You may find it hard to wrap your head around the notion that print advertising is able to provide a higher ROI than other forms of marketing media – especially in this digital day and age. But, while most of the marketing world’s attention seems to be focused on digital media, it would appear that print media continues to deliver outstanding results.

1. RfK – a company that specialises in market research – maintains that “traditional media continue to account for the lion’s share of total advertising revenue”. 
2. 45% of the participants who took part in a 2012 Adobe survey felt that traditional forms of media – including print magazines, newspapers and TV – were still the best source for marketing and advertising.  
3. According to an Integral Media blog, the findings of a study done by Mindshare and the Professional Publishers Association (PPA) show that magazine adverts are able to “make a substantial contribution to an advertiser’s bottom line when deployed and measured appropriately”.

SO, WHY IS THERE SUCH A GOOD ROI FOR PRINT ADVERTISING IN MAGAZINES, SPECIFICALLY?

A recent FiPP INSIGHT report on the impact of print magazine adverts highlights the following benefits of print advertising:

1. Consumers generally buy magazines they like. Because the ads within these magazines are tailored to each magazines’ niche readership, the chances of them reaching an advertiser’s ideal target market are high.
2. The experiences and emotions associated with print magazines are generally very positive. According to the report, magazines generate feelings of belonging to a community, relaxation and inspiration, which is positively related to the effectiveness of print advertising in magazines

The same Integral Media blog points to these additional perks:

1. Magazines are highly effective in getting consumers closer to brands, while engaging magazine adverts help to drive brand appeal.
2. Print magazines have a longer shelf life, which increases the chance of them being purchased and read. This translates into a higher ROI for the print adverts within.
3. Consumers don’t actually want to be constantly bombarded by ads on digital channels. Compared to digital ads, advertisements in print magazines are considered to be far less disruptive.

OPTIMISE YOUR MARKETING CAMPAIGN WITH A COMBINATION OF DIGITAL AND PRINT ADVERTISING

With all of the above being said, traditional magazine publishers have nevertheless had to evolve into multi-platform content providers to keep up with the increased demand for digital offerings. They now run digital editions and have developed their apps, websites and social media accounts to reach a broader online audience. This has only served to strengthen their relationships with their readers.

The print version of our home improvement directory, HOMEMAKERSfairfair, for example, is delivered straight to readers’ front doors, while the digital version, along with an extensive supplier directory, can be accessed via our website 24/7. Alternatively, readers can sign up and have the magazine directory emailed to them each month.

Image Credit: wiseGeek

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