To borrow a phrase from Mark Twain, “The reports of print’s death are greatly exaggerated.”

The speculation that print is a dying medium has been bouncing around since the rapid surge in the rise of the internet and social media sites. And while online marketing channels do make up a growing portion of the marketing mix for most businesses, print remains an essential component of almost any successful ad campaign.

In fact, it may be a more powerful marketing vehicle than ever. Here’s why:

1. There’s less competition. With so many advertisers choosing to focus their efforts online (the amount of available web-based content is doubling every 9 to 24 months), print pieces stand out. There’s a greater chance your target audience will see, remember, and engage with your message.
2. It lends credibility to your message—and, by extension, you. According to the most recent Simmons Multi-Media Engagement Study, more people trust magazines to tell the truth than websites or ad-supported TV networks. After all, anyone can claim just about anything on the Internet.
3. It boasts high levels of engagement. At a time when people have a shorter attention span than goldfish, the average magazine reader spends 38 minutes reading each issue. Print is tangible. Your customers can touch and feel it. It gives them something to hold onto. Magazines, especially, can stay in homes months after they were printed and delivered and are often read by several people in that time.

The role of print in today’s marketing plan

The key to a successful marketing campaign is engagement—catching your potential customers with an attention-grabbing piece and getting them to interact with your brand. The best strategy to accomplish this goal is to utilize as many relevant channels as possible that reach your ideal customer. Striking the correct media balance in your marketing mix ensures a steady stream of revenue, as well as new customers and an increase in your sales.

So how can you effectively use print in your marketing plans? Follow these tips to maximize your results:

1. Use consistent branding. Print advertising gives you a tremendous opportunity to brand yourself. Be sure to keep a consistent message and aesthetic throughout your ads, including fonts and types of images. This will help solidify your brand identity.
2. Target your audience. Advertising in specialty publications or sending direct mail to targeted individuals can be a wonderful way to reach niche audiences or specific segments of your client and prospect base.
3. Take advantage of print’s unique properties. Use paper textures and thicknesses to project the qualities of your brand. For instance, a thick, high quality paper presents an upscale image, while newspaper-like paper can convey urgency or authority.
4. Use print and digital together. Both mediums are stronger when they support each other. By integrating recipes and other content from American Lifestyle magazine with social media marketing, our customers are able to connect with more readers, increase their exposure, and build stronger relationships.

To learn more about our personally branded magazines and how they fit within your marketing mix, book a call with one of our marketing advisors.