In our modern digital age, it’s all too easy for your target market to become totally saturated with online advertisements through social media and mass email marketing campaigns. In fact, it’s likely that you’ve opened your email only to be inundated by a slew of ads and marketing materials. But have you considered that you may very well be neglecting one of the best ways to reach your clients? Yes, we’re talking about good old-fashioned print media. Skeptical?
Check out these facts: A new article in PrintIsBig.com on U.S. and worldwide industry statistics shows that “U.S. advertisers spend on average $167 per person on direct mail to earn $2,095 worth of goods sold.” That’s a possible 1,300% return on investment- talk about an impressive ROI! Still not sure if investing in print media is right for you? According to Forbes, print materials and publications offer your customers and prospects “a brand experience that can’t be replicated online.” Here are the top 4 reasons that will show you the importance of print media and why it will make a lasting impact on your target customer:
1. Fewer print media, in general, means MORE for you!
Forbes notes that with more and more businesses relying solely on the Internet for their advertising needs, “the decline of print publication can actually be used as a marketing advantage. The publications are less crowded, allowing more room for your ad to shine, and possibly even cheaper prices for that ad space.” Think about that for a minute. Less and less companies are using print media because they only see value in digital marketing, but as we’ve pointed out, this a misguided approach that misses a huge opportunity to create and maintain new business by utilizing print media. But hey, in this case their loss is your gain. In other words, because there is less overall print media out there, yours is going to stand out even more!
2. It makes your business seem both credible and tangible.
Something about actually physically holding that piece of print media in your hands (whether it’s a card, a flyer, a brochure, etc.), conveys a sense of legitimacy. The prevalence of online browser popups (ugh!) and banner ads on the web can be a bit overwhelming and the fear of spam and viruses is enough make people nervous enough to not open the link.
On the other hand, there’s nothing threatening or particularly risky in a print ad. Print media items can stay in your potential customer’s offices or houses for months (or, heck, even years!) after they’ve received it. While many digital marketing materials are useful for a single purpose, the benefits of print media go farther than you may have thought, it’s truly a one-time gift that just keeps on giving! And not only will print media lend tangibility to your business, but it will also give it more credibility.
Think for a minute the feeling you get when you see Wall Street Journal (or your favorite newspaper or magazine) on the shelf at the grocery store; there is something to be said about the feeling of legitimacy that comes from print that makes you feel comfortable and confident in reading it. What’s more, print media requires actual real estate (i.e. it takes up physical space and can’t be closed as easily or quickly as clicking “x” on a web browser or hitting “delete” on an email), which is great for your business because a printed piece placed on an office desk or refrigerator at home will be there day after day until it is picked back up to be viewed.
3. It’s permanent.
Believe it or not, websites are often viewed in as little as 4-5 seconds per visit! To make it worse, studies show that 80% of people have never clicked on a banner ad. That’s right. Only 20% of the population will even click your ad when they see it online. Think about it: how many times have you picked up a brochure or browsed through a magazine while waiting in line at a store? We’d bet a lot more times that you’ve clicked an online ad! Printed media is a permanent physical object that can be viewed over and over again (Do you have a stack of magazines sitting at home on your coffee table, or magnets on your fridge from your local pizza joint or favorite bar?) When consumers save printed materials (magazines, magnets, brochures, flyers, etc.), they’re seeing your advertisement repeatedly. While digital media is forgotten as soon as the website is closed, printed media is there to stay!
4. Physical touch is super important
Go ahead, pick up a newspaper, magazine, flyer or brochure and hold it. Feel the weight, flip the pages, smell the paper and listen as the pages turn. Now pull up your favorite website and look at the digital advertising covering the page. Can you physically feel it? What does it smell like? Our guess is that you’ll perceive its presence very differently than a physical piece of media. In this sense, print media is unique in that it’s a sensory experience. When you interact with print, you’re really engaging with the content on a level that digital can’t capture, no matter how hard it tries. In fact, studies show that we associate things differently based on our ability to touch and hold objects, so in a lot of ways, a physical copy of something is worth more to us than a digital one (this translates to money for your business!) So,
No matter how well designed a digital media ad may be, it still can lack a certain something. Having the ability to physically touch your brand has the effect of familiarity rather than the meaningless and often random click-throughs of a trip along the internet.
