What is Print Advertising?

Print advertising is a form of marketing that uses physically printed media to reach customers on a broad scale. Ads are printed in hard copy across different types of publications such as newspapers, magazines, brochures, or direct mail.

From 2015 to 2019, U.S. companies spent an average of $25 billion annually on print advertising. While these numbers have declined somewhat over the last decade, print advertising is still a viable form of marketing and necessary in specific markets. It can reach potential customers in ways that digital marketing cannot. Lucid Advertising believes your print collateral should be used alongside other media to communicate your message, so it should complement your overall marketing strategy and work together with your other tactics to achieve your business goals.

Download our PDF to learn more about why you should consider print advertising.

4 Types of Powerful Print Advertising

Print media allows you to showcase your brand and products across multiple formats. Some of the most effective types of print advertising include:

1. Newspaper

Newspaper ads are still highly regarded as a useful marketing tool for getting the message out to a particular audience. Consumers that read newspapers are proactive and engaging. Newspaper ads are also affordable, trustworthy and create a lasting impact.

2. Magazine

Magazine ads can give your brand center stage in popular publications across an immediate area or the United States. High definition displays can target a specific demographic or industry and stick with readers long after they close the magazine. Plus, when it comes to magazine ads, you are only limited by your creativity.

3. Direct Mail

If you do your research, you can target a specific demographic in direct mail. You can also measure your result using a variety of methods. Direct mail is cost-effective and highly individualized to the recipient. Plus, there are many flexible options based on your criteria.

4. Brochures

Even in a technology-driven world, few marketing tools put you in direct touch with your audience as well as brochures. Brochures establish your authority, credibility and brand all in the same format. They hold lots of information that you can distribute to hundreds of people in a single sitting. Plus, brochures are among the most affordable ways to get the word out about your business.

Is Print Advertising Still Effective?

The answer is, yes, it is.

While it is true that digital advertising has surpassed print advertising as the leading form of marketing in the U.S., print isn’t going away any time soon. High conversion rates, strong audience demographics, company reputation and print’s unique interactive format keep it in the marketing mainstream year after year. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of print a little closer.

1. Print Advertising Reaches People in a Unique Way

People interact with print advertising in ways that are different from digital advertising. For instance, a viewer has a much higher chance of recalling an ad in print format than digital. Also, consumers in general place a higher value on products and services that they see advertised in print than they do online.

Consider these current trends in marketing:

• Customers spend more time reviewing print ads.
• The amount of information a customer absorbs is higher with print ads.
• The emotional reaction after reading a print ad is much higher.
• Consumers are willing to spend more after viewing a print ad.
• Viewers subconsciously see products in print ads as being valuable.

2. Print Ads Have High Conversion Rates

One of the reasons why print marketing costs more than digital marketing is because it is a more substantial investment. For example, according to the CMO Council, nearly 80 percent of consumers will act on direct mail ads compared to the less than 50 percent of consumers who respond to an email ad. 

Companies can also count on the same high level of response in nearly every other type of print media. Whether it’s banners, business cards, newspaper ads or brochures, print media triggers consumer actions, making the conversion rates much higher.

3. Print Advertising Creates Credibility and Builds Trust

A company can spend thousands of dollars building a website, fine-tuning an email campaign or broadening their market reach on social media. Yet, they may still fail to establish the type of credibility that builds trust in the brand. Part of the reason for this is that the internet is congested with false and misleading information.

For this reason, print remains to be the most trusted source of advertising. When a consumer views a print ad, they automatically assume it is coming from an established and reputable company. According to a Nielson survey, the top 10 ranked formats that earn the highest percentage of consumer trust include:

1. TV ads
2. Newspaper ads
3. Magazine ads
4. Billboards/outdoor advertising
5. Radio ads
6. Online videos
7. Brochures
8. Search engine results
9. Social networks
10.  Ads on mobile devices

While television and radio may still dominate a large portion of advertising, newspapers, magazines, and brochures continue to garner the highest levels of consumer confidence.

4. Strong Audience Demographic Targeting

There is a misconception that print advertising does not target specific audiences. It is true that technology allows companies to refine their marketing efforts on digital platforms. However, a significant amount of research and marketing strategy goes into reaching a target demographic in print advertising.

For instance, a company may create a social hashtag or use a unique promo number or tracking code or set up a specified point of contact to monitor the success of their marketing campaign. Also, a business may set up a quick response (QR) code or customer survey to determine the effectiveness of a given strategy.

Discover the Benefits of Print Advertising Today

At Lucid, we provide a wide range of marketing tools that help you expand your market reach while targeting the customers you want. We deliver measured results that reflect your brand and help you reach your goals. To find out more about our digital and traditional marketing services, call us at 850-760-0478 or fill out the quick contact form below, and we will be in touch.