How Print Marketing Can Help Your Personal CareerHere's how to promote yourself in myriad ways -- far beyond the basics of business cards and resumes.

When you're launching or revamping your career, one of the characteristics that will make you stand out from other candidates right away is a well-establishedpersonal brand.

Unfortunately, there's a lot more involved than just making sure your LinkedIn and Twitter avatars feature the same headshot. Fortunately, print can help. You can use print media to promote yourself in myriad ways -- far beyond the basics ofbusiness cardsand resumes.

Print makes you more relevant

Wait, what?

Isn't the opposite true -- that print makes youlessrelevant? This is actually a myth, believed by the same people who perpetuate the notion thatprint is about to become obsolete. The fact thatNewsweek is back in print, after a much-publicized year of digital production only, shows just how hasty the "death of print" conclusion is.

This is good news for those of you who are secretly rather fond of your stack of printed resumes. These and other physical tools for personal marketingshould be integratedwith your social media, online work portfolio and other digital resources. These things show hirers that you're more than just a list of skills.

There are many beautiful ways to brand yourselfthrough printed elementsif you embrace digital interaction rather than shying away from it. Some examples include:

• Presentation folders that supplement PowerPoint or online portfolio demos. Tuck a business card in an inner slot, and you're good to go
• Business cards that embrace QR codes or otheraugmented-reality elementsin their design

Don't be afraid to get creative. There will be different parameters for how much creativity is appropriate, based on the industry you work in (or want to work in). Keep an eye on those, and use your personal branding as an opportunity to tell your story -- specifically, how you believe this job opportunity is the next phase of your story.

Related:Is Your Personal Brand Disruptive?

Print makes you more memorable

Every job opening attracts a pool of candidates who are competing desperately for the attention of the hiring manager. As an applicant, you need to stand out from the crowd in as many ways as possible, and personal branding items from a reputable printer can help you do this.

It's simple but profound: Holding an object in your hand increases your tactile memory, both of the object and of the person who gave it to you. This is why so many people opt for unusual textures, embossing, letterpressing, cutouts and other non-standard choices with their business cards and other promotional materials. Any extra element adds interest to the texture and makes you more memorable to your contact.

More than the basic tactile element, printed materials offer apersonal connectionthat digital can't replicate. The sooner you nail down the essential visual elements of your personal brand -- colors or fonts -- the sooner you can align your print promotions to the common goal of getting you hired. For a stunning example of unified personal branding, check out Fyn Ng'sarsenal of print, including the shark fin logo he created for himself by playing on his name. (Even his website's loading animation features the fin logo swimming around)

Beyond the basic items you hand out in business settings such as cards and portfolios, you can take your promotion on the road with items likecar decalsand bumper stickers. Anywhere you can repeat your brand image makes you that much more likely to stick in someone's mind. You don't have to go overboard --ahem, covering your car in permanent graphics until you look like an advertising nightmare -- but a little tasteful promotion shows that you're serious aboutlanding a jobwhere you can maximize your talents.

Related:You Are Your Own Best Marketer

Print makes you more versatile

Print can expand the reach of your digital promotion more than you may have considered.

例如,社交媒体,视频,你自己的网站and a regularly updated blog go hand-in-hand very easily with print marketing. Making sure toadopt the same tone in your social media feedsandyour printed materialsshows that you're an integrated voice -- and it makes your brand more recognizable.

In addition to print/digital versatility, you want to show that you're prepared for anything, even if there isn't an Internet connection available. Consider havinga few different personally branded itemson hand, anticipating and reacting to different situations.

Related:The Essential Guide to Creating a Distinctive Personal Brand