Stretching the marketing budget: What growing businesses need to know about print
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
Want to get more out of every marketing dollar you spend?
Have you ever noticed that every growing business wants the same thing? More bang for their buck. Find a way to squeeze more results out of a budget that never seems like enough. Hey, wait a minute. A small budget leads to:
- Hard choices
- Wasted spend
Here’s the problem:
Owners tend to throw all their money at online advertising and forget print works too. Did you know one of the most underused, inexpensive print mediums is stickers?
In this article we’ll explain why print still has a place in your budget and how sticker printing in full color can help small businesses hit way above their weight.
Let’s jump in!
In this article:
- Why print still belongs in your budget
- Why stickers are the smart choice
- How to make full color sticker printing work
Why print still belongs in your budget
Print is far from dead. In fact, it’s having a bit of a comeback.
One thing… Digital is never always cheaper and never always better. Print things are looked at, kept, and sit face out in front of people forever. It’s a very powerful medium when you’re working with a shoestring budget. Cheap sticker printing is one of the easiest ways to get your brand out there into the real world.
Plus, the stats prove it. Recent industry statistics show that 89% of marketers believe print marketing pieces are effective at generating brand awareness. That’s an impressive stat for a medium many consider passé.
There’s a reason for that…
Print is permanent. You don’t swipe past a flyer or sticker and it disappears. It stays on laptops, water bottles, notebooks or store counters for weeks, months.
Higher visibility = More brand recall.
Budget matters here as well. Small businesses are guarding their budgets tightly these days and for good reason. Recent surveys show that 66.3% of small business owners spend under $1,000 per year on marketing. When you’re working with a budget that small, you have to justify every channel. Print justifies itself.
Why stickers are the smart choice
Considering every printing option available to you… Stickers are probably your best bang for buck.
Because: They’re inexpensive to create, easy to distribute, and continue to perform long after they’ve left your hands. You print them once and they advertise for you year after year. No monthly advertising budgets. No cost per clicks to bid against. Just your logo somewhere out in the world where everyone will see it daily.
Think of a sticker like a tiny billboard.
When someone sticks your sticker on their laptop/computer or car everyone who passes it sees your brand. Free brand exposure you didn’t have to pay for twice. Plus seeing as they put it on display shows it also has some credibility.
Think about it:
When someone puts your sticker on their water bottle, they are endorsing you to all of their contacts. That’s priceless word-of-mouth advertising.
Impressions can quickly accumulate. Print promotional products such as stickers have been known to create an average of 3,000 impressions in their lifetime. With just one small batch production you can expose your brand to thousands of eyes.
Remember: If your sticker looks cheap (like a thin sheet of paper that will fall apart, peel, bubble, scratch and fade) then customers will think your brand is cheap. A sticker that is made out of quality materials and has a great finish will help your brand stand out AS a professional brand. Paying a few dollars more for something that will last is worth it. CREDIBILITY = LONGEVITY.
Stickers also do something flyers, ads and other marketing just can’t … They stick around. People toss flyers. They swipe away ads. But a great sticker finds a permanent home on someone’s stuff and that’s valuable real estate for an up-and-coming brand.
How to make full color sticker printing work
Alright, let’s get practical. Having stickers printed is great. Knowing how to use them effectively is something else entirely.
The most common mistake made by businesses with stickers is thinking of them as “leftover marketing”. They print a sticker, shove them in a drawer and question why results didn’t occur. Think again.
Where are you going to place your stickers? Here’s where you should use full color sticker printing:
Order tags: Stick an order tag in every box you send out. Your customer appreciates the personal touch and they take your brand home with them.
- Trade shows: Pass them out at markets and trade shows
- Events: Great conversation starters passed out at local events
- Packaging: Use them to tape boxes shut or tag products. Your brand is part of their unboxing experience.
- As FREEBIES: Leave them at your counter/front desk for people to take. Who doesn’t love free stickers?!
Placement is everything. If you are applying a sticker to a water bottle it needs to be waterproof and scratch-resistant. If you are applying a sticker to a box it needs high tack. Consider where your sticker will live before you place your order. Choose the correct size, finish, material based off of that.
Design is important too. Simple and obvious. Crowded designs are scrolled past. If people can’t see what to keep at a glance, no one remembers what they’re saving. One logo, your colors, and one idea that is crystal clear.
Another tip here… Print in high quantities. Cost per sticker goes down rapidly when you print in bulk. Stickers become incredibly inexpensive when you need to spend less money per sticker. Purchase lots and give away freely.
Here’s how you transform a modest print run into a self-perpetuating, low-cost promotional powerhouse.
Final thoughts
Stretching your marketing budget doesn’t mean spending less money, it means spending wisely.
Print is not dead. The reality is print and stickers especially afford you exposure and longevity that is unmatched for the cost. They continue to work for you well after your spend is finished, they build credibility as someone decided they wanted to display your brand and they help your brand feel authentic in a world of ephemeral digital advertisements.
If you’re strapped for cash, don’t discount print just yet. Order one sticker run, place it where it will get used, and observe how far one inexpensive print piece will go. Remember:
- Print still earns its place in your budget
- Stickers offer huge value for money
- Use full color sticker printing where people will see it
- Spend a little on quality for credibility
- Order in bulk to lower your costs
Done correctly, a small print investment can deliver your expanding business the visibility typically reserved for BIG budgets. Smart money…spent wisely.