Print Is NOT Dead - Part 1 of 5

I am asked by Publishers everyday what is the subject matter that is the most requested for me to write columns on each week. The answer is overwhelmingly, Print Is NOT Dead.

Even in this hyper-competitive media landscape, print advertising remains a valuable marketing tool that offers unique benefits. The top challenge for those selling advertising in newspapers, magazines and other forms of hard copy is to overcome the perception that print is out-dated and inefficient. There are various proven benefits available to advertisers that use print advertising in 2015-16 and far longer. Most focus on print’s ability to pinpoint a target audience with eye-catching ads that can be easily kept or passed along. Providing specific geographic controlled targeted circulation to advertisers is a great marketing tool. The number 1 reason potential advertisers should use your print vehicle is that they know motivated reader’s eye-balls are drawn to your American Classifieds/Thrifty Nickel advertising because they know that it will deliver results weekly.

Is print dead? This is a question that has been buzzing around the marketing world since the rapid surge of the Internet and social media. While many businesses have completely migrated their advertising efforts to the web because of its cost effectiveness, exposure potential and convenience, print still maintains its stance as a powerful and necessary component of an ad campaign. Let’s take a closer look at print media and some advantages it has over its 2015-2016 digital counterparts.

Bullet Points To Print:

Tangibility – A print piece is a physical thing. Weekly print papers and magazines can stay in houses or offices for months or years, while Internet ads can disappear into cyber space instantaneously, and do.

Credibility – There is something about print that gives a sense of legitimacy. The saturation of popups and banner ads on the web can be overwhelming and the fear of spam and viruses is enough to make people weary of clicking. There is no danger of a print ad, causing you to get a computer virus, or your privacy being invaded.

Branding – Print ads are excellent for solidifying your advertiser’s brand identity. Their ads should have a consistent aesthetic in terms of fonts, colors and types of images to establish brand recognition.

Target Marketing – Placing ads in print publications designed to put buyers and sellers together or specialty magazines can effectively reach niche audiences that may be more difficult, or impossible to target online.

More Engaging – Consumers are more engaged when reading printed material, unlike websites, which are often skimmed in as little as a 15 second visit. A recent study by [Alshaali & Varshney] shows that people read digital screen text 20% – 30% slower than printed paper.

Less Print Ads – With more and more businesses falsely relying solely on the Internet for their advertising needs, the decline of print publication can actually be used as a marketing advantage. Print publications are less in numbers today, allowing more room for your advertising to shine, and possibly even more cost effective rates than ever before.

Value Added Incentives – Create value-added incentives that increase the appeal of your print ads. For example, publications that have a companion website will often run online ads for free in exchange for a long-term commitment to the flagship print product. Similarly, an advertiser can be offered the opportunity to include a free-standing insert, brochure or slick flyer inside a publication. Packaging, and cross advertising, print and web ads is the best media combination their is today.

Print supporting Web & Web supporting Print…a lethal combination.

Upgraded Theme Pages or Special Advertising Sections supported by editorial and map graphics – Develop additional theme pages and special sections for your advertisers designed mainly to draw new readers to their message. This is a common strategy for established print entities looking for ways to give ad sales a jolt. A historic event or a notable achievement can be commemorated with a one-time section or seasonal sections featuring specially created ads. Annual events, business anniversaries, special sales, etc. can be showcased with a right hand page lead off art work strategically located in your regular publication. You can also group ads together in one common event or sales special to give your free standing sales inserts more punch and greater exposure. You can also group ads together for a special promotion and have a press over-run for additional hand outs.

Print is Not Dead, and its up to us to be sure it does Not become terminally ill.