Promotional printing that packs a punch

Whether it's an invitation to a product launch, a flyer for a special promotion, a postcard reinforcing your brand identity, or an informational brochure, your promotional printing material needs to pack a punch to make an impact and generate leads.

"Any business can send out a flyer, but the ones that stand out have certain elements that differentiate them from the rest," says Joe Kowalewski from the Printing Industries Association of Australia .

"Usually that's to do with the visuals you use, the substrate, or texture, and the shape of the product."

A picture tells a thousand words

To ensure your promotional printing captures the attention of your audience, you need to start with eye-catching visuals, says Joe.

“You’ll generally find the most successful promotional products are the brightest,” he says. “If a printed piece is all text based it’s very boring, but if there are pictures or illustrations, there’s a reason to pick it up and look inside.”

Think outside the square

Don't limit yourself to the standard-sized DL flyer. Today the shape, size and function of your promotional printing is limited only by your imagination.

Embellishments are another handy tool that can give your promotional printing an added edge and create greater appeal for your target audience.

“There are many ways that you can use print in an innovative way,” says Joe. “You can use processes such as embossing or foiling, texturing and die cutting to give the material a particular feel, or even have a print job scented.”

Go beyond the page

Consider printing on promotional merchandise to create branded products your customers can actually use, such as labelled wine bottles, golf balls and bumper stickers. These items are more likely to be retained and shared with friends and family, thereby extending the life of your message.

Make it personal

If you collect data about your customers, use it to personalise your promotional printing. This could be as simple as including your customer's name on an invitation to a special event, or printing different versions of a catalogue or brochure to target different groups.

Customer data can also be used to fine-tune promotional material to particular preferences, says Joe. "It could be a special interest, an age demographic, gender, or location," he says.

"For example, if you're a clothing retailer and you're sending out promotional catalogues to an area with a lot of young families with kids, then you can emphasise your children's wear."

Get advice

Promotional printing is a fundamental part of any business's marketing strategy. To ensure you get the best possible return on your investment, talk to a promotional printing company about the little tricks you can employ to get your printed pieces to the top of the pile.