What Did Best This Past Year?
It’s been quite the year (to say the least), but more specifically, it’s been a year for print marketing. Print has always been a relevant tool for every type of business – especially pizza shops – and even with the many changes that arose throughout the time of the pandemic, the print industry has luckily been able to respond and work effectively during it. With the impact of Covid-19 along with market demands, we’re looking back on the top print marketing trends that made it through, and did well, in 2021.
Targeted Direct Mail Marketing
Our specialty – direct mail marketing that’s targeted and impactful, saves both time and money. There are numerous ways to target the right people, but direct mail has been one of the most utilized this year. Why? Primarily due to all the different ways businesses can target these current and/or potential customers:
Standard Targeting: The most well-known form of direct mail targeting, this type can be applied to any campaign. It targets individuals based on key parameters (including demographics and geographics).
Proximity Mailing– This type helps you reach consumers surrounding your area.
Propensity Mailing– One of 2021’s most advanced forms of targeting, this type includes individuals with high likelihood of interest in your product or service.
Personalized Print
This trend has been around for a while, but it continues to keep evolving, and in doing so, becomes increasingly effective each year. Why? Because customization generates better interest and ROI. Customers love getting content that’s personalized to them, whether that’s with a name or past purchased product. Plus, personalization is easy to do, and fairly inexpensive. Here are some personalization examples that we find successful:
• A name on the headline or throughout text
• Lifestyle imagery that pertains to them, not just obvious stock
• Detailed information based on their interests, gender, age and previous interactions and landing pages personalized to them
• Proximity features (showing them how close they live to your location)
To learn how to personalize your next direct mailer, check out this recent blog.
Combining Print & Digital
Although we’re specifically talking about print in 2021, we can’t really talk about print without mentioning digital. By combining print and digital, online campaigns can become 400% more effective. Simply including some digital aspects in your print materials can make all the difference for your shop. Try adding a QR code to your mailer, a landing page link, or even a personalized URL. Additionally, maybe add an online order code to direct potential customers to purchase.
Increased Sustainability
Because of many different variables – one of them being the pandemic, this year, paper was harder to come by. Because of this, many print marketing companies (including ZaHub), made an effort to decrease paper waste. Whenever possible, paper scraps were repurposed, and many companies began buying rolls of paper in various sizes and shapes to avoid excess cutting. Recycling of inks, toners, and other print materials was a higher focus, and a lot of companies have invested in in-house recycling.
Creative Design
This trend, no matter what route of marketing collateral companies are taking, always continues to dominate the print industry. Good print marketing always uses excellent, thoughtful design to stand out and receive higher engagement. Use creative choices to your advantage. For instance, think through the types of marketing you choose (such as business cards, punch cards, and postcards), the colors you include, and even what kind of paper it’s printed on. Sometimes, these small choices can make or break your campaign. Thankfully, most of these choices should come straight out of your branding guide – and if you don’t have that – design choices should be consistent throughout your shop and promotional materials. Overall, your designs should always match the look and feel of your shop. For some ideas, check out our blog on design trends.
Now that you’re aware of the top print marketing trends of 2021, are you interested in using them to your shop’s advantage? Reach out to our experts. Although our platform is known for being self-serve and easy to use, we’re happy to walk you through the system to create an eye-catching and effective design. Or, if you’re interested in simply learning more about ZaHub, check us out.