How to Make Your Catalog Advertising More Effective

By: Amanda Smith

With the explosion of online shopping, it’s easy to think you should just abandon traditional forms of advertising. But, I’m here to tell you, that would be a huge mistake. Marketing has changed, but you don’t want to completely abandon methods that have proven to be effective in the past.

Catalogs are still a great way to secure ongoing sales from your existing customers – and ideal for attracting new ones. It’s been proven that consumers use catalogs as sources of inspiration before going online to make a purchase. Plus, advertising in catalogs will help you stand out from your competitors, who are oversaturating the digital market. Here are a few things you can do to make any catalog program more effective – and use it in conjunction with your digital efforts.

Create campaign goals.
The goals behind your catalog advertising campaign should be measurable, clear and realistic. Examples of goals can include: increase sales, drive customers to ESP, educate customers, build branding and gain exposure for your company and products. I know, all of these goals sound great, but if you pick one or two, everyone in your organization will have a clear idea of what their efforts should focus on. This creates consistency and promotes a team environment at your business.
 
Use catalogs to create a message.
Your catalog advertisement should highlight the benefits and features of your product(s) while keeping your goals and target market in mind. You want an attention-grabbing description, a high-quality image of the product, a secondary headline or subhead, the body of the ad and closing. The body of the ad should raise awareness of your brand, create an interest in that particular item and build a desire in the reader to further research your product and brand. Remember: Don’t give it all away. You need to provide enough info to entice the prospect to want to learn more. Suggestions on how to sell the product, popular uses and top markets are also nuggets of info readers will latch on to.
 
Develop a multichannel campaign.
A catalog ad is just the tip of the iceberg. Like I mentioned earlier, you want the catalog to be a part of your overall strategy. The catalog creates buzz and awareness of your brand and product, but you need to follow it up with dedicated emails that promote your ad in a catalog. You can also schedule digital ads to show up first or higher on the results page so that if a reader is searching for the product they saw in the catalog, you’ll get a second touchpoint, and carry them closer to a purchase.
 
These are just a few ways you can increase the effectiveness of your catalog advertising. ASI publishes 4 unique catalogs throughout the year that boast high circulation, low cost-per-impression and reach the top markets in the promotional products industry. Learn more about our catalogs and how to include your products and make catalog marketing part of your media mix.