“You got your digital media in my print media!”

“You got your print media in my digital media!”

A quick parody on a commercial that features a chocolate bar and jar of peanut butter who combine their deliciousness to form the ultimate confectionery experience, the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. Print and digital media, in their broadest definitions, can and have thrived without each other. However, they perform best in tandem. The key is understanding what that balance looks like and how to creatively engage readers using both platforms.

For example, one of our clients recently added a digital format to their print catalog with the goal of reaching a larger audience. Because a significant portion of the organization’s customer base preferred viewing content on mobile devices, but couldn’t easily access the Internet during working hours, we produced a digital edition that provided both an online version and a downloadable offline version.

The formats created were the best option for our client’s customers, who were happy with the expanded accessibility to the catalog. The most attractive option to the client was what performed the best for the most reasonable cost. (To offset costs, it’s fairly common for companies to generate additional ad revenue.)

Advertising in a digital format, as well as digital content itself, has the ability to add a deeper level of engagement for readers. Digital also enables you to direct readers to additional content they might be interested in. While print is also able to do this, digital allows readers’ paths to be tracked in real time. This allows companies to evaluate what is effective, and what isn’t, when refining marketing plans.

So, how can your business play the digital game?

Start with a discovery process that asks pointed questions about your customers:

• How do they buy your product?
• Where do they use it?
• Are they able to easily give product feedback?
• Do you have a robust social media presence?
• Are you connecting with our customers efficiently?
• How often does the product need change?
• How often do you want your customers to engage with your product?

These questions are centered around one overriding theme, “What are you trying to achieve?” Once that’s answered, think about how your print and digital platforms can complement one another to achieve your desired goals.

A few things to consider when marketing your digital content to your current print subscribers:

• Use ad space in your print pieces to promote digital versions.
• A business that uses direct mail has a great advantage because of their existing reader base. Your direct mail pieces could have a call to action, which might mean directing the reader to your website or a discount code for in-app and online purchases.
• Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality captivates print customers on a whole new level. The following ad produced by Ford Motor Company compiled a series of three separate ads into one publication. When the reader places their phone over the print ad, a QR code plays a video that syncs with the print layout to showcase the new features of Ford’s product.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAYLYYToITI

For those who are looking to expand their digital presence, and already have a website and a list of subscribers, some good options might be:

• Email reminders to download the digital edition as an added value to the existing print publication.
• Create incentives with high quality editorial and promotional content made available only on a digital platform.
• The key to high conversion rates, along with quality is consistency, is researching the days and times most effective among your customer base.

The discovery process will provide answers and similar ideas on how to market specifically to your customers and deliver measurable results. As media evolves at different rates, it’s important for your business to know how to utilize and integrate what’s out there.

Print and Digital - MITTERA