The Power of Print Marketing in a Digital Age

Printed material has a huge advantage over digital marketing – the nature of physically interacting with it inspires instant engagement.

Digital marketing channels come with the benefit of measurable data – the who, when, how long and what they did next. But digital messages can be fleeting. Marketers are constantly looking to disrupt and distract, pulling the consumers monkey mind from one thought to another.

Print has become the Zen of marketing. It requires a decision – investigate or discard. Engagement is instant, and if your content and design is right, it can lead to instant action. It can also create the intention of later engagement – filed to be look at later.

Why is print still vital?

It sets intentions.

The physical act of buying a magazine, picking up a brochure or postcard, or even just finding a product catalogue in your mailbox and carrying inside captures the reader’s attention and create an instant intention – to read and engage with that material.

Tactile experiences

Physically engaging with printed items engages more of the senses than digital. You can feel the weight of your document and the quality of the paper, smell the ink, hear the pages turn. Creating something tangible adds credibility – you’re not just another digital shop front.

Print marketing must be design driven

Printed material relies on good design to grab and hold your attention. How well does your branding hold when the tricks of technology, video and moving images are taken away?

Print lasts longer

Print has the power to resurface. Printed product catalogs might be filed for future reference, magazines and white papers are kept on coffee tables for later reading away from digital distractions. Online your reader’s attention is being constantly bombarded with distractions – emails, advertising and the constant noise of social media. It really is a world when one click and they’re gone and you will need to work to bring them back.

Build credibility

Your brand is more than just a website, it’s a tangible entity with personality and people behind it. We go to great efforts to create personalities around our online brand, but a printed item can sum up that personality in an instant and create an emotional response in the person holding it.

How online brands use print

However hard you try to keep your business digital, there is still a long list of essentials that you need printed or have designed with the intention they will be printed.

The list is never-ending, but might include: