Nov 4, 2011

Print Marketing Is Still Relevant

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[/caption] Online marketing regularly gets a lot of attention because it’s a great way for small-business owners to expand their audience. However, don't assume that you can stop your print-marketing efforts just because the digital pathway is so appealing. Instead, use a mix of the two, because print marketing is still beneficial to small-business owners.

Print Marketing Hasn't Lost Its Magic

BusinessNewsDaily¹ reported about an Infogroup survey that had 44 percent of respondents saying Facebook was either very important or somewhat important. Print marketing was not too far behind in the survey. "Traditional print marketing and search advertising were rated as somewhat important by most of the businesses surveyed,” according to the article. John Zhang, professor of marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, told readers of Knowledge@Wharton that a slower economy could be a time to use a combination of print and digital marketing tactics. The print tools don’t have to be expensive and might include banners and direct mail, he said.³

Ways to Save on Printing Costs

If the cost of stamps has you reconsidering your direct-mail campaign, check out all your options before choosing a mailing service. Joyce M. Rosenberg wrote in an Associated Press article, “The good news is that the mailing and shipping business is very competitive. A small-business owner can take advantage of the rivalry."⁴ Also, don't forget that your print-marketing costs are usually tax-deductible, so keep your receipts for paper, ink, and postage, as well as receipts from professional printing services, for tax time. For more information on using print marketing for your small business, visit: 1. “Small Businesses Predict Growth Despite Economy, Survey Says” 2. “New Survey Finds Small Businesses Are Down but Not out: Concerned about Business Climate; Optimistic About Their Own Growth” 3. “When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Don’t Skimp on Their Ad Budgets” 4. “Higher Postage Doesn't Have to Hurt Small Business”