In business, to say that you should make every dollar count is an understatement. When dealing with uncertain economic times, budgeting decisions matter a great deal. Improving your profit margins and increasing your bottom line is always a top priority, which is why the instinct to try to cut corners to save a few dollars here and there is a natural one.

It's also an instinct that you would do well to fight, especially when it comes to your print marketing.

Marketing is About Communication and Communication Matters

People who feel like it's okay to cut corners with their print marketing are probably not understanding what their marketing collateral is supposed to do. If you look at a flyer or another piece of print material as only an information exchange, things like paper stock and print quality probably aren't going to be high on your list of priorities.

However, those things should make the top of the list because print marketing is about more than just an information exchange. It's about opening up a line of communication with your audience that will be mutually beneficial to everyone involved. It's about creating a meaningful experience with a person, one that doesn't just inform them about your product or service but that also gives you a competitive advantage.

As a "top-of-the-funnel" medium, print is important because it guarantees you the nearly undivided attention of your readers - the same attention they often give to magazine and newspaper content, as per the American Marketing Association. Why, then, do you think it's a good idea to get someone to focus their attention on something that isn't the best quality it can be? Is that the impression you really want to make?

That's precisely the decision you make when you try to cut corners when talking about something as mission-critical as print marketing. If you can only make one first impression, it serves you well to make it the best one you can. Nothing makes a worse first impression than a low quality, easily ignorable piece of print marketing making their way into someone's mailbox (or worse - your store window).

How to Save Money Without Sacrificing Quality

Instead of cutting corners across the proverbial marketing board, consider cutting out certain elements wholesale if you're trying to stretch your budget as far as it can go. Take a look at your existing marketing channels and see what is working and what isn't. Cut anything at the bottom of the list and funnel some of those funds back into your marketing so that you can double down on the print materials that are striking a chord with your target audience.

Not only will you still be able to save a little money, but the remaining print collateral that you're using will come out all the better for it. Even one incredible piece of print collateral is more effective (and more important) than ten low-quality ones.

Investing in Marketing is an Investment in Your Business

A solid piece of print marketing collateral will not just get someone down off the fence and turn them from "potential buyer" to "customer." Nurturing that line of communication at the right time can turn someone from "one-time customer" into "brand advocate" and beyond, too.

But that's not going to happen if you cut corners on something this important. According to Quickbooks, inadequate marketing has been proven to stunt your business' growth. Is that a chance worth taking, all in the name of saving a few bucks in the short-term? We certainly don't think so.