How To Use Print Ads To Build Awareness

If you buy into the “print is dead” idea, how well the medium has held on might surprise you. Though businesses give digital marketing priority, it is not the only effective strategy. You can use print in combination with digital marketing. Print advertising in Kansas City is still going strong.

Print advertising in Kansas City

Because of its reputation as out-dated, many business owners and marketers are overlooking the power of print advertising in Kansas City. Print media has been a staple of advertising for hundreds of years. It has remained relevant throughout the rise or radio, television, and even the internet. And it will continue to be relevant because it can do things other media cannot.

Uses of Print Ads

Directly Talking to Your Audience

With print advertising, you can go where your audience already invests it’s time. If you have narrowed down your target audience, you can use publications unique to that market segment. This is an excellent way of getting the best bang for your buck, especially if you have a small budget. Do not use publications that target a large swathe of people. Only utilize print publications that appeal to your specific audience.

Talking about the Details

Print ads are a great way to talk about the details of your product or service. Explain how your solution is the answer to your customer’s problems. It is an excellent opportunity to have more sustained attention from your audience. Use the space to get their attention with the graphics, layout, and the words you use. If it works, they are one step closer to purchasing your product or service.

Tipping the Scales towards Action

Print advertising can build a desire for your product or service in your target audience. It can tip the scales towards action and lead your audience further into the sales funnel. Whether you are trying to raise brand awareness or sell a product or service, the print ad is a great opening act for the rest of your campaign.

Capitalizing on Existing Markets

Despite the salience of the internet, print publications still hold a lot of value. Advertising in respected publications can show your target audience that you are a trustworthy brand. You can tap into the publication’s market and gain legitimacy because of where you advertised.

Which publication you choose depends on where your target audience prefers to get their information. If your product or service is for scientists, a science magazine would be a great choice. If your product or service is for children, a parenting magazine might be an option. Though putting an ad for a hiking bag in a tech magazine might get you some sales, it is likely not a great return on your advertising investment. Not all people interested in technology are interested in hiking. But the same ad in an ecotourism magazine might perform much better.

Attention Grabbing

The digital landscape can get easily crowded and overwhelming. Many people ignore the ads on their screens out of habit. There are also browser extensions and tools designed to block ads on digital platforms. Depending on how the ad is being blocked, you might be paying for an ad that the potential customer can’t even see!

Print media advertising is less invasive, so it might not get ignored out of habit. Print ads must be handled before they can be thrown out, so you did have an impact on your audience. They likely skimmed it first and now have knowledge about your product or service. This seed can prove itself useful when your potential customer needs it.

Another benefit of print ads is their novelty. So many people focus on digital advertising that those that use print ads can stand out.

Capitalizing on how the brain works

There is a fundamental difference in how the brain processes print media advertising to digital advertising. The experience is entirely different as there is a physical quality to print ads that digital media can’t compare with. Research suggests that touching print ads elicits stronger emotional processing than digital ads. Stronger emotions mean it becomes a more salient part of our memory.

This creates more brand awareness and more associations in people’s memories with your brand. And because they personally handled your ad, it has a more personal effect than seeing it on a screen. This can lead to nudging your audience down the sales funnel and towards action.

We have already talked about how a good design can create brand awareness and grab attention. But the strategy you use in your ad campaign can also make a difference. People are naturally resistant to pushy sales tactics. Your readers will not respond to having your product or service shoved down their throat. A popular alternative is “storytelling” where the approach is to tell a story that your reader can connect with. This method reaches further into the hearts and minds of your audience than brute force sales tactics.

Using Print in Ad Campaigns

Digital marketing has not replaced all other forms of advertising. It has only created another tool in the marketer’s toolbox. So the idea that print is no longer relevant ignores the unique effects print media advertising can have on your audience. Unlike in the past, print ads might not be the majority of your ad campaign. But they should still part of any good marketing campaign. With planning and creativity, print ads can add quite a punch to any campaign.

Looking for print media advertising in Kansas City? Give us a call or email, and we can help plan a great advertising campaign targeted for your business. How have you used print media advertising in your marketing campaigns? What is your opinion on print media advertising? Tell us your story in the comments!