Print Ads: Relevant or Not?

​It seems everyone is online these days.

Millennials spend 21.3 hours a week on internet-enabled devices (PCs, tablets, and smartphones). Millions more seniors get online each year. Americans spend 11 hours a day, on average, with electronic devices. Almost 70% of people get their news online. Over 50% bank that way.

The same platform which allows your sister to share pictures of her cat with the world also allows you to connect with your customers 24/7.
 
This begs the question: if we spend so much time online, are print ads still relevant?
 
Yes.
 
Although your potential customers are online much of the time, print can be a more effective manner of reaching them. This is not to say, however, that digital advertising is not effective. It is. But studies show that people focus differently when looking at a screen instead of paper, making these media forms work very distinctly. Digital advertising is good when you want to create immediate purchase decisions or have information easily accessible. Print advertising is good when you want people to focus.

On digital devices, multiple items command your attention. To use the Forbes homepage as an example, there are seven: two menus, a search bar, a set of social buttons, a banner ad, a list of articles, and a photograph. That’s a tame example. With so many elements simultaneously seeking your attention, it's nigh impossible to focus all your attention on one.

Although getting your print ads in front of the right people may be more difficult, these advertisements are more effective once there. According to the Center for Media Research, a full-page print ad has 83% the value of a 30-second television commercial. In contrast, the typical internet banner ad has only 16% the value of that same commercial.

Another reason to use print advertising? It has the highest ROI of all major media. It is an effective and relatively inexpensive way to reach consumers.

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Now that you know print media is effective, what will your course of action be?
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The first step is to determine your audience. If you run an independent soccer camp, for instance, you’re probably targeting players, parents, and coaches.

Next, determine the best way to reach this audience. Be convenient for them to access. If your audience frequents a certain location, leave materials there. If they have previously opted to give you their mailing information, send them a postcard. Make it easy for them.
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Finally, create your content. There are three primary rules for print ad content: be simple, be commanding, and be interesting. If your material is too busy, your potential customers will throw it out. If it doesn’t contain a call-to-action or a means to gather more information, they’ll forget about it. If it’s boring, they won’t care.  
 
In our digital age, people’s attention is constantly divided. Use print advertising, along with digital media, to create a diverse presence through which to reach your customers.