How many times in the last few years have you heard the phrase “print is dead?” Probably more than you can remember. Society today is putting more emphasis on becoming paperless and going green for the sake of the environment, and with that comes the people who say that no one reads newspapers or magazines anymore. In a study done by the Pew Research Center,, 25 percent of respondents said that they rely on newspapers to get information about their community. Fewer people, just 17 percent rely on the Internet for information, and 13 percent tune in to the news on television. Here’s a look at three major factors which keep print advertising alive and well:
It Doesn’t Change
While the newspapers may change their layouts over the years and direct mail fliers may vary, in order for print advertising to work, the target audience need only know how to read. Compared to virtual advertising which requires more technical knowledge of getting the ads online and then tracking them via sophisticated software, which also changes, print advertising is quite simple.
It’s Easily Accessible to People
While society may extol the virtues of a connected world, getting connected takes more time than opening the door, or walking to the end of the driveway, to get your newspaper. Newspapers and classified ads are cheaper than any electronic device and don’t require a service plan in order to read them. They are often found in businesses around the community–restaurants, libraries, doctor’s offices and coffee shops–where people aren’t likely to be connected to the Internet. So even people who don’t usually buy the paper or subscribe to it, have it available to them. Additionally, people can come back to print ads time and time again until they throw them in the garbage can. Online ads may only been seen for a second or two before someone clicks through to a different website.
It Saves Time
How many times do you go online to find out some piece of information, only to find–an hour or two later–that you’ve hopped from website to website looking at all sorts of “shiny objects” and to have all but forgotten the reason you booted up your laptop in the first place. Newspapers and classified ads are clearly organized in groups such as news stories, sports and advertisements, which makes it pretty easy for people to quickly find the information that they need. People have been conditioned to turn to the newspaper or classified ads when they want to find a used car, sell their child’s old bike or search for a new home.
Continuing to advertise in print is still a worthwhile venture. You can target your ads directly to those in the communities in which you’ll be advertising, and you can change them frequently depending on what you have to offer. Additionally, you’ll get your name in front of people over and over again by advertising in newspapers and local classifieds. That way, when someone needs your services, they’ll automatically think of you just because of the repetition of seeing your ads so many times.
