Exploring Current Trends in Print

While print marketing has been impacted by the shift to digital, print collaterals are still incredibly useful in plenty of ways. This is especially true when you are targeting an audience that includes older adults.

If you are a senior center or community center, we have a few ideas for you to consider making a part of your integrated marketing plan.

Print Marketing Trends That Connect with Older Adults

• Storytelling: In a crowded media space, it takes a little more creativity to be noticed. One way to do that is with storytelling. Pick a few of your most faithful visitors and interview them. Ask them what they love about your organization and why they keep coming back. Then use those stories to create articles for your newsletters and direct mail postcards. The same strategy could work for volunteers if you are working on recruiting more. Ask those who currently donate their time and talent what benefits they receive from volunteering.
  
  
• Vibrant Design: It is incredibly important to be sure that your printed material is designed well. Elements like vibrant color, professional-looking graphics, and large photographs are essential to creating the materials that will capture the attention of your audience. Try using a tool like WeCreate, our online library of art and content for both print and digital communications. Inside WeCreate, you will find stock photography, relevant graphics for any occasion, flyer templates, and even a variety of written content. Using content from WeCreate can save you time and help your designs look professional, improving your engagement.
   
  
• QR codes: One disadvantage of print materials over digital is how difficult it is to incorporate links. People have become accustomed to clicking a link in a Facebook post or digital newsletter to find more details. A workaround for this is to add QR codes to all of your print materials. Platforms like QRCode Monkey or Uniqode make that easier to do.

• Special Offers: If you want to get an idea of whether your print collaterals are being read, incorporate special offers into the copy. For example, add a starburst with language that encourages the reader to bring your print newsletter or direct mail postcard into the center for a free gift. It doesn’t have to be anything overly expensive — maybe a canvas tote bag or mug with your logo on it. Another idea is to have people bring the print piece to your center to be entered into a contest of some kind. Offer a more substantial prize, such as a basketful of bestselling books or grill supplies with a grocery store gift card, to make it worth the trip.

Finally, don’t overlook the strength of coordinating online marketing and advertising campaigns with print efforts. For example, if you have a large-scale special event coming up, email a drip marketing piece in addition to sending a printed flyer to your mailing list. You’ll likely receive more bang for your buck.

Solutions to Help Your Center Connect with the Community

We know that many of our colleagues who work in senior centers and community centers are part of a small team of professionals. Finding time to work on creating marketing collaterals isn’t always feasible. That’s where LPi can be of help. We offer newsletter services, free art and content, and website development to make it easy and affordable for your organization to connect and market to your target audience. Contact us today to learn more!