It’s a question we hear a lot.
With so much focus on digital marketing — email, social media and websites — it’s easy to assume that print has taken a step back. But from what we see day to day, that’s not really the case. In fact, well-produced print often stands out more now simply because there’s less of it around.
Over the past couple of years, we’ve been using direct mail more deliberately. Not large-scale campaigns, but smaller, targeted pieces sent to people we already know — existing clients, past clients and trusted contacts. The aim hasn’t been to sell, but simply to stay visible in a more considered way.
One example was a simple Valentine’s mailing. A short printed letter paired with a pre-stamped postcard, asking for feedback and testimonials. Nothing complicated, just well thought through and nicely produced. The entire job cost less than £200 to print and send.
The response was immediate. Within a week, we saw new Google reviews come through, written testimonials returned, and a number of unexpected enquiries. It’s a good reminder that print doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective — it just needs to feel considered.
We’ve seen similar results with more creative pieces too. A scratch card mailing at the start of the year was designed simply to get attention. It landed on desks, got picked up and talked about, and most importantly, it was remembered.
That’s one of the key strengths of print. It doesn’t disappear.
An email might be read and forgotten within minutes, but a printed item tends to stay around. It sits on a desk, gets noticed again, and becomes part of someone’s working environment.
Even simple ideas can have impact. A small box of sweets with a printed message sparked conversations and responses. A notebook and pen set continues to sit on desks, being used regularly. Planners we’ve produced are used week after week throughout the year, quietly keeping a brand visible without needing to push a message.
That’s where print really comes into its own. It creates presence.
Of course, it works best alongside your digital marketing, not instead of it. But when used together, the combination becomes much more powerful.
If you already have a list of clients or contacts, it’s worth thinking about how you could use print to reconnect with them.
Sometimes, the simplest ideas are the ones that get remembered.
