In today’s crowed media arena print advertising gets little press.
Internet and social media marketing has become so popular and fashionable that the traditional method of raising brand awareness seems to have fewer and fewer supporters.
Indeed, as a magazine publisher, I found hitting display space sales budgets increasingly difficult as clients diverted advertising budgets to online alternatives.
Online advertising is certainly effective, but it isn’t the only method of marketing out there. Print advertising is still alive and well; and it is effective if used wisely.
Print Advertising Negatives
Magazines are relatively expensive to place ads in, but you can often get a deal if you book multiple insertions and in terms of the effectiveness of your advertising campaign, this is a must.
Newspapers can be good alternatives to magazines and even the nationals have attractive deals that include their flagship national and regional daily titles for one price.
The cost of creating the ad itself can be high, if you use a high end creative agency. Yes, you need a well-conceived and designed ad, but you don’t need an army of photographers, graphic designers and copy writers to achieve this. Look to smaller full service marketing agencies. £450 for a whole page as opposed to £3,000.
People under 30 would rather look online than in a magazine or newspaper. However, most magazines and newspapers have online editions or websites and offer deals where your ad will be published in both.
The Positives
Getting your business seen in a magazine or newspaper still conveys a certain level of professionalism. Now everyone is advertising online print could just set you apart.
Print advertising can be used to target a very specific audience. Trade publications will be read by your potential customers which means your ad will reach plenty of people who are more likely to be interested in your products and services. Don’t under estimate the power of the free village or town magazine. They are dirt cheap to advertise in and are read by lots of local business people or householders looking for local service providers.
You can do some really clever stuff with print advertising – and get noticed – such as using digitally printed unique messaging, cover wraps, 3D adverts – if you also attach the glasses to the magazine – stitched in inserts and mounts.
Don’t get hung up on pure display advertising. Print advertising also enables you to use content marketing techniques, through advertorials, which position and give authority to your business.
Making it work
Keep in mind that most ads are not designed to sell, but to get people to remember your brand or to learn more about you. The next time they are thinking about your service you want your name to come to mind.
Always include your website address so people can find out more about your business, but don’t expect your web traffic to surge as a result. Include a contact email address and telephone number and crucially, a call to action.
Repetition is key, so book at least three insertions. You don’t have to take the inside front cover or center spread. If your budget is limited take half or quarter pages or consider regular 300 word advertorials – your blog in their magazine.
Ideally use a combination of both online and print marketing. Find publications that will run your ads in both mediums, for one price, to reach as many people as possible in as many ways as you can.
Choose a smaller full service marketing agency to create and manage your ad, such as Junction Media. They will be gain a better understanding of your business and will be far more cost effective. Don’t try to create your own ads in-house, unless you have a suitably skilled and experienced marketing team. There is nothing more off putting than a poor quality of badly designed and worded advertisement.