The Print Advantage 💪📰

Our clients usually find themselves outspent. Doing the same thing on a smaller budget just creates smaller results, limiting brand growth. 💸

At The Specialist Works, we go that extra mile 🏃‍♂️ driving disproportionate impact - stretching the marketing budget, making it go further and work harder.

Part of our armoury is sourcing environments competitors are underusing or overlooking 👀. A channel where we can drive real human connection 🤝 and excess share of market 📊.

Print is that channel. And this week’s edition comes from our Print Production Director, Neil Langford,✍️ to explain just what you could be missing out on by not including Print in your media mix…

Why Print Works as a Follow-Up

For entrepreneurial brands, trust is everything. When you’re still building your brand, a well-timed piece of print can do what a banner ad or email can’t: it signals credibility. In a digital world that feels fleeting, a tangible, high-quality printed piece carries weight. It reassures people that your brand is here to stay.

Print also has the advantage of permanence. Unlike an ad that disappears in a scroll, a postcard or brochure lingers - on a desk, counter, or in a bag. That visibility builds recognition and keeps your brand top of mind. For fast-growing brands, that kind of recall is gold.

And let’s not forget reach. Magazines still connect with 37+million UK adults every month through a mix of print and digital - proof print remains a powerful visibility channel. Not every potential customer lives online. Print extends your campaign into physical spaces, broadening your footprint.

• ✨ Creates lasting impressions – tangible experiences stick longer than fleeting clicks.

• 🔄 Supports the customer journey – guiding audiences across physical and digital touchpoints.

• 📰 Reaches diverse audiences – not everyone is digitally active; print widens presence.

When combined with digital, print doesn’t just stand out - it completes the picture. Consumers exposed to both print and digital enjoy 73% better brand recall than those seeing just one channel. For ambitious brands, that reinforcement can be the difference between being remembered - or forgotten.

How to Use Print in a Follow-Up Strategy

The smartest brands don’t see print as old-school; they see it as a lever to deepen digital impact. Adding QR codes, PURLs, or social handles to printed materials bridges customers back online, making it easy for them to take the next step, and for you to follow the entire buyer journey.

More importantly, print creates experiences people can hold. Whether it’s a striking piece of Direct Mail, a designed insert, or packaging with a personal touch, print has a tactile quality that sparks emotion and resonates more deeply with individual customers.

When you use customer data well, print becomes even more powerful. Imagine following up an abandoned basket with a personalised postcard, or sending a direct mail piece to re-engage an inactive consumer. Suddenly, your message feels intentional, timely, and harder to ignore.

Why Pair Print with Digital Follow-Ups

For entrepreneurial brands, growth comes down to turning interest into action - and keeping customers coming back. This is where print sharpens your digital funnel. A thank-you note in a delivery or a discount postcard after a first purchase - these touches move people from transaction to relationship.

And when digital isn’t enough - say retargeting fails to reignite a lapsed customer - print can cut through the noise.

• 💌 Re-engagement for inactive customers – personalised mail often succeeds where digital is ignored.

• 🙌 Boosts loyalty – thoughtful touches make customers feel valued, turning buyers into advocates.

• 📈 Improves ROI – multi-channel strategies ensure every £ works harder.

It’s not just about boosting conversions; it’s about showing up differently. And the numbers prove it: cross-channel reinforcement dramatically improves effectiveness, making every pound go further.

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That’s it for this edition of The Specialist View. We’ll be back soon with more sharp thinking, fresh perspectives, and the kind of media intelligence that helps entrepreneurial marketers turn ambition into action – and impact. Because specialist work is what we do – and as a proudly independent media agency, we’re equally proud of the passionate specialists behind it. Their curiosity, craft and commitment drive everything we deliver, from smarter strategies to standout results. It’s this depth of expertise and energy that sets us apart – helping our clients move faster, think bigger, and demand more from their media.