Digital content is the new face of the generation – Gen Z and millennials both are submerged in an era of digitalization and technology that refuses to give up with every passing day. In such a situation, what exactly is the newspaper industry's future, or those magazines we see at doctors’ offices?
Print media is hanging on to its roots on one end of the spectrum while being tugged the other way by digital media and advertising. While digital media has reshaped the advertising industry, several marketers still cater to print media.
Mentioned below are a couple of reasons why the future of print advertising stands at stake, despite any apparent effort for its rehabilitation.
Saving Paper is Ecological
Millennials and Gen Z users are brought up with a ‘Save the Earth’ mindset. That said, paper has become a material that most prefer to avoid due to its cost-prohibitive value and the constant need of nature.More and more people are using the internet today, meaning they have accessible information right in front of them every second. While the yellow pages are nowhere to be seen today, it is expected that due to the lack of recycling, the era of print media may have seen its last day.
Brands that use sustainable wood or recycled paper for printing might still make a profit. Still, they may need help to beat the revenue and attention generated by digital media.
Digital Helps you Save Money.
Printed ads require paper, ink, pens, and a team to design the layout before printing the advertisement to the copier. You will then have to distribute copies to every home, including business fronts, and plaster your town with billboards and pamphlets.
Now consider the digital approach. You only need a team of graphic designers and content marketers who can create digital pieces with an enriched copy.
We all know the former will win if you have a fixed budget and an option to choose between digital and print media. With a single click, your digital ad will not only be on multiple screens – thanks to the power of social media – but will also be shared across different locations without the extra expense.
Consider Rally Towels, an online retailer specializing in manufacturing high-quality towels with roughly 15,000 online customers. Their team delivers an optimum customer experience by catering to its consumers online. They can publicize their ads via their website and social media channels and provide customers with guidelines, styling techniques, tutorials, detailed product information, and a 24/7 live chat experience.
To weigh on the future of print advertising in 2020, we have five innovative ways that can still uphold its legacy.
Henry Kurkowski of One Wifi suggests that print should take the interactive route. Offer customizable options or QR codes on print pieces that customers can use to their benefit when using social media applications. By merging your print media with digital, you’re giving your customers an enriched yet complete brand experience. By connecting your print media with digital, you’re giving your customers an enriched yet entire brand experience.
Moreover, if you’re opting to tie print with digital, then introduce a couple of elements from your online campaigns to offline ones to bridge the gap. For instance, include your social media profiles and branded hashtags on print ads so that customers can immediately follow you online.
Many e-commerce brands usually have a retail store that requires ads to be plastered and printed all over their store and on billboards for maximum customer exposure and retention. Most retail stores celebrate events or introduce user-and-customer engaging conferences to provide a physical shopping experience for their customers.
Let’s not forget senior citizens. While Baby Boomers are using Facebook nowadays, a considerable chunk still relies on print media for regular updates and information. Senior citizens prefer checking direct mail and may also subscribe to long-copy mailers.
Similarly, let’s not forget the tactile experience a paperback magazine or comic provides. Even with digital offerings, devoted fans still flock to stores to purchase these items.
Even though Gen Z users always use digital devices, MNI believes this age group may become one of the biggest consumers of print media, ushering in a new era for print ads.
If you want to make heads turn, consider sending your brochure or e-book in print via direct mail to your leads.
People still cut out coupons from newspapers and magazines when hunting for bargains, especially those tackling weekly grocery shopping. Similarly, if you want to attract a target audience to your retail store, you can print out coupons that are only redeemable or refundable when visited in person. Remember, a penny saved is a penny earned, but while saving by printing an ad, try focusing on its quality instead of trusting an all-neutral template.
Print media is easy to read and comprehend and isn’t as volatile as digital content. Approximately 92% of Gen Z users trust the authority of print media as opposed to digital content, according to MarketingProfs. Moreover, about 34% of consumers prefer tackling a purchase and making a sound decision only if they see an ad in print. Given these statistics, it is not hopeless to say that the future of print advertising is entirely bleak.
To enhance these numbers, Timothy Nichols of ExactDrive, Inc., concluded that your brand should feature ads that add value to content in graphics and text. For instance, if you are a patron of a magazine, then instead of popping colors all about it, try to introduce a bridge of formidable text with added blank spaces to motivate the reader. Similarly, inject a bit of pop art or graphics in ads that primarily rely on textual content and facts.
If you’re creating an ad for print, then research your target audience much more vigilantly and proactively than for digital. No edits can be done once the print ad gets approved, which can be challenging.
Research your target audience by perusing the marketplace and learning the problems they encounter within your industry. As mentioned earlier, create a template with a complementary palette that defines your brand and text that does justice to the message you’re trying to convey. Create a bold, short, and convincing copy to garner your readers' attention.
Review your previous social posts and note down the responses and actions generated by each ad. If your ads are performing better in newspapers and failing to create a reaction from magazines, then reevaluate where you’ll buy your ads. Also, concentrate on the headlines that attracted a significant response from your readers, and use similar visuals and graphics to lure your audience.
If we weigh in on the debate between print and digital advertising, we must hand in our cloak and dagger and go with the latter. Digital advertising is morphing every second – it’s becoming more and more cost-effective as we speak and continues to gain momentum. Hyper-local markets, whose business focuses on printing advertisements to peak interest, are also shifting to digital, primarily due to expenses.
Now consider the digital approach. You only need a team of graphic designers and content marketers who can create digital pieces with an enriched copy.
We all know the former will win if you have a fixed budget and an option to choose between digital and print media. With a single click, your digital ad will not only be on multiple screens – thanks to the power of social media – but will also be shared across different locations without the extra expense.
Consider Rally Towels, an online retailer specializing in manufacturing high-quality towels with roughly 15,000 online customers. Their team delivers an optimum customer experience by catering to its consumers online. They can publicize their ads via their website and social media channels and provide customers with guidelines, styling techniques, tutorials, detailed product information, and a 24/7 live chat experience.
To weigh on the future of print advertising in 2020, we have five innovative ways that can still uphold its legacy.
Merge print with digital.
Most brands cater to printing advertisements both on paper and digital media. According to Timothy Nichols, referring to both ad platforms might be a vital source of customer engagement. Bernard May of National Positions adds to this statement and recommends keeping up with ad consistency for brand preservation and authenticity. For instance, if you primarily use print media to promote your content, boost your customer engagement by posting the same material on your social media channels.Henry Kurkowski of One Wifi suggests that print should take the interactive route. Offer customizable options or QR codes on print pieces that customers can use to their benefit when using social media applications. By merging your print media with digital, you’re giving your customers an enriched yet complete brand experience. By connecting your print media with digital, you’re giving your customers an enriched yet entire brand experience.
Moreover, if you’re opting to tie print with digital, then introduce a couple of elements from your online campaigns to offline ones to bridge the gap. For instance, include your social media profiles and branded hashtags on print ads so that customers can immediately follow you online.
Print Media encourages the preservation of physical presence
While e-commerce has revolutionized and taken the world by storm, several outlets and business models currently rely on print media for advertising. Consider the doctor’s waiting room, for instance, where print ads come into action for endorsing and upholding medical payment plans.Many e-commerce brands usually have a retail store that requires ads to be plastered and printed all over their store and on billboards for maximum customer exposure and retention. Most retail stores celebrate events or introduce user-and-customer engaging conferences to provide a physical shopping experience for their customers.
Let’s not forget senior citizens. While Baby Boomers are using Facebook nowadays, a considerable chunk still relies on print media for regular updates and information. Senior citizens prefer checking direct mail and may also subscribe to long-copy mailers.
Higher shelf life
While print media is a popular way to pass the time at the doctor’s office, you might also find some tangible magazines and first editions in households. Let’s not forget the shelf life of collectors’ copies. First editions of vintage comic books, magazines, and journals are considered prime collectors’ items, and people flock to retail stores to add them to their collections.Similarly, let’s not forget the tactile experience a paperback magazine or comic provides. Even with digital offerings, devoted fans still flock to stores to purchase these items.
Even though Gen Z users always use digital devices, MNI believes this age group may become one of the biggest consumers of print media, ushering in a new era for print ads.
Print causes long-lasting impressions.
Let’s face it, even if you create the best promotional email, it will likely get deleted. With the oversaturation of digital media, online users often ignore digital ads. However, for those engaged in reading printed pieces, advertisers know they have the reader’s full attention.If you want to make heads turn, consider sending your brochure or e-book in print via direct mail to your leads.
People still cut out coupons from newspapers and magazines when hunting for bargains, especially those tackling weekly grocery shopping. Similarly, if you want to attract a target audience to your retail store, you can print out coupons that are only redeemable or refundable when visited in person. Remember, a penny saved is a penny earned, but while saving by printing an ad, try focusing on its quality instead of trusting an all-neutral template.
Boost your copy
Print media is easy to read and comprehend and isn’t as volatile as digital content. Approximately 92% of Gen Z users trust the authority of print media as opposed to digital content, according to MarketingProfs. Moreover, about 34% of consumers prefer tackling a purchase and making a sound decision only if they see an ad in print. Given these statistics, it is not hopeless to say that the future of print advertising is entirely bleak.To enhance these numbers, Timothy Nichols of ExactDrive, Inc., concluded that your brand should feature ads that add value to content in graphics and text. For instance, if you are a patron of a magazine, then instead of popping colors all about it, try to introduce a bridge of formidable text with added blank spaces to motivate the reader. Similarly, inject a bit of pop art or graphics in ads that primarily rely on textual content and facts.
Make your copy short and interactive.
If you’re creating an ad for print, then research your target audience much more vigilantly and proactively than for digital. No edits can be done once the print ad gets approved, which can be challenging.Research your target audience by perusing the marketplace and learning the problems they encounter within your industry. As mentioned earlier, create a template with a complementary palette that defines your brand and text that does justice to the message you’re trying to convey. Create a bold, short, and convincing copy to garner your readers' attention.
Review your previous social posts and note down the responses and actions generated by each ad. If your ads are performing better in newspapers and failing to create a reaction from magazines, then reevaluate where you’ll buy your ads. Also, concentrate on the headlines that attracted a significant response from your readers, and use similar visuals and graphics to lure your audience.
If we weigh in on the debate between print and digital advertising, we must hand in our cloak and dagger and go with the latter. Digital advertising is morphing every second – it’s becoming more and more cost-effective as we speak and continues to gain momentum. Hyper-local markets, whose business focuses on printing advertisements to peak interest, are also shifting to digital, primarily due to expenses.
