Print media has been thought to be a dying medium of communication for a while now, but it is still there. This supposed death of print media has been fueled by the advent of the internet as a new source of finding information. It is true that there was a time when print media seemed like it was going obsolete. However, as time has proven, print media has a role to play in the marketing mix for today’s businesses.
If you think about it, print is not so much traditional as different types of digital marketing now. Digital marketing may have been the craze for a long while, but don’t you think it’s funny how print media still leaves a lasting impression compared to digital marketing? You could read hundreds of things on the internet but none of it sticks with you like something you read on a magazine. As a matter of fact, print may have more influence now than ever before. The industry is speculated to reach $98 billion by 2018, which should spur marketers to try it out as an avenue for pushing their brands. Read on to find out about the power of print marketing in business today.
1. Print is not dying; it’s changing
Publications that were once produced in print have ceased releasing printed copies opting to go the digital way. Newsweek and SmartMoney are some of the prime examples that have abandoned print for digital publications. This is the main reason that has inspired the thought that print media no longer has a place in the marketing world we find ourselves in today.
The thing is, print media is shifting its focus from publications to branding. As a marketer this should be good news, right? But how exactly is this change affecting print? Brands are now utilising it more in packaging and putting out bold provocative messages. As a marketing professional it is upon you to come up with inspired ideas to benefit from this shift.
“As print explores new horizons in an increasingly internet-centric world, some areas such as pure informational print will decline and catalogues continue to be the preferred browsing and “decision making” medium for consumers”. – Arthur Heaps, Print2Day
2. Print gives your message a legitimacy that digital media can’t
This is mainly because it has always been there. People take print media more seriously than they do digital channels. It has become commonplace for anyone to say anything on the internet, something that has eroded faith in the internet over the years. Besides this, it is said that if he took the time to write and mail it, it’s probably important.
3. It presents a medium for asking questions
Print media is more about the reader engaging with the writer. In such a scenario, you think deeply about what you have read. Print media has always helped us ask ourselves difficult questions about what we have read. The internet, on the other hand, is where we go when we want the answers. For this reason, marketers could use print media to try out out-of-the-box ideas.
4. Print is a getaway for most people
Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, e-mails and the likes keep everyone glued to their phones. Digital avenues for marketing have come out of the woodwork that it has become too much. People actually look to print media to get away from their phones and devices for a while. They put the gadget down and unwind with something they have known all their lives, print. As such, this is the perfect time to use print media to get our stories out there.
With all the digital media that surrounds us on a daily basis, unplugging from it all with print media is a welcome release. One thing that has turned electronic media into something to get away from every once in a while is the volume of information and the fact that you are expected to have opinions about it all. Sometimes people just want to be unreachable for comments.
5. People will engage with print media more than its digital counterpart
The excitement about print is not yet dead. That is, something that comes out in print is always anticipated, largely for its credibility. Interviewers across the board will tell you how hard it is to nail down a busy person for an interview that is going to be posted online. On the flip side, the knowledge that the interview will be published somewhere gets people excited about it, they make time for it. This is because print still has the credibility that the web will never have.
Aside from this, print also captures attention. There is a tactile sense of connection when it comes to print. The smell of ink and paper connects the reader to your brand since it appeals to them beyond just seeing amazing graphics. Print media also keeps your audience with you for longer as people can spend almost half an hour on average reading a magazine, something that is not very likely in the internet.
6. It makes you more likable
Print media is friendlier to the audience, and has always been. Apart from the fact that the information does not change haphazardly like what goes on online, you can also have a photo of yourself below your message which shows that there is a personality behind the message. Handwritten messages also add to the effect in a major way.
Print is not going anywhere
Online channels may be the leader when it comes to marketing today but like the TV, print isn’t about to fade away anytime soon. Printing firms are proof that print still has a strong stake as a medium to spread word about your brand. The company has carried out inventive ad campaigns by print, campaigns which have gone on to change the face of many brands.
As much as we rally support for print media, we also have to combine it with the requisite digital options to make it the effective channel it can be. It’s a marketing mix with a delicate balance that professionals in the marketing industry have the opportunity to exploit in their favour. The exit of popular publications also presents a gap that has to be filled and who better to do that than the savvy marketers of today?
