Wondering how to pack more punch into your printed material? Nothing hits home like a splash of colour.
Colour is, and has always been, more effective than black and white. Period. It catches the eye and helps people connect with their feelings and emotions. Research has shown that colour improves brand recognition by more than 75%, helps sell up to 80% more and makes people more likely to pick up the piece.
Research also shows that colour enhances employee efficiency by reducing search time and errors by as much as 80%.
Whether it’s to compete with brightly coloured social media screens or just to distinguish themselves from their competitors, savvy businesspeople know the value of colour in their printed material. Be it flyers or reports, everyone from Realtors and restaurants to investment analysts and salespeople can benefit from eye-catching printed material.
When I say “printed material,” I’m referring to just about anything printed on paper, so long as it’s appropriate to the customer you’re targeting. And by “appropriate,” I mean your customers derive value from reading it.
Do you have printed material available at your location so waiting customers can read about the value of the additional products/services you provide? If you’re a restaurant, does your take-away menu have a coupon that gives your customer a special price on an item the next time they come in? Do you send paper invoices? Why not include a bright and bold marketing message?
Any time you have an opportunity to give somebody a piece of paper, whatever it is, that piece of paper should include some sort of marketing message. And, of course, adding colour will help it pop. Keep in mind, though, that it doesn’t have to be blatant; sometimes a simple customer testimonial set off in red type is all you need.
Some local businesses that are involved in substantial transactions are now creating brochures or custom reports for their clients. Imagine the effect on your customers if you could quickly print on demand a customized quality brochure that looks like a slick magazine for them to take home.
Does having high-quality printed material mean you should scrap your social media marketing strategy? Definitely not. It just means you can benefit, and even grow your customer base, by using well-planned, eye-catching printed materials. In my next column, I’ll describe how “advanced” colour can have an even more pronounced effect.