Print marketing: your guide to making it work in 2026

Tangible, trusted and memorable, print marketing offers opportunities for your brand to break away from the noise of the digital space and make a strong connection with your audience.

From personalised direct mail and eye-catching advertising to impactful brochures and flyers, print is a powerful tool, particularly when integrated with digital channels.

In this guide, we’ll explore:

Why print marketing works
The formats that deliver results
Keeping costs under control
How to plan campaigns that achieve real impact

What is print marketing?

Print marketing is the use of printed materials to promote a brand, product or service. It allows you to put something tangible in the hands of your audience, with the aim of creating a powerful, lasting impression.

It’s worth noting that print marketing encompasses more than direct mail. This may be one of its most effective channels, but print also includes advertising in magazines, flyers handed out at events and specialist items such as invitations or promotional booklets.

The Mailing People is a full-service mailing house, which means we can support every stage of a print marketing campaign, from design and data cleansing to printing, fulfilment and delivery.

Why print marketing works in a digital-first world

With so much competition for attention online, print marketing stands out by offering something tangible and trustworthy. It can prove particularly powerful when it complements digital activity, giving campaigns a stronger, multi-channel presence. Some specific benefits include:

Tangibility and trust: printed items are often seen as more credible than digital ads.
Longer attention spans: recipients typically spend more time reading print materials than online content.
Highly targeted: personalised print marketing campaigns can reach the right audience with a compelling message.
Multi-channel impact: print works well alongside email and social, boosting overall engagement.

When planned carefully, print marketing delivers measurable results that build stronger customer relationships. It can drive website visits, prompt responses to offers, or encourage sign-ups to events. In today’s digital-first world, the physical presence of print can make the difference between being remembered or ignored.

Core print marketing formats that deliver results

Different objectives call for different print formats. Choosing the right one is key to ensuring your campaign connects with your audience and achieves your goals.

Direct mail – letters, postcards, self-mailers

Direct mail is one of the most effective ways to reach people at home or at work. Letters allow for more detailed messaging, postcards are quick and eye-catching, and self-mailers combine design and content without the need for an envelope. Personalisation is also a key factor, helping to improve engagement and response rates.

Print advertising – flyers, brochures, inserts

Flyers and brochures are versatile tools for marketing activities like raising awareness, showcasing products or promoting events. Newspaper and magazine inserts can be a cost-effective way to reach specific readerships. These formats are particularly effective for local campaigns and retail promotions, where you might need broad distribution to drive results.

Specialist print – personalised catalogues, event invites

For higher-value campaigns, specialist formats such as personalised catalogues or event invitations can add a premium touch. These are ideal for businesses looking to impress prospective buyers, retain loyal customers or drive attendance to exclusive events. The ability to customise content and design could also help you strengthen perceptions of your brand and get the responses you’re looking for.

Planning a print marketing campaign

A successful print marketing campaign starts with clear planning. Before any design or print work begins, it’s important to map out the essentials:

Define your audience and objectives – know who you want to reach and what actions you want them to take.
Choose the right format and message – select the print type that best matches your goals and keep your messaging clear and focused.
Consider fulfilment and postage early – decisions on size, weight and packaging affect costs and delivery times, so it makes sense to factor these in as early as you can.
Set timelines and budget – realistic schedules and clear budgets help to keep campaigns on track and prevent last-minute problems.

These steps are part of the planning stage rather than execution, but they can have a big impact on results. Involving a mailing house partner like The Mailing People early on helps avoid costly reprints, improves efficiency and ensures your campaign is set up for success.

Design tips to make your print marketing stand out

Great design helps ensure your print marketing campaigns grab attention and encourage action. A few key principles to keep in mind include:

Keep copy clear and concise – avoid overwhelming readers with too much text.
Use design to lead the eye – guide readers naturally from your headline to your call to action.
Maintain brand consistency – visual elements like colours, fonts and logos should match your wider identity.
Consider the envelope or outer packaging – being creative here can increase open rates for direct mail.

Collaborating with experienced designers can make a big difference, especially if you have lots of questions about this part of the process. We work closely with The Graphic Design House, giving our clients access to professional creative support for print marketing and many other campaign types.

How to control print costs and postage spend

Print and postage can make up a large share of campaign costs, but careful planning keeps them under control. The format, paper weight and type of envelope you decide to go with can all affect postage bands, so small changes can unlock savings. For example, selecting a lighter stock or a more compact format could reduce costs without diminishing impact.

Another important factor is fulfilment. Automated processes such as polywrapping, paper wrapping and envelope enclosing can cut labour time while ensuring accuracy.

Postage optimisation is a core part of our service at The Mailing People. We can:

Help you manage your print marketing campaigns to ensure you qualify for every potential discount
Design mailers to secure optimal postage rates, based on size, format and volume
Provide access to multiple distribution channels, via all the leading downstream delivery providers
Buy bulk mail postage on your behalf to secure the best possible savings

Sustainability in print marketing

Sustainability is now a key consideration for businesses investing in print marketing. Customers want to know that materials are produced responsibly, and small choices can make a big difference to your environmental footprint.

We only use FSC® certified paper products, providing assurance to our clients that their paper comes from sustainably managed forests and other controlled sources. Modern litho and digital printing processes can also help to minimise waste.

Accurate data and delivery play a role too, as fewer mistargeted mailings means less paper used and less waste. By combining sustainable materials with smart campaign planning, you can keep your carbon footprint under control while benefiting from the impact and credibility that print marketing brings.

Common print marketing mistakes to avoid

Even well-planned campaigns can fall short if key details are overlooked. Some of the most common mistakes you should be aware of include:

Leaving postage considerations until the last minute, which could result in higher costs
Overcomplicating design so the core message gets lost
Using poor-quality or outdated data, which wastes budget and damages credibility
Setting unrealistic timelines that create unnecessary stress or compromise quality
Failing to integrate print with other channels, missing out on the benefits of a joined-up approach

Avoiding these pitfalls helps ensure your print marketing campaigns run smoothly and deliver the strong, measurable returns you’re looking for.

If you need expert support with design, fulfilment and postage optimisation to make print marketing work for your business, we can help.