Businesses tend to invest the majority of their advertising dollars online, mostly because we assume print isn’t working anymore. By living a life consumed by digital media, we have misconceptions about using printed publications and other print methods as an advertising outlet.

Has at least one of these ideas crossed your mind?

• It’s much more convenient to pick up your phone for information rather than a magazine.
• Young audiences have a low interest in reading anything that isn’t digital.
• It’s really hard to track results on a printed advertising campaign.

Reality shows that the benefits offered by printed publications are still efficient and generate results. It’s misleading to think of print as old and outdated. Just as the digital world is innovating continually, print channels and print strategies are innovating too. As long as we exist in a physical world, physical advertising will have a place at the table.

Communicate Directly with Your Target Audience

Just as you can target your audience online, you can do it via printed publications too.

When you analyze your potential customers’ habits, you can make sure your advertisement will be available to them in key strategic places. For example, if you want to promote your career opportunities, then you can distribute printed materials at university campuses, near the Metro station, in industry relevant publications, with recruitment agencies, and in office building heavy locations.

Learn to translate your demographic research into the tangible world. If you’re targeting an outdoorsy market, it’s likely you’re already advertising on outdoor recreation websites. Extend this logic by taking out ad space in physical locations where campers, hikers, and bikers can be found or in publications they read. Consider a billboard outside of REI, for example.

This strategy ensures visibility to the relevant audience. Moreover, you will know that if a person decided to read your flyer or buy a specific magazine, then they have an interest in that domain or subject. So, you’re now in the perfect position to offer them the answer to their questions or the solution to their needs.

Another benefit of targeting offline is the lower competition. The low price of online advertising makes it very tempting to focus on, leading to fewer competitors fighting for attention in print spaces. Being present offline carries an air of authority because of this lower volume of participants and higher cost of entry. It feels more “official.” Because of this, printed channels are perceived as trustworthy and high-quality.

Create a Unique Relationship with the Reader

When online, we’re all assaulted by banners for different products, remarketing, video advertisements, discounts and offers, pop-up windows, and more, all occurring constantly and without our consent. You likely don’t pay attention to all of them or they become annoying. At some point, you’ve seen so many that you don’t mentally process the message anymore.

However, a printed publication creates a bridge with the reader. It offers a one-to-one relationship in which people are free to choose whether and when to read, in an environment with no pressure or distraction. It’s about letting the reader make their own decisions regarding what kind of content they want to focus their attention on.

Trust and appreciation for the publication also creates a mindset in readers more open to what they see. They perceive ads to be better curated, more professional, and more relevant.

Consequently, readers will more easily, and more favorably, remember your company and the message you’re conveying.

Increase Readers’ Attention

How many times have you finished reading an online article? We mean, read it word-by-word, until the end. Probably only when it was a really important subject to you.

Most of the time when we’re reading something published online, we just scan the information, looking for key ideas or words. This makes the average reading style fast and superficial. Not to mention, that we become distracted easily by newsletter subscription pop-ups or an animated banner ad. It takes about 25 minutes to get back on track after being distracted. The printed publication, however, offers a more focused reading environment. Even if you move through the content slower than online, you will pay more attention to the information. That’s exactly what you need for successful advertising.

Powerful Combo

Online advertising is essential to any marketing strategy, we aren’t knocking it. But imagine if you combine the power of both online and offline channels. You will maximize results, increase your brand awareness, and generate concrete ROI (Return On Investment).

Even though we live in a technological era, print still plays a powerful role. If print were providing no results, it wouldn’t exist anymore. Instead, it is alive and flourishing, and waiting for you to take advantage of the opportunity.

If you’re unsure how to maximize your print potential, we can help develop a unique strategy for your brand. Let us know.

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