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Keep the Conversation Interesting

Bored Man

 

Have you ever gotten stuck on a train, an airplane, or a long car ride with someone who is incredibly talkative but also incredibly boring? You might be unable to think anything but, “Are we there yet?” You don’t want this to be the way your customers think about you! Print marketing doesn’t have to be dull. When developing copy for communications such as postcards, mailers, and customer newsletters, think beyond the product promotion.

 

Mix up the writing style to capture interest and create engagement. Sure, you are trying to sell products and services, but you’re also trying to deepen customer relationships and reinforce brand image.

So break out of the mold when it comes to content. Mix humor, education, shock value, social conscience, and unique content into your print marketing and watch your customer engagement soar.

5 Styles of Marketing Content You Can Use in Your Promotional Mix:

TRULY UNIQUE

Create content that is truly unique—content readers won’t get anywhere else. Angry Orchard, an adult beverage company, did this when it added QR Codes to its packaging that takes customers to an animated Talking Tree app. There they can select a tree (complete with eyes, nose, and mouth), be asked a question, and after typing in the answers, the tree will speak it back to them in hilarious accents. Each tree represents a different product line, and as customers access the app over and over again, it reinforces brand awareness and exposes them to different products they might not have been previously aware of.

HUMOR

In addition to breaking up the “same old, same old,” humor increases retention. It’s why brand marketers use it so often. Alka-Seltzer wins smiles with its print ad of a man, bleary-eyed and hair a mess, trying to wash dishes with a kitten instead of a cloth, with the tagline, “Hangover is dangerous.” So does Bose with its ad for its noise-reducing headphones, showing a man jamming to tunes as he pulls the oars on a rowboat, blissfully unaware that he’s about to back himself over Niagara Falls.

SHOCK VALUE

Shock value can grab attention and increase retention, as well, but it has to be handled carefully. One milk company has gotten some attention for printing the back of its delivery trucks with, “In case of accident, bring cookies. Lots and lots of cookies.” Not only does shock value capture attention, it’s a great way to get people talking about you.

SOCIAL CONSCIENCE

Most consumers want to think of themselves as good neighbors. Content that reflects brand marketers as environmentally sensitive, good global citizens, and concerned about social issues creates positive brand image and brand association.

EDUCATIONAL

This is straight talk on products and services that most marketers are familiar with. This includes case studies, customer testimonials, and tips and tricks.

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