Despite digital marketing being a popular choice for modern businesses, print advertising and print marketing remains an important part of any comprehensive marketing strategy. In fact, print advertising can often even be more effective than digital marketing, allowing businesses to target specific demographics and highlight their products or services in an engaging, tangible way.
Print advertising offers many other advantages when compared to digital marketing strategies, and we’re going to take a look at these benefits in this blog. But first of all – what is print advertising? Let’s take a look.
What is print advertising and marketing?
Print advertising, also commonly referred to as print marketing or traditional media, is any type of advertisement that appears in a printed format such as brochures, catalogues, flyers, magazines, newspapers and other publications.
Print marketing can offer businesses greater visibility and appeal to customers who may not be reached through digital channels, and can also help companies reach new audiences by targeting people in specific geographic locations who may have already demonstrated an interest in the product or service being advertised.
What are the benefits of print advertising and marketing?
So, why integrate a print campaign into your business’ marketing strategy? Here are just some of the benefits of print marketing:
Local campaigns
The primary benefit of print advertising is the ability to target specific demographics with precision. This can be achieved through combining traditional media and local marketing campaigns, allowing businesses to reach customers in a way that digital marketing simply can’t. For example, you can use direct mail campaigns to target customers by postcode, or distribute flyers in specific areas.
Creative flexibility
Print advertising also offers greater flexibility when it comes to creative design when compared with digital alternatives. Businesses can be as creative as they wish with their print advertising campaigns, and can change up their marketing visuals as often as they please, at much lower costs than reforming or re-designing a digital campaign.
Tangible and trustworthy
Another benefit of print advertising is that it’s something tangible – customers can actually keep the paper or magazine, look at it for longer periods of time without distractions and even show it to their friends and family – whereas digital marketing can be forgotten immediately after scrolling past something more interesting.
Furthermore, studies show that print advertising is often more trusted than its digital counterparts; customers typically perceive printed advertisements as more legitimate, as they consider that it has been through a process of quality control. Conversely, online content is often seen as untrustworthy – or even a potential scam.
Reach more diverse demographics
Print advertising also has the ability to reach certain audiences who may not use digital channels – older demographics may not be easy to reach on social media, but may represent a large chunk of a business’ revenue. Strategic print marketing therefore offers businesses greater visibility and reach than digital channels, allowing them to target key demographics more effectively.
Cost-effective
Finally, the cost of print marketing is another benefit to this form of advertising; the upfront costs are often much lower than digital campaigns, and print campaigns tend to offer a higher ROI for businesses. It’s also much lower risk; digital campaigns can cost thousands of pounds to maintain every month, and much of this investment is often wasted via ineffective targeting or click fraud. In comparison, print advertising only costs the initial outlay for designing, printing and distributing the materials, without any additional ongoing fees.
Is print marketing still relevant today?
Absolutely! Despite the fact that digital marketing has become increasingly popular, print advertising still plays an important role in many businesses’ marketing strategies – and for good reason. It’s much easier to reach local demographics through printed materials such as flyers and leaflets than online platforms, and customers who receive something tangible related to your brand are more likely to remember it compared to digital content.
Not only does digital content often quickly fade from memory, but online users are frequently bombarded with promoted content, ads, and other distractions. for businesses. Thus, while digital marketing should certainly be a part of any business’ strategy, print advertising should still be considered.
What are the top 4 types of print advertisements?
While there’s no “best” type of print marketing – as all business needs are different – here are some of the most common and successful forms of print marketing to use in 2023:
Flyers and leaflets
Flyers and leaflets are one of the most commonly used forms of print advertising, as they’re relatively inexpensive to produce and distribute, and can be a highly effective way to reach local customers. They also offer great flexibility in terms of design, allowing businesses to get creative with their promotions and keep up with seasonal trends.
Magazines and newspapers
Print magazines and broadsheet newspapers are often seen as more legitimate than online content, so they can be a great form of advertising if you’re looking to target trusted influencers or older demographics who may not use digital platforms.
Direct mailers
Direct mailers are an effective way for businesses to get their message across without wasting resources on uninterested recipients – businesses can easily target specific demographics with direct mail campaigns (such as brochures and catalogues) in order to maximise their ROI.
Posters and banners
Posters and banners can be placed in high-traffic areas, such as bus stops or outside shops, which can make them an effective form of advertising for local businesses. They’re also relatively low cost compared to other forms of print advertising; plus, the fact that people have to physically move around the poster makes it more likely for them to remember the message – something that digital content doesn’t achieve in the same way.
The bottom line
While digital marketing may be the go-to strategy of today’s modern companies, businesses can’t ignore traditional forms of advertising if they wish to stay competitive. Print advertising offers many other advantages when compared to digital marketing strategies, so even if you’re a digitally-focused business, you should consider the benefits of print advertising and take advantage of this powerful form of marketing.
If you’re looking for an experienced commercial printing company, get in touch with Avenue today. As a leading printing partner to many organisations, we have 30+ years of experience!