Receipts – a new print marketing space?

While many small businesses and organizations may primarily think of print marketing in terms of direct mail, new software is showing them how to turn everyday business items, such as product receipts, into print advertisements.

The software, called SmartReceipt, allows retailers, restaurant owners and other entrepreneurs to offer customers coupons, deals or information about their online presence, products or services all on the customer's receipt, ZDNet explains.

"The ability to target marketing messages to customers based on what was in their order or time of day has been extremely effective," Anthony Pigliacampo, founder of restaurant ModMarket, told the source. "Our redemption rate for offers we dynamically print on receipts is about 10 times the redemption rate on other coupon offers we have distributed."

Not all small business owners may have use for such software, but it does tap into a growing marketing trend – partnering digital efforts with print materials. This can include quick response codes, direct mail offers that bring consumers online, or even just making a company's catalog web-friendly.