January 17, 2020

Who Said the Days of Print Media Were Over?

To print or not to print? Print is not a question: it's the answer to your marketing goals.

Print advertising is the oldest and most original form of marketing. It dates back to 1468 and has been used in a variety of ways. Between direct mail, brochures, catalogs, and flyers, one thing's certain: print advertising isn't dead.

While the world has gone digital, print campaigns continue to generate substantial results for marketers. Print advertising forms more genuine bonds between the consumer and the brand.

As a marketer or business owner, what should you know about the print vs digital debate? Let's explore.

Print vs Digital

To print or not to print? Print is not a question: it's the answer to your marketing goals.

While the world has gone digital, print campaigns continue to generate substantial results for marketers. Print advertising forms more genuine bonds between the consumer and the brand.

As a marketer or business owner, what should you know about the print vs digital debate? Let's explore.

Print vs Digital

Print has been and continues to be one of the most trusted advertising methods. Print campaigns evoke emotions in customers, attain strong ROIs, and stand out in a digital world.

Print Is More Satisfying for Customers

Digital communication is immediate. But does immediate mean more rewarding? Not necessarily.

Print engages customers. It is something physical a person can touch, feel, and smell. People are more likely to remember the brands and ads they can hold in their hands than the ones they see on their computer screens.

In 2015, Forbes magazine reported that direct mail and printed ads required 21% less cognitive effort compared to digital advertisements. When it comes to remembering the information in ads, 75% of customers recalled what they read in a direct mail piece, while only 44% remembered digital ads.

A Temple University study compared how people react to digital vs print ads. Researchers discovered that consumers:

Spend more time interacting with physical ads compared to digital ads
Are more likely to experience an emotional reaction to a physical ad
Quickly remember details about physical ads rather than digital ads
Express a subconscious desire for products printed on physical ads

The study concluded that while digital ads are processed quicker, paper ads provoked higher engagement levels and increased emotional responses. Physical ads stimulated value and desire in customers' brains, while digital ads did not.

Less Is More When It Comes to Print

With everyone and everything going digital, print advertisements stand out more than ever. Every day, Americans are exposed to 4,000 to 10,000 digital ads. That's a lot to compete with.

Instead of spending hours designing a digital ad that differentiates your business from the competition, follow the path less traveled. It will lead you to a successful printing service.

If your competition is focusing on digital, hit your target market with a physical print ad. It's more likely to stand out, grab your audience's attention, and be remembered.

Take direct mail vs email marketing. In 2018, the average office worker received 121 emails per day. Do you think people are taking the time to sift through every email they receive?

Advertisers have shifted their focus to the inbox, so you should take advantage of your customer's empty mailbox. With more and more emails being sent, direct mail has become more effective in getting the advertiser's message delivered.

Print Gets Results

Print campaigns are one of the oldest methods in the advertising book. Why? Because it gets results.

What kind of results are we talking about? The print advertising numbers speak for themselves:

Direct mail has a 34% success rate for new customer acquisition
79% of customers say direct mail invokes action
50% of millennials pay attention to print ads
55% of customers trust print marketing over other methods
70% of consumers feel print advertising is more personal
56% of direct mail pieces are read

To compare, keep in mind email open rates in 2018 averaged 24.88%. When it comes time to buy, customers trust print ads 34% more than search engine advertisements.

Print media appeals to an audience of visual learners, which is 65% of people. It allows marketers to brand themselves to a variety of demographics and establish a solid trust in their brand. Printed ads have stuck around for over 100 years because they elicit real results for business owners.

Pairing Print With Your Digital Campaign

At this point, it's clear that print isn't dead. With its high-yielding results and the emotional responses it invokes in an audience, print ads are a crucial component of your marketing campaign.

Keep in mind that print vs digital doesn't have to be a competition. A smart marketer diversifies to reach the right consumers. Instead of choosing between print and digital advertisements, you should be combining the two for an unbeatable marketing campaign.

Running ads on digital platforms and social media can reach a lot of people quickly. Combine that with a personal direct mail campaign, and customers will be sure to build a bond with your brand.

There are also ways in which a digital campaign can complement your print advertisements. QR codes help marketers analyze their audience and determine how well a print ad performed. Implement QR codes to track how many users are checking out your website from your print campaigns.

Or you can purchase a tracking number for your print ads. This allows marketers to trace the number of calls their business received directly from a print campaign.

While you send out your personalized direct mail pieces, don't forget to integrate them with social media and send customers to a well-organized website. If all of the pieces are working together, your marketing puzzle should produce strong results.

Start Your Print Campaign

Has the print vs digital debate gotten you fired up for your next mind-blowing print campaign? If so, you're in the right place.

Whether you want to design a direct mail campaign or create trendy flyers, we are the local printing service that can get the job done. Contact our printing experts today to learn more about our services and how we can help you grow your business.