For marketers who are struggling to advertise their content online, it might be time to consider the new potential of an old medium—and that medium is print, reports Media Update.
PRINT HAS STAYING POWER
One of print’s major advantages over digital is its staying power. An ad printed in a magazine will stay alive for as long as the reader possesses the publication. For what it lacks in potential for instant response, it makes up for in longevity and tactile shareability. Readers are more inclined to keep a niche market magazine at home, but they don’t generally save a news story or magazine they read online.
Another point to consider in terms of staying power, is reader trust. This trust comes from a source of reliability and knowing where the content comes from. The editors’ and writers’ names—and even images—are listed in magazines and newspapers. The content is consistent, and the reader knows that they will always receive the weekly/monthly/quarterly edition of their print publication, without fail.
With the growing issue of #FakeNews online, reader trust is a major commodity. When readers see something online, their first port of call is to question it’s source and authenticity. When it comes to print, this does not happen.
PRINT HAS A SENSE OF EXCLUSIVITY
Due to the amount of time it takes to produce a print publication, and the costs thereof, print publications are viewed as more exclusive than online content. Why? The fact that a publishing house has gone to the trouble of printing the content—often on high-quality, expensive paper—means that the content is worth something.
Online content, on the other hand, is free to access (bar some paid-for content sites) and readily available. And readers can find the same news from the various sources of online publishers. This makes an exclusive article from, say, THE FIGHT Magazine, a bit more “valuable” in the eyes of the reader.
Beyond the exclusivity of the article, there’s also the exclusivity of the audience. Print magazines have built up a loyal and niche audience, especially when considering the LGBTQ market.
PRINT ADS ARE MORE MEMORABLE
Readers generally remember a print ad better than they do a digital one, according to a study done by Temple University’s Center for Neural Decision Making.
The study asked participants to view the same combination of ads on two occasions over a two-week period.
The results revealed that “the participants who had seen advertisements in only one format (whether twice in print or twice in digital, as opposed to one of each) were best at recalling the ads and their content”.
It also showed that out of the two formats that were shown twice, the physical format, print, saw participants brains associating with the ad with a higher memory.
“Readers generally remember a print ad better than they do a digital one,” said Dr Angelika Dimoka, associate professor of Marketing and Management Information Systems.
For advertising information call THE FIGHT at 323-297-4001 or email editor@thefightmag.com.
