If you think that print is dead — think again. If anything, the increase of digital stimulation caused by a surfeit of devices and technologies created to bombard the senses has caused people to begin turning away from the digital world. In fact, a third of consumers are feeling digitally overwhelmed, allowing room for the print industry to jump in and provide a welcome respite from the onslaught of digital tech. In response, the print industry forecast is looking bright, with global revenues expected to reach $821 billion as soon as 2022.
This is great news for production print and other print shops, especially when you consider that much of the impetus in industry growth is driven by an explosion of growth in packaging and labels — which should continue to be in high demand as the trend toward ecommerce continues to expand. In this article, we’ll take a look at some other industries that benefit from print marketing and how you can target them to grow your own production print business.
Which Industries are Most Reliant on Printed Products?
While most companies, and indeed industries, rely on some form of printed products, about 25 industries account for a whopping 95% of print demand. The top three are no surprise: publishing, medical/pharmaceuticals, and packaged foods. Others include the travel and hospitality industry and real estate. Food service and beverages are important targets as well, as the need for labeling, packaging, and advertising grows.
Now that you know which industries are the most prominent print users, how can you target them?
- Know Your Clients’ Current Needs
Make a deep dive into your target industry to determine what they are currently focusing on in print. For example, if you are targeting car dealerships, take a look at what printed materials are on offer in your local auto dealer’s storefront. Besides business cards, you’ll find booklets, letterhead, banners, full-color brochures, and even merchandise such as pens and t-shirts. Understanding how they currently use print to supplement their marketing strategies can help you devise new — and better — ways they can incorporate printed materials into their established marketing approaches.
- Make it Personal
Once you’ve determined what printed materials your target client currently uses, you can move forward and make contact. Get in touch with a decision-maker on their sales or marketing team to explore ways in which you can help them expand upon their current print efforts — or help them realize cost savings by printing on various media, in higher volumes, or using different inks.
Show your target customer that you are more than just a digital presence and explain how expanding their print reach will help them win the trust and loyalty of their customer base as well. Expanding marketing reach by including print alongside digital efforts can be a critical element of successful advertising.
- Go Where Your Prospects Gather
To make the right connections, hang out where prospective clients gather. Trade shows are an excellent place to forge a network of potential clients and they provide a wonderful way to showcase your print products as well. Social media, while a digital instrument, is also a place to find and establish connections with decision-makers in the industries you are targeting, as well as a place to share insights, tips, and tricks that can help prospects use print in new and innovative ways.
Turn to Doing Better Business for Leading Edge Production Printers
When you approach a prospective client, you want to be able to offer them the widest range of printed materials possible. That’s why we have curated the finest and most advanced production printers from industry leaders such as Ricoh, HP, and Sharp. Not only can these printers roll out high-quality photography and artwork, but they can also create stunning advertising materials, newsletters, posters, displays, and even books and magazines.
Our deep knowledge of the production print industry and processes means our team of focused print professionals can help your company choose the production printer that offers you the highest return on investment, and can provide years of solid, reliable functionality.
Provide prospective clients with the widest range of print options. Contact a representative from Doing Better Business and discover how our suite of production printers can help revolutionize your print offerings.