Are you still trying to decide whether dedicating a portion of your marketing budget to print is worth continuing in the current digital landscape? It’s true that many news outlets and publications have shifted to online content. And the inbound marketing methodology has proven to be incredibly effective. But does this mean we abandon our efforts in creating newspaper, billboard, magazine, and direct mail ads? Not necessarily!
While we definitely recommend digital as a great way to boost results and measure ROI, print advertising still has an important role in the marketing campaign. Take these examples shared by marketing experts in a recent article by Forbes.
A complement to your digital campaign
“If your target audience reads print magazines as a regular part of their day, there is still a reason to consider print ads in your marketing mix. However, you need to adjust the expectations of actions your audience will take. Print ads will be more effective if they are a complement to your digital campaigns already in play and entice readers to interact with your brand online.” - Jeannie Ruesch, xero.com
A new way to stand out
“The ubiquity of digital media has given print media a strange new power. Think of how special it is to get a written letter as opposed to an email. If you're trying to target a C-level audience, forget email -- their assistant will just hit delete. But if you take your e-book, print it as a nice brochure and mail it to the exec's office, it might get to their desk and leave a lasting impression.” - Brandon Ortiz, Salesforce.org
An avenue to reach hyper-local markets
“There are "yellow page" industries that have grown solely from hyper-local print advertising. Adding technology and digital advertising has been integral to scaling and creating new markets and users. However, traditional customers still utilize print advertising to meet their needs and we need to play in that space as well.” - Jennifer Mellon, Trustify
When it comes down to it, if you have the budget for print advertising — you should be taking advantage of reaching people from multiple directions, in multiple formats. A well-rounded marketing strategy includes billboard, print and direct mail.
