May 5th, 2017
By living in an era conquered by digitalization, we tend to focus more on the online medium and have misconceptions about using printed publications as an advertising channel. Nowadays we tend to invest more money in online advertising, because we think that print is not working anymore.
Is it right that at least one of these ideas crosses your mind?
- Who has time to read printed publication anyway when you can access any information from your mobile device?
- Young audience expresses a low interest in reading printed publications.
- It is very hard to track the results of a printed advertising campaign.
Even if is tempting to think like that, the reality shows that the benefits offered by printed publications are still efficient and generate great results.
Unique relationship with the reader
In online, we are assaulted by banners from different campaigns or remarketing, video advertisements, discounts and offers, messages, pop-up windows etc. that are taking place at the same time. Probably you don’t pay attention to all of them or they become annoying at a point or you saw them for too many times that you cannot observe them anymore.
However, a printed publication creates a bridge with the reader. It offers a one-to-one relationship, in which people can choose whether to focus more on a page, or to come back and read that message again. It is about letting the reader take their own decisions regarding what kind of content they want to focus their attention on. Due to this, they will remember more easily who provided the message and what was the meaning of it.
Communicate straight with the target
Even if you can target your audience online, you can do it via printed publications too. The difference is, most of the time you don’t have to choose your target because the target will choose you. You just have to analyze their habits and make sure your publication will be available for them in key places. For example, if you want to promote your career opportunities, distribute your printed materials in university campuses, in stores situated near the university, near the Metro station etc.
Moreover, you will know that if a person decided to read your flyer or to buy a specific magazine, they show their interest in that domain or subject. So you offer them the answer to their questions or the solution to their needs.
Another benefit is that there are less competitors offline than online. Because being present offline requires spending more money on printing, those facts define printed channel as a trustable and quality one.
Increases readers’ attention
How many times did you finished reading an online article? We mean, read it word by word, until the end. Hmm…that’s what we thought. Probably only several times, when it was a really important subject for you.
But most of the time when we are reading something published online, unwittingly we just scan the information, looking for key ideas or words. Because of that, our reading is fast and more superficial. Not to mention that we become distracted by newsletter subscription pop-ups or a flashing banner.
Did you know that it takes about 25 minutes to get back in track after being distracted? Little did we know, but we have read here.
The printed publication, though, offers you content that you can read more focused. Even if the reading is probably slower than the online reading, you pay more attention on the information and that’s what you need when advertising.
Powerful combo
Online advertising is essential to any marketing strategy that has a lot of useful benefits. But imagine if you use both online and offline channels. You gain maximum results, it will increase your brand awareness and will generate ROI (Return Of Investment).
As a conclusion, even if we live in the technology era, if print was providing no results, then it wouldn’t exist anymore. Did television took place of radio?
