a replacement for a digital presence. It is important to coordinate your print and mail advertisements with your digital marketing efforts and social media campaigns. To start, include all of your social media profiles and contact information on your brochure, so prospects know where to go for more information or to reach out to your sales team. 

By creating an aesthetic and a brand that is consistent across all digital and print campaigns, you can reinforce your brand recognition while also effectively conveying the benefits of your product or service. In this way, you can reach both younger audiences who spend much of their time online and older demographics who prefer a personal touch and handheld advertisements. 

6. Reinforce brand recognition

By placing your brochures in public spaces — brochures filled with branding and contact information — you effectively reinforce brand recognition in your target demographic. The more someone sees your branding, the more they recognize your company and keep you top-of-mind, so they can reach out when their needs change. Hard copy advertisements often have an evergreen shelf life, especially compared to digital ads that need to be changed and optimized on a regular basis. 

7. Add them to your digital presence

Just because you created a direct mail brochure doesn’t mean you can’t use it online as well. Many standard digital tri-fold brochures can be formatted in a PDF for use on social media platforms and business websites. This means that you can use your hard-copy print marketing as additional resources for those looking for more information on a specific product or service. This allows for people who scroll through their social media accounts to see your offering and — if they are intrigued — access more information in just a few seconds with the click of a link.

For more information about designing brochures and direct mail printing for your business, call Troi Mailing Services in Ontario at 1-866-486-9350 or visit our website here.