It’s much easier to show up unannounced in somebody’s mailbox than it is to show up unannounced on somebody’s computer screen.

Now, mind you, we’ve got all kinds of love for well-designed websites, and we can’t say we don’t enjoy a well-crafted email. But even though lots of people are using those internet-based marketing techniques to get their names out there, we can’t help but see the advantages that printed mailers have over web marketing strategies – especially when you’re trying to bring somebody in for the first time.

Introduce Yourself With Print Marketing

Websites and e-mails have got nothing on print when it comes to reaching out to new clients.

Let’s be honest…your clients have to actively try to end up at your website. The computer user is running the show when he’s surfing the web. So if he’s not searching for, say, a website that sells bubble bath for dogs, there’s no way he can end up on such a site. You could have the best dog bubble bath website on the world wide web, but you’ll have no visitors if no one takes the time to look for it.

And as far as e-mail marketing goes, we guess it’s possible to send unsolicited e-mails to random addresses. It’s just not very effective. That delete button gets a workout whenever people receive e-mails from addresses they don’t know…and those people tend to get a little skeeved out that a company somehow uncovered their addresses. Not to mention that there can even be less than thrilling legal ramifications of sending out such e-mails. In a nutshell, it’s just not the best plan.

Mailing addresses are another story, however. They’re a matter of public record, so people are more open to receiving communications they don’t expect when they’re delivered to their actual mailboxes. And unlike an e-mail, the recipient can’t press delete. Most people do at least a quick scan of their snail mail before deciding whether to junk it or keep it. So a mailer with the right design has a decent shot at sharing its message – at least when compared to an unsolicited e-mail.

Now, we’re definitely not saying that this direct mail should be the end of your communications with them. We’re just saying it should be the first. After you get their attention with a super stylish mailer, we do recommend referring them on to your website. And once they’re there, feel free to legitimately collect their e-mail addresses and continue the marketing via e-mail. After all, websites and e-mails are groovy things. They just have trouble starting the dialogue.

So let print handle the introductions, and let imPress handle the printing.