Is Print Media Dead? 5 Reasons to Rethink Print

Delivering measurable ROI is one of the most important things we can do as marketers, and believe it or not, one of the most effective ways to generate measurable ROI is by serving customers via print media. Media consumption has changed forever and continues to evolve at an extremely fast pace, however, if one thing has proven to be true, it’s that print media is not dead. Listed below are 5 reasons to rethink print. 

1. Print is New

Think about what tools marketers are using to reach their target audience. Social media, online advertising, email newsletters, videos, and other various forms of online content probably came to mind, right? But I bet you weren’t thinking of print. Marketers and media buyers are provoked by what is NOT being done. Most people don’t receive quality print materials anymore, so when they do it stands out. Print is a great way to break through the digital clutter. 

2. Print is Exciting

Similar to customers being excited to pick up and read a good magazine, authors are eager to contribute to a printed feature. Getting someone to agree to write an online article, or be interviewed for a blog post, is proving to be more and more difficult. With consumers facing such a high volume of digital media, and with the increasing amount of fake news we see, contributors understand the credibility that print media possesses. Tell someone they will be featured in a printed publication and they will most likely be thrilled, whereas you may not get the same reaction when telling someone they are being interviewed for a story online.  

3. Print Readers Have a Longer Attention Span

Numerous studies have indicated that on a brain-chemistry level, people process print content with greater engagement and focus, not to mention a deeper emotional response than they do content viewed on a screen. Our brains on paper seem to have a longer attention span than our brains on a digital screen. Marketers have the opportunity to amplify content, heighten conversations, and create a lasting impression with print media. 

4. Print is Credible

The printed world carries a level of credibility and trust that the internet may never reach. Perhaps it’s the fact that print has been around for so long that gives it it’s prestige. Studies have shown that physical material is more “real” to the brain, and therefore, more trustworthy. There is a human element to print that you just don’t get online. Not only can we see the paper, but we can smell the ink and hear the pages turn. Printed materials indicate a level of importance and draw readers in. 

5. Print Strengthens Relationships

Investing in print does not mean you need to completely overhaul your existing marketing mix and start from scratch, but rather is an extension of what you are already doing. Print gives us the ability to increase readership and reinforce relationships with our already existing customers. Think of it as an integrated marketing approach. Engaging customers via print has the potential to drive online traffic, boost e-newsletter subscriptions, etc. The popular online news outlet, Buzzfeed, printed a one-off magazine in 2019. In a brief statement, the company joked: “BuzzFeed, a company that was born on the internet and social media, is testing a new technology called print”. While this may have just been a stunt for attention, I think it’s safe to say the customers who went out and picked up a copy from the newsstands are now loyal to Buzzfeed on a whole other level.

Consider letting print be the “non-traditional” marketing in your mix. As marketers, it is our responsibility to look at all available channels to tell our stories. Need some help integrating your print and digital campaigns? We can help you leverage the best of both worlds.