Printing is always part of an effective marketing strategy, whether it’s for brochures, business cards or stationery. Many of these items become outdated quickly or are not always used, which makes marketing waste a big concern for many organisations.
Reducing waste in your business saves money but knowing where to start can be the biggest struggle. Successful print marketing is needed for most businesses and can have a great ROI but it’s still important to keep costs low to achieve that.
Waste reduction should be your priority
Firstly, make sure the waste reduction is considered when ordering marketing material. Many businesses focus on keeping the cost low per unit in effort to save money but forget to think about how much of the materials will be wasted. It’s better to order a bit less to start off with and order more if needed, rather than ordering a massive bulk and throwing loads away at the end of the year.
Keep your mailing list up to date
Keeping your mailing lists up to date can be one of the simplest ways to reduce the waste of printed marketing materials. When carrying out marketing activities like direct mailers, your marketing team has an accurate list to work off. If the lists contain recipients who, for one reason or another, are no longer part of your target audience, then it’s money down the drain.
Setting time aside to review the list on a quarterly basis and keep track of how long ago a customer has used your service will help keep it relevant. Add any new customers as a monthly task so they won’t get missed and forget about your business.
Review your needs
As well as reviewing mailing lists, it’s essential for businesses to regularly review their printing needs, to ensure they’re not purchasing printed marketing materials that’s no longer required. Outdated products or services, employees who leave and other changes, alter what you need.
Track how much you’re using
Keep count of your marketing materials by creating a spreadsheet for the volume of printed items you have. Keeping a watch on the demand for specific items – and adjusting print orders accordingly – can help to reduce waste and costs.
Recycle any waste
No matter how much you try to reduce your marketing waste, there will always be some waste that needs to be disposed of. For instance, maybe someone has left your business and you no longer need their business cards, or you’ve printed leaflets for a specific event and have some left over.
Whatever the reason, it’s best to recycle any waste that you make to ensure it’s not having a negative impact on the environment. Any shredding provider can take your marketing material and recycle it, even if it’s not confidential it can still be shredded and reused.
Shredall SDS Group can help
One of our core services is document shredding. With both on-site and off-site shredding on offer, we can safely destroy your businesses unwanted marketing materials in a way that suits your company’s unique requirements. All our shredded waste goes on to be recycled, so you can maintain a sustainable workplace even as you clear out everything you don’t need.
We provide a range of services to many marketing agencies and businesses around the UK. Visit our document management for marketing businesses page to learn more about how we help marketing, design, and print businesses. Alternatively, get in touch with our team today.
