I get it, everything is going digital so it makes sense to send your newsletters by email. It’s fast and cheap, especially if you have a whopping database (that is of course GRDP compliant).
But what happens if you’re a small company with a limited database of a few hundred people?
If that’s the case, why not do something a bit different and return to good old fashioned print newsletters.
It might sound a bit old school, but print offers the small business an advantage that they can use to their benefit.
The advantages of print newsletters
As mentioned earlier, this is only an option for companies with relatively small databases because the cost would be prohibitive if your data set runs in to the thousands.
The first thing to remember is that no one sends out print newsletters anymore. So if you do, you’re instantly different to everyone else.
The other advantage of print newsletters is their longevity.
An email may be quick, but it’s also fleeting.
If the recipient is on holiday or snowed under with work, the chances are your newsletter email will be deleted. Therefore, all the fantastic content you put together is lost forever.
But, if your newsletter physically lands on their desk, it’s there for eternity (or when the recipient gets round to tidying up their desk). Even if they’re not in a buying position right away, your newsletter can sit on their desk until they are.
They can dip in and out of it when they have a few spare minutes and it’s always there to refer to.
Timing is everything
I briefly touched on this one earlier.
As you’re painfully aware, the only way you’re going to get someone to respond to your newsletter (and the offer it contains) is by making sure it lands in your customers’ inboxe at the precise moment they are in need of your product or service.
Sadly, unless you have a crystal ball, your timing will be off and they’ll press delete to declutter their inbox.
In that split second, any chance of a sale disappears down the tubes.
However, with a physical newsletter, it can sit in their in tray, biding its time until they’re ready to buy. They’ll remember that snazzy looking newsletter with the interesting content and reach for it to get in touch with you. It could be within a few days, weeks or months, but either way your details are instantly to hand.
How amazing is that?
All the hours it took to get the content and design spot on were worth it.
Don’t dismiss print as old hat
The moral of this article is don’t dismiss the power of print just because none of your competitors are using it.
Far from making you look old fashioned, a printed newsletter will make you stand out as a marketing genius who understands the power a physical newsletter still has.
If you’re a small business and what to be seen as being different, embrace print. People still like receiving tactile communications. It gives them something real in an increasingly digital world.
Long live print! And of course, I’d be delighted to work with you on your content.
Sally Ormond is an international copywriter who understands how to make each of her clients stand out. From multinationals to SMEs, Sally’s clients love her strategic thinking and eye-catching content.