Print is not dead.

Despite what many would have us believe, print publishing isn’t dead. It’s not dying. It’s evolving. In fact, you could make the argument that print marketing in 2018 provides a better ROI than it did in 2015.

What’s changed in the print industry is that consumers have more power to dictate the value of a publication than ever before. Newspapers and magazines that were never well-done are the ones suffering.

On the other hand, print publications that provide high value are thriving. And yes, print marketing is still a viable, important, form of marketing.

10 Reasons Print Marketing Matters

20 years ago, print was a dominant part of everyday life. With the advent of the internet, that changed.

While print has undergone a few bumps and bruises, it’s still worth using as a marketing tool. Today, we’ll go over ten of the reasons that print marketing matters most.

Brand Recognition

Any marketer knows that brand recognition is huge. In today’s world of the media onslaught, you have to make your brand stand out from the crowd. That’s a tough gig, especially considering how crowded every niche seems to be.

A lot of marketing pros are turning to social media and display ads to capture that top-of-the-funnel traffic. However, print media is a great place to do that as well.

As Andy Blau said in an article from the American Marketing Association, “Print is still a top-of-funnel medium. It’s really for establishing brand worthiness in the marketplace, for establishing the value of the brand.”

Print works so well for brand recognition because it gives potential clients a tangible reminder of your brand. Its staying power far outweighs that of social media.

Complements Digital

Digital marketing is the name of the game. In today’s clime, you have to have a thriving digital presence. Otherwise, you’re not going to get the attention your brand needs to survive.

Here’s the thing, though – a sizable portion of the U.S. population still consumes print media as their primary source of information. Even though millennials are now the largest demographic in the country, that doesn’t mean the baby boomers are irrelevant.

Plus, it’s proven through multiple studies that if you have a print strategy to support your digital one, you’ll end up with a much bigger ROI.

Going back to our first point, a print marketing campaign reminds users of your brand. When they see it both in print and online, you’re going to stick in their head for a while. And isn’t that the goal of marketing, anyways?

Builds Trust

For as many legitimate businesses as there are online, there’s got to be at least another dozen scams. Maybe that’s a bit high of an estimation, but that’s how it feels.

Brands spend thousands on building a brand identity that promotes trust. If consumers can’t trust you, they’re not going to buy from you.

Amazon has done this very well. If you’re looking for a particular item, and both Amazon and a lesser-known online retailer have it for sale, who are you buying from?

Amazon. Because you trust them.

Printed media works great to build that kind of trust and loyalty. Almost 56% of people feel like print is more trustworthy than digital media, as far as marketing messages go.

Bridges The Gap

Another great aspect of using print as part of your marketing strategy is the appeal it holds to every demographic in the country.

While it’s true that older demographics tend to be wary of anything digital, it’s proven that millennials appreciate the honesty of printed materials. According to one article, millennials suffer from “digital fatigue” and 95% of them enjoy getting physical materials in the mail.

With both a digital and print marketing strategy, you’re able to target a much wider range of potential clients. Using one or the other limits your brand’s reach.

You’re More Valuable

The sheer amount of digital marketing and advertising that bombards internet users each day is enough to teach anyone who’s watching that it’s not expensive to put your ads in front of the right people.

For the most part, it’s not. When you look at the ROI of $1,000 spent on Facebook ads, the results speak for themselves.

Print is more expensive, both to produce and to deliver. That’s inherent in printed media. If you take the time to wow consumers with your print marketing materials, though, you’ll elevate the value of your brand in their eyes.

Adding value to your brand is another way to build trust, which we touched on earlier. Print helps to tie together all the different strands of your marketing strategy.

Engaged Readers

On average, how engaged do you think people are while scrolling through their Facebook or Instagram feed? Odds are, not very. We’ve become so used to seeing ads that we almost gloss over them as they appear.

It’s hard to do that with print. At the very least, printed materials will get looked at before someone ignores them.

It’s like getting a direct mailer. You’ll see the offer, glance at the pictures, and decide if you’re going to read the rest of the mailer or chuck it. Either way, that’s more engaged than most online users are.

Print gets you in front of users who are already more engaged and willing to give your brand a chance. From magazines to newspapers, you can make a safe bet that if people are reading physical printed materials, they’re engaged in the subject matter.

Think of it like reading a book. That’s not something you do to pass the time on the subway or at the doctor’s office. It’s something you choose to do.

The same logic applies to print media, which is why it’s still so effective in today’s marketing world.

Trade Shows

Trade shows are still a massive part of any marketing strategy. The opportunity to connect with hundreds, or thousands, of people in your industry interested in buying services or products like yours, is incredible.

But if you don’t have a good appearance, a trade show can be a disaster. Yes, trade show banners (and flyers, brochures, and business cards) all count as printed marketing media.

Retention

The end goal of most marketing work is customer retention. You don’t want to have a high turnover rate when it comes to customers. That creates a lot of problems and other headaches you don’t want to deal with.

Print media, though, works great as a customer retention tool. Instead of using email marketing, or retargeted ads, to retain customers, you can send them physical thank-you cards, coupons, or other offers.

The physical representation of your appreciation for their business will stick in their mind longer than emails about flash sales.

Direct Action

Print is also a great medium to use to inspire direct action. TD Ameritrade estimates that 90% of the readers of thinkMoney magazine take direct action to buy products advertised there.

That’s a huge number, and it’s a result of TD Ameritrade using print marketing effectively. By creating a high-value publication that’s tailored to their industry and delivering advertising for products readers want, they get the most out of their printed media.

You may not see 90% of your readers take action to buy right off the bat. Give it time, though. It will surprise you how many readers take action based on physical advertising.

You Stay Unique

Remember at the beginning of this post, when we discussed the need for being unique in the online marketing world? Well, that’s what print marketing does. It helps your brand make a name for itself that thousands of other brands aren’t doing.

If there are few – or none – reputable print publications that cater to your niche, then you should think about going after that segment. Print is a proven money-maker. And you’ll make a unique name for yourself by reaching out to customers through that medium.

Start Today

You can get your print marketing strategy off the ground today. From business cards, brochures, catalogs, and more, our team here at New Era Print Solutions is ready and waiting to help you make a big splash in your industry.

We know it’s not easy to take a leap of faith on print marketing. After all, we’ve all heard for years that print is dying!

But the truth is that it’s not dead. It’s more effective than ever, and if you’re smart, you’ll take advantage of it right now.