Guest Author
With the rise of digital media, you may be wondering if print advertising is still relevant. You may think there’s no need for your business to spend money on it anymore. But print ads are still very relevant. Print is a form of advertising that you should integrate into your marketing strategy.
Print advertisements are one of the original forms of mass advertising, and they continue to be a trusted form of media. Early Stage Marketing reviewed print advertising statistics and found that when making a buying decision, 8 out of 10 consumers admitted they trust print ads the most. Additionally, they found that over half of consumers say they prefer to read print media over digital media. If you want to be where your customers are, that means integrating print advertising into your marketing strategy as well.
In this article, we’ll explore why print advertising continues to be an important part of many marketing strategies. Partnering with a print advertising agency for your business needs could give your company the marketing boost you’ve been looking for.
Print Advertising Is Everywhere
Think about your day-to-day life. You are likely commuting somewhere daily or leaving the house at least a few days a week. When you do, print advertising is all around you, even if you don’t realize it. Ads appear on flyers, brochures, billboards, magazines, newspapers, shop windows, public transportation, and other locations. Those are all opportunities for your business or product to be seen.
Newspapers Are Still Read By Many
Even if you do not read hard-copy newspapers anymore, many Americans do. According to Redline, in 2022 the average circulation of the New York Times printed newspaper was about 310,000 on weekdays and 745,000 on Sundays. The Wall Street Journal was also up there, with about 560,000 print circulations as of August 2023. Work with a print advertising agency to choose newspapers that match your audience demographic, and a lot of new potential customers could be seeing your advertisements.
People Can’t Ignore Print Ads as Easily as They Can Digital
When you are scrolling online or reading a digital article, what do you do when an advertisement comes up? Chances are, you try to click out of it without even looking at it. You click “skip” or scroll past it as fast as you can, minimizing your exposure to the advertisement.
When it comes to print advertising, you do not have the option to easily X out of the advertisement. Instead, it remains on the page you’re reading, on the billboard you’re driving by, or on the city bus you’re following. You can’t help but see it and usually for long enough to register what the ad is about and maybe even develop interest in what you see.
Print Advertising Is Tangible
Do you remember things better if you watch them on a screen or if you are actually holding and touching them in your hands? For many, the answer is the latter. When we engage our tactile senses, we are more likely to remember what we have seen or read, especially when compared to an image or video that is fleeting on a screen. Print advertising provides you with the advantage of engaging multiple senses, helping to create a stronger and more-lasting impression.
Print Ads Offer All the Information at Once
It’s no secret that in recent years the attention span of the average person has decreased. When someone is exposed to an advertisement on social media or a website, their attention is solely on the entertainment they’re seeking, not on the advertisement. Additionally, if an advertisement is too long, chances are the person isn’t going to watch much of it.
This isn’t an issue when it comes to print advertisements. Even if the person is not fully focused on your print ad, they are still capable of registering its message at a glance. There is no video or audio that they must pay attention to, to find out what it’s about. With a brief scan of their eyes, they can understand the entire print advertisement in an instant.
You Can Reach a More Niche Audience
Print advertising can also be effective if your target audience is a very niche one. Place your advertising in a location or medium that is specific to your target audience and earn a higher rate of return on your investment. By targeting people you know are already interested in your product or service, you can increase your chances of making the sale. Think of it as being a big fish in a small pond rather than a small fish in a big pond.
Magazines are a perfect example of this as there is a magazine for everything—fashion, automotive, business, real estate, writing, alumni associations, history, and so on. There is definitely a publication that aligns with your product or service, and your potential customers are likely already reading it.
It Pairs Well With Other Marketing
Print advertising is ever-present and still relevant for businesses today, but it shouldn’t be the only marketing tactic you use. Rather, it should be part of a diversified marketing strategy and used in conjunction with digital marketing, graphic design, social media marketing, and other techniques. Print advertising is another marketing tool that can help you get your product or service in front of new potential customers—especially those customers in your target audience.
Choosing the correct print advertising agency is important. They should have experience running print advertising campaigns and running print and digital campaigns simultaneously. If you are curious to learn more about print advertising or to hear how a print advertising agency can benefit your business specifically, InnoVision works with clients across the country.
