Over the past couple of years you may have heard the controversial topic of whether or not print advertising is coming to an end. We have been hearing this for years yet print advertising is still thriving! You may feel as though the digital revolution has taken over the marketing world but the truth is that the best thing you can do for your business is use a combination of both. Of course both have their advantages and disadvantages but you will find that learning how to balance print and digital advertising will take you far when it comes to interacting with as many people as possible.
SO… not only is print advertising still alive itself but when combined with digital advertising it thrives as an advertising tactic!
Below we will take a closer look at the benefits of both print and digital advertising before we give you tips to combine them yourself.
BENEFITS
- PHYSICALITY
Print advertising is purely physical! Physical meaning anything directly printed on an object used for advertising purposes. This includes but is not limited to items such as; pens, key chains, brochures, business cards, signs, flyers, billboards, posters, clothing, accessories, and stickers. Print advertising tends to be more personal as a physical object is hand delivered to the consumers home and since people are inherently lazy, said print advertising tends to linger around the home for a while before eventually either being used or thrown away. That’s more time for your potential clients to read and re-read your advertising materials! Digital advertising, however, tends to disappear rather quickly and at the click of a button your advertisement is gone.
- LEGITIMACY
Print advertising tends be viewed as more legitimate as it is a vibrant, attention-capturing advertisement that you can actually touch. Advertisements delivered to the home lead to people actually reading the information you have provided rather than simply overlooking.
When it comes to digital advertising, some people overlook your advertisements in their inbox as spam and therefore disregard your advertisement all together. All the while. there is no danger to receiving print advertisements.
- AUDIENCE TARGETING
When it comes to audience targeting you must first understand that people have different reading and buying habits. Millennials are growing up in a world consumed by the internet as new technologies are always evolving, while non-millennials utilize print as their main method of advertising. With that in mind, it’s reasonable to understand why using both print and digital advertising will help your business reach more people. Utilize as many channels as possible and your business will have a wider audience; it’s as simple as that!
- ENGAGEMENT
Digital advertising allows businesses to reach a wider variety of people at a much faster pace than print advertising will ever allow. With social media being as popular as it is for people of all ages and demographics, businesses can engage actively with consumers online. Whether it be generating followers on Facebook, re-tweeting posts on Twitter, commenting back on Instagram, or interacting on Linkedin, and Google+, businesses can not only increase their audience significantly but they can also maintain those relationships on a regular basis. This is why social media has become the single most effective marketing tool for businesses today! Not much of this can be said for print advertising.
- BRAND APPEAL
Putting out both print and digital advertising allows businesses to establish brand recognition with their audience over time. Therefore it is important to stay consistent when it comes to font choice, colors, and image style. Once you have established brand recognition, your consumers will be better able to recognize your business based off of the style you put out there for yourself. They will associate your marketing materials with who you are as a business and further come conclusions based off of the information you provide. This consistency gives your readers the type of reliability that people appreciate and hold value to.
TIPS TO COMBINE
- When participating in events, say you have a booth, give away prizes for people who sign up for your newsletter or email list.
- Put your social media handles as well as the link to your website URL on all of your print advertising materials.
- Place special promotional codes on print advertising materials.
- Create your own hashtag to put on your print advertising materials so that people will associate that hashtag with your company.
- Use a touch screen as a marketing tool that allows people to follow you on social media at the click of a button.
- Have special promotions for new followers specifically.
- Use a call to action that gives your readers the incentive to sign up for your newsletter or follow you on social media.
Now that we have given you the tips to combine your print advertising with your digital advertising, put them into action! Combining the two will help your business to build connections with people and drive those people to connect back with your brand as well. With how quickly the world of marketing and advertising evolves, whether it be from print to digital or from digital to print, it is imperative that your business adjusts to the changes.
Combining your print advertising with you digital advertising is not adapt or die, but it is certainly adapt and prosper.
If you don’t know where to begin merging your print and digital advertising, seek help from professional marketing and advertising agencies such as ourselves! After all… it’s what we do!