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The digital buzz is undeniable these days – websites, social media and search engines; to name but a few, are now a part of our lives on a day-to-day basis, whether we like it or not. Needless to say, companies are now allocating resources and budget to promote their brands across their digital channels, and rightfully so, in our opinion. However, by not adding print to the marketing mix, could mean businesses are missing out on unique opportunities to connect with other prospects. In this blog post, we explore how print can help boost your digital strategy.

Digital and print working together for maximum impact
At Pogo, we love digital too. No surprise there, after all, we offer an easy-to-use website that allows customers to order their printed materials from anywhere in Ireland, whenever is convenient. That’s powerful.

Print, on the other hand, is tactile, tangible and personal. That’s powerful too, and that’s why we aren’t comparing the two, as they are essentially different and can’t (and shouldn’t) compete. Our suggestion instead is to use both in your marketing strategy, working to complement each other.

Your campaign should be consistent across all channels
Consistency is key. In order to help potential customers recognise your brand and your campaign, the design and message should follow the same style across all channels you use. That means your Facebook post, website banner and flyer should look like they belong to the same family.

Connect print and digital with QR codes
‘QR’ codes stand for ‘quick response’ codes, and are essentially a matrix barcode. This barcode is linked to a specific page on your website. When customers point their mobile camera at them, it reads the code and recognises the assigned URL, opening it directly on their browser.

With no need to type the website address or search for it on Google, this is a quick and simple way to help customers jump from print to digital, effortlessly.

Top tip: use a QR generator to get your QR code and then print it on all your materials.

Measuring impact from print
Thanks to cookies, digital activities are usually easily measured, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t scope the impact of print. Here’s some ideas on how to associate the influence print has on your campaign’s success:

Create a webpage to be uniquely promoted via print
This means the page will not be linked to any navigation menus on the website, nor promoted across any digital channel. This way, you know that visits to this page are only from customers who saw your printed campaign.
Add an exclusive discount code on your printed materials
Create a promotional code and only share it on your printed materials – this way, you can easily isolate customers who made a purchase after seeing your printed advertisement.
Keep an eye for traffic coming from branded searches on Google
Or any other search engine, really. Some customers, instead of typing your website URL, will go to Google and search for your brand name, and then click on the link. An increase of visits from search engines after your name was used as a search term could indicate the impact from your print activities.
A few ideas to get you started
Stuck on how to connect your print and digital strategies? We brainstormed a few ideas to get you started.

Promote your social channels on print
Grow your social following by promoting your channels on print. You could add icons with your profile name on flyers, create a poster that mimics an Instagram post, or ask customers to like or follow your page with an invitation.
Invite customers to join your newsletter list
Since GDPR came into force, customers must consent businesses to contact them via email, which means mailing lists have shrunk considerably. The good news though is that this doesn’t apply to postal communications. Why not use flyers or direct mail to instigate customers to join your email list? You could even offer an incentive (for example, an entry on a prize draw) to motivate them to take action.
Promote an event – and ask them to RSPV online
If you’re planning an event, posters can help you spread the word, and with branded invitations you could ask attendees to confirm their place visiting your website.
Printing your materials
The quality of your printed materials will influence the perception customers have about your brand. Choose a printing partner that can bring your design to life on premium paper stock, using state-of-the-art machinery and handled with the utmost care by an experienced team.

With over 25 years of experience and the support of The Printed Image, Pogo offers a wide range of materials, from business cards and flyers to presentation folders and brochures. Talk to us and see how we can help you boost your digital strategy with print.