Marketing Collateral Design

Although it’s true that having a digital presence is essential for modern businesses, it’s risky to exist solely online. Having physical marketing materials that potential customers can see and feel when they are away from the computer can have a dramatic impact on your business. From business cards to brochures, marketing collateral will help your company get noticed and show potential customers that you’re legitimate and trustworthy. Having physical marketing materials will also help you stand out from the competition if they decide to go all-digital with their campaigns. To promote your business effectively, you simply can’t ignore marketing collateral.

How Marketing Collateral Can Help Your Business

It’s tempting for businesses to think that the only marketing that matters happens online. The truth is that digital marketing is only part of the picture. Having an offline presence is important for many different reasons. If you’re unsure about using physical marketing collateral for your business, consider these advantages:

• It legitimizes your business. Although customers should be able to find you online, having physical marketing materials adds legitimacy to your business. Customers see physical materials as something that serious businesses have, while companies that stick to digital-only marketing can seem less professional. Having the option to provide physical materials to customers who want them will help your company appear to be better established and more authoritative in your industry.
• It helps you stand out. This benefit works if your collateral is thoughtful and well-designed. Having professionally-designed marketing collateral that is eye-catching and unique is a great way to differentiate your company from competitors. It speaks to your business’ attention to detail and innovation. If your competitors lack marketing collateral or treat it as an afterthought, your business will shine in the eyes of potential customers.
• It keeps your name in front of customers. Imagine the impact your business card can have if it is kept in a customer’s wallet or on someone’s desk. Customers who have your marketing collateral will be confronted with your business’ name and branding over and over, and when they need the services you provide, your company’s name will come to mind. When someone needs a particular service, there is simply an advantage to being the business card in his or her pocket.
• It does the selling for you. Marketing collateral sells for you when you’re not around. When you hand potential customers your marketing collateral, it can tell them about services and products you offer, which is especially helpful if you didn’t get a chance to do so in person. It doesn’t require the customer to go looking for the information online, because it’s right in their hands.
• It gives your team confidence. Customers aren’t the only ones who read marketing collateral as a legitimizer. Your employees will feel empowered when they have physical collateral to provide to contacts, instead of having to recommend that they try to find you online to learn more.

Why Marketing Collateral Isn’t an In-House Job

For marketing collateral to be valuable, it has to look professional and be visually appealing. Although it is possible to set up a document on your computer and print it yourself, marketing collateral that is poorly executed won’t help your business—in fact, it could actually hurt it. Keep in mind that your collateral should be a differentiator between your company and your competitors, as well as a physical manifestation of your brand. As such, collateral that is anything short of stellar could blend into the background or create the impression that your company is not up to the job at hand.