In my last post I looked at how print acts as gateway for people to interact with printed content digitally and for any type of marketing to be successful print needs to be integrated with technology to be successful.
By having print and an online presence helps your brand or proposition become more credible. This should include social media and website on print.
Your starting point should be all company print such as business cards, letterheads, compliment slips, (yes people still use them) invoices, in fact any type of informational product should have your website details and social media platforms so that customers can check you out and join you in the online world.
The print world is constantly reinventing itself by finding newer and more interactive ways of getting in front of customers.
Technologies such as NFC (Near field communications, still in its infancy) QR codes and Augmented reality give readers the opportunity to use print as the gateway to online channels, by simply pointing your mobile at the printed page a whole new multimedia world opens up for the reader.
Magazine publishers are finding different ways to engage with their readers by providing interactive online content.
A brand that is trusted by the consumer leads to high levels of engagement across all platforms.
Print use to be the end result of a campaign now it is the start of the journey for the consumer to make a purchase. It provides the step to the next stage of the journey in the buying process.
Any kind of print advertising from direct mail to your newsletter is one step in the process of getting the customer moving whether it is to buy, sign up for something or to engage online.
It starts with print using a QR code or Augmented Reality which takes the customer to a personalised landing page or activation of an app.
An example of this might be a car dealership sending out a 
personalised mailing to ex-customers offering an incentive to get back in touch. (There’s more information about that here)
Using PURLs in the direct mail the customer is directed to their nearest dealership and are offered incentives to book a service.
Print and digital are even closer than you might think take the Evernote Moleskin smart book; you can make notes, sketch and draw then, using the Evernote app, scan and upload to Evernote so you have a digital version.
The same with the moleskin smart notebook that connects to the 
Adobe Creative Cloud via an app on your smartphone, your hand drawn sketches can be converted to workable digital files that can then be manipulated using adobe illustrator or photoshop.
Newspapers and magazines are still considered credible sources of information and are more trusted than digital.
Print delivers powerful and vibrant communications the eye is drawn to a particular piece of information more so than a digital pop out advert which is annoying and distracting.
How do you get print and digital to work together?
Think about what is most effective in print and digital channels and make sure that the same tone and message deliver a unified brand across all mediums. Using your print medium you can direct your customers to your social channels via your print ads.
When you combine your print and digital strategies so they deliver the same message you engage with the customer and build up trust.
You can add print to your media mix to engage more customers and drive traffic to your website by using a mini catalogue with PURLs that send them to certain landing pages.
Print shows authority and allows the customer to have something tangible that they can connect with by giving them something they can review at a later date.
Digital on the other hand offers flexible content which can also include other elements like audio.
The communications landscape is changing with new channels emerging and as they gather pace it doesn’t necessarily mean that the existing communication platforms you use should be cast aside, not if they deliver the results you want.
So don’t disregard print out of the media mix in collaboration both print and digital are complementary creating a great experience for the end user if done brilliantly.
