So much effort goes into developing content for marketing communications. But if people don’t engage with them, it’s a missed opportunity to connect. At their best, communications foster loyalty and deepen relationships. When you truly understand your audience, they can have the power to bring people together, motivate, and inspire.
But is it possible to create customer communications customers actually look forward to receiving? We think so. That’s what we had in mind when we developed the Did You Know series for Sylvamo.
Sales tool to marketing magic.
The goal of the series was to give Sylvamo salespeople something they could use as a conversation starter when they visited print shops. Each one would tackle a topic on the minds of printers and give them something to share with their customers. But what started as a sales leave-behind has evolved into a knowledge sharing tool. Each month the Did You Know series delivers by demonstrating new techniques and technologies that are making print exciting again, as well as practical advice recipients can use every day.
Know your audience.
The first thing we needed to wrap our heads around was the diverse audience Sylvamo needed to communicate with. There are the print providers who purchase paper from merchants. Then, there are the specifiers and influencers like print buyers, marketers, and designers, who often decide which paper will be used on a given print project. One thing all these audiences have in common is that they’re looking for new ways to engage audiences with print communications and collateral.
Interactivity helps.
Sylvamo already had an augmented reality browser app called Sylvamo+. The DYK series offered an opportunity to showcase that technology and encourage more downloads. By adding an AR experience where it made sense, we were able to keep audiences engaged longer. And we know that if we can communicate with someone through an interactive experience, we have a much higher likelihood of continuing the dialogue.
Get more mileage.
To get more mileage out of each piece, the individual Did You Knows are also used as trade show takeaways. In our editorial calendar, we plan content around each trade show where Sylvamo plans to exhibit. Topics are matched to the needs of each show audience, whether that’s designers, printers, or marketers. The series has also proven to be a popular mill promotion that designers can request on the PaperSpecs website.
Align with your brand.
The series works because it’s aligned with the Sylvamo brand. By offering up thought leadership and inspiration, it promotes the creative use of print. By highlighting new techniques and technologies, the Did You Knows confirm the relevance of print in an increasingly digital world.
Our client is thrilled with the response to the series, and we think we’ve succeeded in giving each audience something that inspires them. If you think your marketing communications should be something your audiences look forward to receiving, drop us a line.
