Printed product catalogs have made a powerful comeback in the world of integrated marketing. Here are five special ways to make yours stand out and work hard for your business.
Photo by QinPirnting
The power of print is not dead. In fact, it’s enjoying a remarkable renaissance not only in the world of literature and reading — despite e-Readers and the online platforms — but in the fast-moving world of modern marketing, too. Today’s consumers are kicking back against the bombardment of digital advertising and surveys show they crave the sensory experience that only printed materials can provide.
With an abundance of digital information at our fingertips, printed catalogs still stand out as a trusted source of detailed information and visual appeal. A printed catalog gives your product or brand an air of importance and luxury that shoppers are happy to pay for. Knowing this, more businesses are investing in creating high-quality printed catalogs to drive sales and support their brand image. Read on to learn how you can use print to help your business succeed in today’s digital world.
Plan your print campaign carefully
If you’re planning to create a printed catalog for your business, you want to make sure you’re doing it right. Many companies make the mistake of printing their catalogs on the cheap, which can lead to low engagement and bad reviews from customers who receive poorly printed materials. Before you create your printed catalog, make sure you have a budget for the project and a clear campaign plan in place for how you’re going to use the printed materials to drive sales.
If you’re creating a printed catalog for an online store — a successful formula in contemporary integrated marketing used by e-commerce giants like Amazon among others — make sure the printed materials are styled and branded to mirror your online presence but equally contain exclusive material that isn’t available online. Printed materials can also be helpful to customers who are shopping in store and want to see what products you have available. The overriding key is always to create your printed catalog with your customers in mind, and you’ll get the most out of your printed materials. So, now let’s dive in to the five smart ways you can build a printed catalog campaign that really delivers.
1. Use high-quality images and expert writing
The images used in your printed catalog are some of the most important elements of the design. The right images can have a major impact on your products and the way they’re perceived. A great way to create high-quality images that will stand out in your printed catalog is to hire a professional photographer. Quality photos can be expensive, but they can also be an excellent investment for your business. Your written content should also be top-notch, especially if you’re going for an upscale feel in your printed catalog. High-quality images can help you sell your products, but high-quality written content can help you change lives. Don’t use cheesy, clichéd language that wouldn’t be out of place in a 1980s infomercial! Instead, if you don’t have the skills in-house, outsource to a professional copywriter with a proven track record capable of producing writing to help your readers understand your products and its benefits and to inspire them to make a purchase.
2. Go big on the basics: color and typography
One of the easiest ways to make your printed catalog stand out is to go big on the basics of design. When designing your printed catalog, think about what a big-box retailer like Target does. They use big bold graphics, a wide color palette, and bold typography to grab your attention and make their printed catalog stand out. You can do the same for your business by making a few simple design choices. First, choose a large format for your printed catalog. Smaller sizes may look more elegant, but larger formats stand out more on shelves and in mailboxes. For color, use bold colors that draw attention and make your printed catalog stand out. Again, if you don’t have the talent in-house, outsource to a reputable designer.
3. Add exclusive content
If you’re creating a printed catalog for an online store, it may tempt you to add extra content such as over-detailed product descriptions, shipping information, and return policies. While these are important details, they’re also information that can be found elsewhere. Instead, use your printed materials to give your customers something they can’t get anywhere else: exclusive content that’s only available in your printed catalog. For example, you might decide to create a printed catalog for your e-commerce shop that contains an interview with the founder of your business. That interview can contain valuable information that’s only available in your printed catalog. Adding exclusive, magazine-style content to your printed catalog helps your catalog stand out in the market, and it can help build a sense of intimacy and trust which breaks down the barriers to moving on to make a purchase.
4. Build a sense of urgency
To drive sales with your printed catalog, you also want to build a sense of urgency. While printed catalogs aren’t as quick to move as digital catalogs, they can help drive sales by creating a sense of urgency that prompts customers to act before the printed catalog expires. There are a few ways you can build a sense of urgency with your printed catalog. You can include a limited edition marking on the cover that shows the printed catalog is limited. You can also show a limited time frame for when the printed catalog is available. Another option is to create a printed catalog that can only be purchased as a gift. This can create a sense of urgency for shoppers who might want to gift your products to others at certain times of the year, such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, or the Holidays.
5. Giving shoppers a way to hook up immediately
Last, you can drive sales with your printed catalog by giving shoppers a way to hook up immediately. If you’re creating a printed catalog for an online store, there are a few ways you can help your customers find their products more quickly and easily. You can include a product index at the back of your printed catalog that lists all the products featured in the catalog along with their page number. How about adding a “find this product” feature that allows customers to search for the product they want by name, color, size, or any other product feature. You can also create a gift finder section in your printed catalog that allows customers to find the perfect gift based on what they know about the person or occasion they’re shopping for. Adding QR and AR codes is an easy decision if you want to smooth the integration between your online and offline catalogs.
Wrapping up
Companies that use integrated marketing techniques see significantly higher returns, customer loyalty, and repeat buying behaviors across the board. One of the most popular and successful methods which has a long-term impact on building your brand, attracting new custom, and boosting the bottom line, is the classic printed product catalog re-styled for the contemporary commercial environment. The key to success is to maintain your core branding across your online and offline properties and adding exclusive material to the offline segment while providing simple connectivity between the two to enable rapid and seamless transfer from the physical catalog to the online sales funnel.
Talk to us!
At QinPrinting, we’ve been helping companies to develop and print powerful print catalogs for the last 25 years and more. We know what we’re talking about and we know what we’re doing. When you’re ready to begin your catalog design, talk to us first. There are a multitude of ways we can get you started along the right track to success, including expert advice about sizes, paper choices, coatings, finishes, and lamination to binding and packaging options and everything in-between. We can liaise with your design team to keep everything on track and even provide custom templates tailored to your project. Get in touch today to discuss your needs or ask us for a no-obligation quote. We can’t wait to help you create a stunning catalog that really delivers!