Printed media is excellent for solidifying your brand identity

Printed Media vs. Digital Advertising

More brands and businesses are using online advertising than ever before, it can be easy to push traditional printed media to one side and focus on digital. After all, digital campaigns can be quicker to make and cheaper to produce than their print alternatives. There’s no doubt that the digital revolution continues to stick the knife into traditional print advertising in newspapers and magazines.

But is the ‘quick and easy’ digital marketing fix costing you customers?

A study completed in 2015 by the United States Postal Service compared the reactions of subjects when presented with either a digital or physical advertisement. The results of the study showed that print advertising was leaving more of a positive and lasting impression on the subjects:

• Subjects spent longer reviewing physical media than digital
• Printed media evoked higher emotional reactions
• Physical media led to subjects having a great desire for the product
• Subjects attached high subconscious values to products shown in the printed advertisements
• A week later, subjects were able to recall and remember printed media more effectively than the digital counterparts

Social media and online digital are useful marketing tools that can help you draw customers in, but the tactile feedback that comes with a quality printed piece of graphic design is a great way of getting them across the line – or rewarding them for choosing you.

Why should you use printed media to promote your business?

If you use quality, professionally designed printed media as part of your marketing campaign (such as printed flyers / press advertising / brochures, etc.) the customer is more likely to engage with your brand in some way, for example by using a voucher or visiting a website link that you have provided.

Create memorable messages that people actually absorb

Many companies run annual marketing campaigns that involve some sort of physical item alongside the printed marketing material. For example, they might send out a branded mug, pen or bottle opener with a printed flyer/card. Combining print and promotional goods in this way makes the receiver feel incredibly “special”. Every time they go to use the branded item, or look at it on their desk, they’ll be reminded, positively, of your brand.

People automatically look at things that are placed in their hands

Whether you post a leaflet through someone’s letter box, or hand them one in the street, they will automatically look at what’s on the paper as soon as it touches their hands. With digital advertising, it’s all too easy to ignore the ads down the side of your screen, but when you’re actually touching something you can’t ignore it.

Printed media produces a better person-to-brand connection

When customers were surveyed as to which items they would miss the most if they were moved to digital only, participants not only listed the obvious choices of books, magazines and newspapers, but also marketing materials such as business cards and catalogues!

Maximise sensory appeal

Marketers know they must appeal to all of a consumer’s senses to encourage a sale. It’s very hard to do this with digital advertising; you’re mainly limited to sight and occasionally sound if you have a video advert. However, with printed media, you have the smell of the freshly printed paper, the feel of it in your hand, the vibrant colours and the sound of the paper moving. Using quality card stock or embossed logos could be what it takes to turn a casual browser into a first-time customer.

The many benefits of print advertising make it a must-have source of marketing for businesses.

However, that’s not to say that digital marketing is something to be ignored. Many successful marketing campaigns utilise both mediums to produce a cohesive on-brand message. For example, you could have a printed campaign that contains a website address for people to visit in order to sign up for a discount code or a free sample of your product.

These types of integrated campaigns not only raise awareness of your brand but also enable you to build an email list of people who you know are interested in your brand. You can then target these specific people for future campaigns.

Print media and many advantages it has over its digital counterparts.

Longevity
Printed goods are a physical thing. Magazines, business cards and brochures can stay in houses or offices for months or years, while Internet advertisements can quickly disappear from the customers reach.

Credibility
Quality printed marketing material can provide a sense of credibility to your business. Banner ads and Popups on the web can be overwhelming and the fear of spam and viruses is enough make people weary of clicking. People feel more confidence in a brand if it is supported with a print advertisement.

Brand Recognition
Print advertisements are excellent for solidifying your brand identity. Your ads should have a consistent aesthetic in terms of fonts, colours and types of images to establish brand recognition.

Target Marketing
Placing ads in publications such as specialty magazines can effectively reach target audiences that may be more difficult to target online.

More Engaging
Consumers are more engaged when reading printed material, unlike websites, which are often skimmed in as little as a 15 second visit. A study shows that people read digital screen text 20% – 30% slower than printed paper. (Alshaali & Varshney, 2005)

Less Competition
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. Print publications (such as magazines) are less crowded, allowing more room for your ad to stand-out, and possibly lower prices for that advertising space.

The best way to market your business is to use a variety of platforms, to help reach your target demographic; this should not exclude print. Although it is likely that most emphasis, in terms of advertising, will be online, there still exist those who revel in the glory of the printed page and it’s important to reach them. Finding the right balance between various media will ensure that your business continues to market successfully to new customers.

Print and digital are not at war with each other! Actually, they work well together – and moving from one format to another along the customer journey can be a seamless and rewarding experience.

In a world that is increasingly virtual, print offers a physical experience that a Twitter feed or Facebook page can’t provide. Until that changes, print is here to stay!