Print is not dead – not by a long shot. Never mind that you’re reading a digital
version of that statement from a digital agency. We understand the power of print and how to leverage it for your company’s gain.
Yes, print advertising is the oldest form of traditional marketing, but it is still a vital form of media, delivered as a standalone tactic or as an integral part of an overall marketing plan. As a critical component of content and inbound marketing, print advertising also supports digital strategy by reinforcing brand messages and leading consumers to web-based conversions.
How Can Your Business Use Print Advertising?
Print advertising includes all advertisements printed on paper, such as newspapers, magazines and scrolls. Portable printed mediums like direct mail, booklets, flyers and newsletters are also considered print advertising.
Do not discount print advertising’s effectiveness in attracting local audiences by special interest via regional newspapers, directories, yearbooks, programs and more. Also, popular magazines, trade publications and national newspapers are ideal for reaching a widespread, national audience.
Print ads create brand awareness and promote product offerings with flexible options for format, size, color, position and placement. It’s an extremely versatile medium. Depending on your strategy, print ads could perform as one, singular full-page ad or a series of quarter-page ads spread out over time. A great deal of coordination is involved with print ads, including media buy and placement, as well as working with publications to release materials on time and on spec.
Target Specific Consumers Using Direct Mail
When you want to zero in on a particular segment, direct mail is a highly effective strategy that relies on targeted, updated mailing lists to reach specific consumers with brochures, catalogs, fliers, envelope stuffers, postcards and sales letters. These pieces can be personalized using variable data printing to address your recipients by name. Depending on your business goals, direct mail could be the focus of a marketing plan or part of a bigger integrated marketing strategy.
Both print ads and direct mail can deliver valuable brand impressions, stir up awareness of a service – or both. Most often, print advertising drives consumers online to campaign landing pages and microsites where they learn more or take additional action along the sales funnel.
Print advertising is a tangible manifestation of your brand, appealing to your consumers in a creative, eye-catching way. With surprisingly high read, retention and response rates as compared to some forms of online marketing, print advertising should remain part of integrated marketing plans for years to come.
For more information about print advertising, please contact ZAG Interactive.