Streamowrks Blog
When designing your print collateral — how do you effectively use text and colors to attract your audience?
Although we live in a digital era, the art of leave-behind marketing will always have a place in marketing strategies. Some say they are outdated, unnecessary, and boring for your audience, who expect to see you on social media or your website. However, marketers who see the big picture understand that leave-behind materials can still make a great impression with the right design and copy.
Why are print collaterals still useful? Mainly because they offer a tactile fulfillment that digital content doesn't provide. According to a MarketingProfs report, 92% of people aged 18 to 23 consider that reading print over digital content is a lot easier. Moreover, the same report shows that the response rate for direct mail marketing is 37% higher than email. Not to mention that consumers claim they trust printed advertisements 34% more than digital ads.
That said, it is evident that leave-behind marketing materials are still useful even in the digital era. Yet, you still need a top-notch design and copy for your print collateral. Let’s explore how to use colors and text to attract your audience with your leave-behind materials.
The two approaches of colors in marketing
The psychology of colors fosters unique and exciting new dimensions for marketers. There are two different ways color can contribute to how attractive your print collateral will be for your audience:
- Using contrasting colors to improve and ease readability
- Using specific colors to trigger certain emotions, thoughts, and moods in your audience
These two approaches of using colors in your marketing strategy, be it your Instagram marketing strategy or offline marketing strategy, can have different yet somehow similar effects on your audience.
While the first approach highlights the message you want to transmit to your readers, the second approach gives them the right mood and emotion that will influence how they perceive that message. However, both of them are, ultimately, strategies that attract your audience.
The first approach must be perfectly blended with the text you add to your print collateral to be effective. Using contrasting colors aims to highlight the message. Yet, if the message fails to attract and engage the audience, your marketing efforts won’t bring you the expected results. So, for comprehensive and engaging copy, you can use tools such as Studicus, Grammarly, and BidForWriting service.
The psychological effects of colors
In marketing, colors can be a powerful tool used to influence reactions and responses in your audience. The psychology of colors explains that specific colors can trigger certain emotions and moods in people. While some colors can trigger urgency and alertness, others can make the audience feel calm or even nostalgic.
According to Gloria Johnson, head of the marketing department at Wowgrade: “Using colors properly in your print collateral can have a huge impact on how people feel or react to your message. Depending on the message you want to slip into the minds of the audience, certain colors can convert a complicated message into an emotion that triggers a powerful response.”
Let’s explore what psychological effects certain colors can have on customers when used in marketing:
Red: You have certainly noticed the huge red sales signs in stores or on websites. Red is used for such purposes because it is the color that triggers urgency in consumers. It can make consumers feel that if they don’t make a purchase straight away, the product they want will be gone.
Blue: The color of the sky, often associated with calmness, can help brands look more reliable in the eyes of their audience. Brands who want to pose as trustworthy companies often use blue.
Green: Associated by consumers with health, calmness, and cheerfulness, green also evokes the color of nature. Green is typically used by brands that want to be associated with environmentally-friendly practices.
White: White is associated with purity, cleanness, and innocence. Companies mainly use it from the healthcare industry who want to be associated with sterility. Also, white can be used in combination with other colors to highlight essential elements.
Black: In most cultures, black invokes negative feelings and loss. However, in marketing, it is associated with the symbol of seriousness and formality. Similar to white, black contrasts with other colors for a stronger impact.
Purple: In the psychology of colors, purple represents mysticism and magic. Yet, in marketing, it is the color of royalty, wisdom, and sophistication.
Yellow: Yellow is generally a bright color that triggers optimism in people. It can be used by companies that want to pose as energetic and fresh.
Depending on your company culture and the message you want to transmit to your audience, you can use one or more of these colors to trigger the psychological and emotional responses you want.
The copy and color strategies must work well together
As mentioned above, copy and colors must go hand-in-hand to create an attractive design for your print collateral. The color strategy also needs to fit the message you want people to perceive for your brand.
Your written content is just as important as choosing the colors and design of your leave-behind marketing materials. To write exciting, engaging, and comprehensive copy that will be perfectly paired with your color strategy for your print collateral, use the following tools:
Trustmypaper: a professional community of writers who can give you feedback on how comprehensive and engaging your content is and how to improve your writing skills.
Copyscape: 100% original content is critical if you want your print collateral to attract your audience. Use this tool to ensure that your content is plagiarism-free.
Grabmyessay: As with any content, editing can be time-consuming and challenging. You can use this tool to get your content checked by professional writers for any style or grammar mistakes.
Thesaurus: If you want to avoid repeating certain words multiple times in your copy, you can use this tool to find new and engaging synonyms and antonyms.
In marketing, colors can help your brand stand out from your competitors by influencing how your audience sees and perceives your message. If you create print collateral that perfectly blends your copy and color strategy into the design, it won’t be easy for your audience to ignore them. Emotionally, colors have the power to influence consumers on a sound level, and, in combination with your message, they can trigger the expected responses in your audience.
Now that you know more about how to use color, looking to get started on your next direct mail piece? Check out our FREE direct mail design templates, tips and tricks by signing up for our email newsletter below!
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Angela Baker is a talented writer who is currently working as a freelance writer at SupremeDissertations. She is passionate about online and offline marketing, and she is continuously looking for the best personal and professional growth opportunities. In her free time, she also shares her knowledge with her audience on her blog and often writes for LiveInspiredMagazine.
