Don’t ignore print marketing.

It may be “old school” but many people still rely on printed materials to get their news and make their buying decisions.

One of the ways I get new business is to send out persuasive sales letters to new businesses that have a DBA (doing business as) in the local newspapers. I find it in the classifieds section. I’ve been doing this for many years and it still works.

Of course you have to start out with a professional sales letter. I keep things simple. All text, few graphics. You have to say what you do explicitly and show the reader the benefits of giving you a call.

Inside each sales letter I include my business card with my catchy twisted pencil logo. Hopefully the pencil will never go out of style. Did you know they still use pencils in elementary school?

Business Cards are still a powerful social media tool.

We may be in the midst of a digital revolution, but the mighty business card is still being used daily. Yes indeed, people hand out business cards all the time. It’s easy to do and stackable too. And if you’re completely digital you can always scan a business card into your smartphone for easy access.

So make sure your business cards shows the real you. Your brand image should be consistent across all media. Really.

And of course don’t forget all the important information for your business cards:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone Number
• Email Address
• Website URL
• Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn Names

Here’s a summary of why you should always use a business card as a marketing tool:

• Easy to hand out at events and in person
• Shows your brand and all the important info a client needs to find you
• Can be wild or classy, being memorable is important
• An inexpensive way to advertise your business
• Can also be used to win free lunches at some (old school) restaurants

Brochures are hanging on

Don’t rule out full color brochures either. They work great as a “leave behind”. This is especially true at trade shows and business mixers.

Postcards, Catalogs and Door Hangers are still in the mix.

Check your daily mail and you’ll find them all. Let’s keep the post office in business.

So while you can see the digital age is taking over marketing, there will absolutely be a place for print for quite some time. Printed materials are tangible. There’s less competition in print than online so you’ll stand out.

By combining print marketing with online marketing you’ll have a stronger presence and perhaps drive more traffic to your website.