Print Marketing Still Works For Blue-Collar Businesses
I’m going to walk you through the best way to use print marketing for your blue-collar business.
Each business is different, so you may need to adjust and tweak what we go over to make it your own.
What’s Covered:
Print marketing basics (business cards, postcards, flyers, ect.)
How to get print and digital marketing to work together
Examples of how to design difference pieces of print marketing
You can do this yourself, or I can help you out. Either way, you'll know how to use print marketing for your blue-collar business
Does Print Marketing Still Work
Everyone always wants to talk about digital marketing. Social media, Instagram Reels, AI, promo videos, Google ads you name it.
But here is something most people forget — print marketing still works. Especially for blue-collar businesses.
This is going to be old school mixed with new school. That is what we are covering today.
QR Code - 0:47
The main way we are going to get print marketing and digital marketing to work together is with a QR Code. This is the old school new school combo.
I’m sure everyone knows what a QR code is - someone scans the code with their phone and it sends them directly to a specific link.
Print gets you in front of people physically. QR codes bring them online.
This is where strategy comes into play - this can go to a specific landing page, your home page, a request a quote page, your Google reviews, etc. It really depends on what your goal is and what type of print marketing you are doing
Business Cards- 1:39
We will start with the number one thing people get when they start a business - business cards.
You still need them nowadays and they still do work.
If you are going to design some new business cards, make sure the colors are on brand for you. If you have all black trucks go with black cards, all your trucks are white and red go with a white card and red lettering to match your trucks. You get the idea.
This is not a branding video but that really makes a difference when you have brand consistency with everything, the jobsite, online, any print marketing it all looks the same.
What to actually put on the card? Less it more - don't clutter with a ton of info.
Logo, your name, phone number, QR code. You don’t need much more than that. If you want to get a little fancy, you can add all your services on the back with a qr code, and some type of a tag line.
If you are gonna order them, go for a thicker card; it is definitely worth the extra few bucks.
Postcards & EDDM - 4:51
This one is underrated and most people don’t know this tool exists.
The post office has a program called Every Door Direct Mail — EDDM. It lets you target a specific mail route and send a mailer to every address on that route without needing names, addresses, or any type of list.
This can work for almost anyone but if your jobsite is a show stopper this for you. If you have a bunch of trucks, trailers, machines, you need to figure out where everyone is parking before you get there you know exactly what I’m talking about. Paving, concrete work, hardscape, landscape design, tree work people notice when you’re in the area working.
There are a ton of different ways to design a post card I am just going to say make sure you have the QR code on it
Here is how this can work for you
Let's say you just finished a job on a specific streets, well say Main street and 1st street. Those streets and the surrounding area are all on the same mail route. You can send a postcard to every address on that mail route — right while you are working there or right after you finish.
So think about this. People drive by or walk by your jobsite. They see the trucks, the equipment, all the work being done. The see what it looked like before you got there, while you and your guys were working, and now the finished product. Then they come home and there is a postcard in their mailbox from you. Same colors. Same logo. Looks exactly like what they drove past or just walked by.
That is not a coincidence. They are gonna be like wow these dudes are for real they are everywhere in their neighborhood. I gotta call them.
So there is a lot going on there - especially with brand consistency but that is a topic for another video. But you can see how having everything look the same really can make a difference.
Yard Signs - 8:48
Free advertising on every job you finish. I don’t know the exact ordinances for every town, I’m saying where to put them. I’m just generally speaking about yard sings.
What goes on the yard sign? You gotta think about location, it is a busy road where people are just driving right by, or might be a side street where people are walking by or driving slower that is something to think about.
You want to design it so someone driving or walking by can both get something out of it. Logo, phone number and qr code is the most basic set up.
People driving by will be able to see your logo or phone number and the people walking by can see it all and scan the QR code.
Door Hangers - 10:45
Door hangers can still be used, they are a little of an odd size so you just gotta get a little creative with how you set it up.
For some wording on the door hanger if you are working in the neighborhood and are going to do them while working or after you finish a job you could say
Just finished up ____ service for your neighbor. We would love to do the same for you.
If you really want to track how well this is working, put a deal or discount on the door hanger that is nowhere else.
Mention the door hanger when you call and get 15% of your project with us. Or this could have a qr code that goes to a specific form and you could track it that way.
If you really want to track your marketing and see what's working and what is not and see your “ROI” - that is an easy way to do it.
Flyers - 13:46
Everyone knows what a flyer is - they have all different sizes. For the design of the flyer it really depends on where they are going and what the goal is.
For example if you’re at a community or networking event and it's just generic info it could almost mirror what you have on your homepage. You wanna keep it simple and make sure you have sections to the flyer. It's just gonna help give it that professional look.
Don't just put everything on there and make it look like a word document section it off, make the font a different size, add some photos if you can have your logo, contact info, and definitely have a QR code on there as well.
OK and a little design tip If you're doing this yourself design it on the computer do whatever you gotta do then print it out and see how it looksThen you'll be able to get a real feel for what it looks like then you can make your changes.
Thank You Cards & Google Reviews - 15:45
So if you do any type of thank you card or gift for your customers after you complete a job and I get it this depends on what type of service you do. I'm just throwing something generic out there.
You give them a thank you card or gift whatever that is. We're not gonna go over specifics right now, but you can have a card in there that has a QR code opens right up for them to give you a review.
The card can say something like we'd love to hear your feedback or please give us a review and share you experience with us. However you wanna word it.
So a lot of people do this digitally, they send a text email call whatever they wanna do but this is just another layer you can add.
Even if you're not doing a gift or some type of thank you card you still could get these made up whatever size you want with the QR code and just give them to customers when you finish the job.
DIY It Or Call Me - 17:44
Everything covered here and in the video you can implement on your own. Take the info about print marketing, apply it to your brand, and make it your own.
If you'd rather have someone handle it — that's exactly what TradeTough does. We do marketing specifically for blue-collar trade businesses in NJ and the Northeast. Built by someone who grew up in the trades and knows what your customers are actually looking for.
Either way — now you know how print marketing works.
Let’s Get To Work
You shouldn't have to explain your business or the work you do to someone who doesn't get it. When you work with TradeTough, you won't.
I grew up in the trades and worked a blue-collar job most of my life. When you call me, we're already speaking the same language.
If you're a blue-collar business owner and tired of working with an agency that doesn't get it, TradeTough was built for you.