Print Ads Aren’t Dead, You’re Just Not Using Them Right

The phrase ‘print is dead’ is something we’ve all repeatedly heard over the last decade. Repeatedly might not even be strong enough a word as opposed to beaten over the head. Although some of these industry professionals and marketers are correct in some regard, they are concerningly off-base in terms of overall marketing strategy.

Today we’re going to review why we still implement print ads as a part of our marketing strategies and why print ads may be beneficial for your brand.

Let’s Start with the Facts

The idea that print is dead has been vastly exaggerated. Have major news outlets lost a serious amount of revenue through advertisement? Of course, but as you can see in the chart below, direct mail vastly outweighs its counterparts in terms of response rates from your target audience.

Another incredibly insightful infographic is one that was made by USPS and the data they were able to gather.

Print Ads Have a Sense of Credibility

Print publications that have been around for decades, some well over a century and have developed a reputation and a higher level of consumer trust compared to their online counterparts. There is a standard that news outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post must adhere to. Because of this, consumers tend to trust ads in print about 34 percent more than ads found on search engines when making decisions regarding conversions, including when it’s time to make a purchase, according to Relevance.

To further prove this point, let’s briefly disregard the overwhelming proof and statistics that print ads still make sense. Right now, the United States is grappling with a serious issue: fake news. Completely fabricated and misleading information that is presented to audiences with an ulterior motive. You can find it virtually everywhere online. On Facebook, in pop-up ads, and even from sources that seem, at first glance, credible. It seems inescapable and has begun to taint the reputation of the internet as a whole.

This is increasingly important information to know as a marketer who is trying to sell someone on the idea of buying their product. People have become more hesitant with what they see online, and the fact remains they trust print more.

Print Ads Last Longer

We all know what happens when you run out of marketing dollars for your digital ad campaign. Your ads literally cease to exist and are deleted from the internet forever without a trace.

But what about print ads? Although you can’t measure engagements and conversions as easily as digital advertising, print ads give you the best ROI with their shelf life. Consumers online can see hundreds of ads within a short period of time and oftentimes try to avoid them with the help of ad blockers. But print ads create an entirely different kind of experience for your audience by resonating with them over a longer period of time – thus making them more likely to respond to your advertisement.

Think about one of the magazines you have sitting on the coffee table in your living room. It’s last month’s issue, and you still have another week until the latest one comes in. Since then, you’ve looked through it yourself a few times, but you also have had friends and family over a few times for get-togethers, and they trust you – therefore, they trust what you read and have picked up the magazine too. Already, multiple people have looked at the advertisements within the magazine with a sense of trust they would not have with a digital advertisement.

Remember, this is only one magazine in a private residence. Just think about how many people would see your ad if the magazine was placed in a more public setting like a doctor’s office, the lobby of a building, or a salon.

Target Your Audience Better

With the help of modern-day technologies like data analysis tools, you can better find your target groups when utilizing print advertisements in your marketing strategy. Analytic insights can help you curate a better list for your next print mailer. The right analytics mixed with the most impressionable from of advertising is a recipe for success.

Not only that, but print media audiences, especially within a certain niche, tend to have more spending money. Did you know that 70% of households with an income of over $100,000 are newspaper readers?

Yes, digital advertising can effectively get your brand’s name out there, but you also want to make sure you’re targeting consumers with spending power.

Print and Digital Working Together

Putting all your marketing dollars into print or digital advertising is not a good idea, but a healthy mix of both working together is a great one. By investing in both, you can amplify and elevate your call to action by creating multiple streams or journeys for your audience members to buy into what you’re selling. Additionally, by implementing both forms of advertisement, you’re separating yourself from what is considered ‘traditional’ marketing strategies now.