Editor’s note: This blog post was originally published on October 5, 2017, and was last updated on August 6, 2024, to reflect current trends and add new insights on how books can strategically benefit businesses.

***

The Digital Age has opened up incredible opportunities for creative businesses to market their services and showcase their talents. However, one time-honored medium still reigns supreme when making an unmistakably powerful impression—a printed book. Print uniquely conveys a sense of skill, quality, and commitment that commands attention and respect.

Whether an exquisitely designed portfolio or a thoughtfully produced client gift, books can cut through the digital deluge and deliver your brand’s message with undeniable authority. Print conveys dedication, personalization, and an appreciation for the tactile experience that pixels simply cannot replicate. By incorporating strategic printed materials into your marketing mix, you elevate your brand’s perception of quality and establish more profound connections with prospects and clients. 

From nurturing leads to showcasing expertise, this guide explores 12 innovative ways to harness the persuasive impact of print and propel your creative enterprise to new heights.

1. Print portfolios and proposals 

Pixels simply can’t replicate the experience of presenting work in a printed portfolio or proposal book. Create bespoke printed books highlighting your best projects, incorporating generous negative space, unique paper stocks, and thoughtful design touches. 

Not only does this approach elevate your brand’s perception of quality, but it also facilitates more impactful in-person client interactions. Guide the viewer’s journey with visual chapter divides, luxe paper interiors, and even specialty printing finishes like dust jackets or foil.

2. Nurture relationships with promo pieces

While your core portfolio may be too precious to leave behind, more cost-effective printed collateral like trade books and even magazines can nurture prospect relationships post-meeting. 

Design an engaging piece providing a bite-sized taste of your services, thought leadership, or company background. With lower print costs, you can share these conversation starters liberally.

3. Gift client books

Deepen client loyalty and appreciate big wins or long-standing partnerships through thoughtful, personalized printed client books. Commission custom art books showcasing your collaborative projects or anthologize testimonials and case studies into compelling printed vignettes. 

Don’t forget to enclose personalized notes or create numbered editions to make each book feel truly one-of-a-kind.

4. Market visually-driven work 

Printed media provides an ideal canvas to highlight your full capabilities when showcasing visually-driven work like photography or graphic design. Compile your best images into artistic printed portfolios, or elevate commercial photography with direct mail magazines or high-end art books. 

Let the rich tones and meticulous details of your work speak for themselves through the physicality of print.

5. Showcase offerings 

Printed offerings or service guides not only communicate your packages but also underscore your refined taste and attention to detail. Use luxurious paper stocks and skillful design to present bundled service packages for your creative consulting, photography packages, gallery curation, and more. 

Pro tip: Insert branded inserts or tip-in pages to keep details current or to share personalized notes.

6. Sell your expertise 

If you’re a creative coach, instructor, or agency positioning yourself as a thought leader, publishing a book is an avenue to monetize your expertise while opening doors to additional revenue streams like speaking engagements. 

You can even use an online print platform (like Blurb) to produce professional-grade volumes that are seamlessly printed and shipped globally on demand.

7. Wow at events and exhibitions 

For gallery openings, showings, workshops, and other art events you host, printed magazines and exhibitor guides will amplify the occasion’s prestige and intrigue guests. 

You can highlight contributors’ biographies, statements, and art in quality printed materials. And it doesn’t have to break the bank. You can easily adjust print run quantities based on attendance.

8. Promote your course

If you provide creative courses or even online tutorials, printed student workbooks, manuals, and textbooks allow learners to engage more immersively while cementing your authority. Not to mention providing another source of income.

Incorporate worksheets, notes pages, and examples of applied techniques. If you’re using them in a classroom, opt for a hardcover format to withstand repeated use.

9. Test direct mail campaigns 

While many businesses exclusively use digital channels, printed mail pieces instantly elevate your outreach. You can test catalog promotions spotlighting new service offerings, recent marquee projects, testimonials, or company news. 

10. Fundraise with print materials 

For businesses looking to raise funds for charitable causes, print-on-demand books provide an easy way to create and sell themed anthologies like community cookbooks or art books, with proceeds benefiting the fundraiser. This boosts community goodwill while showcasing your brand’s values.

11. Share brand style guides

For creative agencies, design firms, and branding consultants, printed brand style guides serve as authoritative visual references for both internal teams and clients. Print-on-demand allows you to update these guides regularly with new case studies showcasing evolving visual identities and expanded guidelines.

12. Keep an internal knowledge base

In addition to client-facing uses, books are an ideal way to create comprehensive printed internal knowledge bases and training materials. From documenting creative workflows to sharing onboarding resources, printed manuals can streamline operations and empower teams.

***

Strategically incorporating print books and magazines allows you to amplify your brand messaging, elevate client experiences, and showcase a level of commitment that digital alone cannot match. 

Ready to try? Blurb lets you self-publish professional books seamlessly and cost-effectively—whether you’re a solopreneur or an enterprise business. Get started transforming your creative business’s print strategy today.