Digital advertising may already be out there boasting that it is top of the game when it comes to click rates and other analytics, but don’t forget that some of the most compelling and engaging marketing campaigns still come in print form and their impact can be measured too. Direct mail agencies continue to help build brands via print media based on a scientific data-driven approach, and you can too. Here are three top tips to help you track your print marketing and measure how effective it is:
1. Be unique!
Print unique discount codes onto leaflets and vouchers. with a variety of printing services available this can be easily achieved. Encourage readers to quote the code whenever they shop online or bring it with them when they redeem in-store or online. Track each time the code is mentioned and you’ll be in a great place to measure the success of your print campaign. Don’t stop there, though. Set up unique phone numbers and assign them to your different print channels or distribution regions whenever you run an integrated campaign. It’s cheap and easy to do and any reliable tracking provider can help you analyse how many times the individual numbers were called. Virtual phone numbers like these can always be set up to re-route callers back to your main switchboard without impacting on their customer experience.
2. Keep one eye on digital
Instead of seeing digital technology as a threat to print marketing, start thinking of the ways it can help and enhance it. Google analytics can be your friend even when you are running print campaigns. Use it to check out if your web traffic goes up in response to print campaigns and activities. Increase your ability to track print success by using unique URLs for each item in an integrated print campaign. If you are putting out a summer promotion use a site to monitor traffic to that domain. It’s easy to redirect visitors back to your homepage afterwards.
3. Experiment with QR codes
QR codes offer a huge untapped potential for holding and delivering tracking information but many businesses and services still don’t use them. Yes, they may look new and unusual to some of us but these ‘quick response’ codes are everywhere. Why not use them? They are fast and easy to scan from a mobile phone or tablet, take customers straight to your website and can be uniquely assigned to different print in order to analyse data and success.
Choose a quality print specialist
When money is tight, it pays to balance the traditional/modern marketing mix. There are a variety of printing services which can help you achieve your print marketing goals. Choose a quality print specialist and invest in some simple print analytics to build success and increase sales.