Customer-centric content and the perfect media mix

Every successful campaign begins and ends with its customers ,identifying and exceeding their expectations. Consumers have always looked for a fair price and good service, but today's customers expect more - for example, proactive service, personal communication, and cross-channel, connected offers.

Don't assume that you know the outcome in advance. First of all, it is important to keep in mind that you should not rely on assumptions about the behavior of your target audience.

In today's world where so much personal data is generated from your customers and consumers with similar buying behaviors, data analytics and testing is the more accurate, better way to understand customers.

Nevertheless, there is always the risk of creating inappropriate customer experiences based on false assumptions. For example, marketers often assume that younger generations have no time or interest in print simply because they spend so much time on their smartphones. But the data says otherwise.

More print than you would think

According to MNI, Millennials read 8.9 magazines a month - almost as much as Generation X (9.1) and Baby Boomers (9.2). Generation Z spends more time reading printed newspapers and magazines than superficial reading on social media, websites and blogs.

As marketers, we need to make customer experiences the best they can be - after all, 57 percent of customers won't buy from a company again if a competitor offers them a better buying experience.

So be guided by your target audience and not by your ideas about them, especially when it comes to their preferences and habits regarding certain media.

Use the full potential of a balanced media mix

While we live in a digital world, the data clearly shows that print continues to have its place. Some key JICMAIL statistics make it clear that print marketing is breaking through the tide of other channels:

• 80% of adults open any letter
• 91% deal with their mail
• 87% are convinced that you can trust mail

Digital can't compete with print in terms of open rates or trust. But good marketing is not about digital versus print. It's about finding an effective marketing mix that makes the most of the advantages of online and offline media.

It's about choosing the right media for the customer's particular stage of life. After all, there are reasons why 38 percent of people buy something after receiving printed direct mail.

The online and offline worlds are constantly interconnected as consumers switch between media to make purchasing decisions. And marketers can make the most of this fact.

Visual communication technologies can now be seamlessly integrated into traditional media. That's why QR codes regularly appear on ads, posters, and food packaging, leading customers who engage with print into the online world.

Even without such technologies, there is a simple, direct relationship between print and digital. After seeing a print ad, readers become customers by ordering online.

A study by Newsworks shows that marketers can increase their success by recognizing how digital and print work together. The study, which measured five campaigns from different brand owners across print and digital platforms from news providers, found that print-plus-digital strategies were the most effective. They produced a 17 percent increase in brand equity.

Choose your message and your timing. With the help of audience analytics and A/B testing, smart marketers can get an idea of which messages resonate in which formats, and ultimately how to fully leverage each channel.

And let's not forget the special place print has in conveying compelling and credible communication. Especially in targeted and inspiring messages that reach their audience at exactly the right moment and in the right mood.

How will print optimize your marketing mix?

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This text comes from the magazine Lift Off