Have you recently launched a start-up or a new product with your name? It’s always exciting to come out with a unique product, or a service that thousands of people need.

But to get your leg up on the competition, you need a well-curated marketing strategy -- not just digital, but marketing in print form, too.

If you want to know how you can prepare marketing material for your business, then giddy up. In this short ride, you’re going to learn the whole process step by step. So, are you ready? Let’s get down to business!

8 Easy Steps for Creating Print Marketing Material

• Collect Inspiration

It all begins from inspiration. You see a pamphlet, flyer, or business card handed down to you, and it instantly grabs your attention. You marvel at the design, the copy keeps you hooked, and you feel the material in your hands has done its job.

Before creating and printing your marketing material, have a look at the inspirations -- if you have gathered any. Or search for a few online; maybe your competitor’s business card will give you a direction.

• Do Some Research About Your Audience

If you don’t know your target audience, people who are likely to be interested in your product or service, your marketing material will never align with their psychology.

Images, copy, and voice and tone you use for both genders, their age, and demographics vary greatly. If you don’t know to whom you’re selling, you will never hit their pain points, or evoke fear or desire.

Create polls on social media to gather this information, or talk to your potential customers. Try to have a peek in their mind to determine what they expect from you in return for their cash, how you can satisfy them.

• Figure Out Which Material You’ll Use

Generally, we rely on five types of print materials for the promotion of our business. These are:

1. Brochure
2. Business card
3. Catalog
4. Flag and banners
5. Direct mail postcards

Ideally, you should choose one of these and churn out hundreds of prints. Investing in multiple types requires a significant investment. And in most of the cases, one type feels appropriate for a certain business, while the other feels informal or too formal. So pick your material type wisely.

• Invest in the Copy

By investing in the copy I mean hiring a professional copywriter. Marketing content is much different than traditional writing: it has a hook, hits the emotions, engages the readers, shows empathy, clearly states the value a customer will get and has a clear call to action.

Whether it’s a business card, a flyer, or a pamphlet, treat it as a sales pitch. You aim to build a connection with your audience, and build credibility. Let a copy geek figure what kind of voice and tone, and words will do the job!

• Use Unique, Real Images

Every now and then, we come across banner ads, business cards, and brochures featuring smiley faces. But we instantly realize those smiles are fake, because they aren’t real people.

People can easily identify images downloaded from Google. And if a marketing material lacks originality in any way, it will never convince your audience. If you want to imbue your marketing material with a soul, use real images.

• Analyze Your Past Materials

Consistency is the key. You may have a unique way of creating your marketing material: your voice and tone, product images or images related to your services, colors associated with your brand, etc.

It’s worth looking back and analyzing what worked the best for you. If nothing worked, maybe you ought to change your strategy this time. Dig out the issues and vow to yourself you’ll not repeat them again.

However, if your previous campaigns have been successful and you distinctly understand why, stay consistent. Too much experimentation at once entails a risk of failure.

• Hire a Designer to Create a Soft Copy

Once you have everything ready, from text to images, it’s time to hire a designer to assort everything into a neatly designed layout. If you are happy with a pre-designed template on MS Word or any other software, go with it.

But to deliver a punch and stand out with a unique design, it’s worth paying a few bucks to a freelance graphic designer.

• Use Premium Material

Your design looks enchanting, the copy is engaging, call-to-action is irresistible... but, is that enough? Everything done right but a little negligence in the last part can ruin your efforts; I’m talking about the print quality.

How would you feel if someone shares a flimsy business card with you? A little squeeze would be enough to tear it apart. Always use premium material for printing your marketing materials.

Do some research and find a credible printing press services. Discuss the weight and size of the printing material they will be using. Before giving a bulk order, ask for a sample. If that one sample satisfies you, you’re good to go!