In an age that has gone digital, it’s easy to assume that print is indeed dead and digital is on the rise. But how have we arrived at this conclusion? The comparison between print marketing and digital marketing is closer than you think, and their success is intertwined. In the marketing realm, specifically, both are needed to make a major impact on consumers. Both print and digital marketing have their own unique strengths and play important complementary roles in a comprehensive marketing strategy. So today, we’re going to go head-to-head with print marketing versus digital marketing to determine which method is beneficial and why.
Print marketing is one of the most lucrative decisions you can make for your business. While some naysayers may claim that print is dead, it remains as useful as ever in the marketing world. Print marketing offers numerous benefits to the consumer, including a stronger physical connection, amplified brand recognition and presence, less competition in the marketing mailing industry, and better exposure. Explore the various benefits of print marketing below.
Due to print media’s physical nature, it provides a leg up in marketing that can’t be seen through digital variations. Since print media is tangible, it gives a stronger connection and elicits a deeper emotional response in consumers. Various articles have been written over the years, attributing better memory and brand recall to print ads.
According to three studies done in 2021, one used eye tracking and biometrics to show stronger engagement with print ads, the second proved that participants had a higher content and brand recall and the third showed a stronger initial exposure and memory in print ads. While digital marketing is highly effective, it will never have the same physical benefits and emotional response as print.
For consumers, seeing a brand “in the flesh” makes it more established, gives it more credibility and improves brand recall due to the memory-enhancing aspects of print marketing. Brand recall is an especially effective part of print marketing because it allows consumers to subtly start to remember your brand with every piece of mail sent with your company’s logo on it. Seeing it in person also allows the consumer to realize that your brand is legitimate, not just some digital company trying to scam them. The more consumers see your brand, the more they will come to trust you.
Since print is, apparently, dead, that just means fewer people use it as the valuable resource that it is. While there may have been a ton of competition for print marketing spots before digital media erupted, now a lot of businesses are investing all of their time and money into online marketing. Due to this, those who use print media have less competition and can get their brand to stand out more. Print marketing is especially lucrative for businesses trying to expand their local reach, enhance brand awareness and more.
Digital marketing media appears briefly, offers room for engagement and is scrolled past without a second thought until consumers get closer to the buyer’s stage. Print marketing, on the other hand, ends up in someone’s mailbox where the addressee looks at it once, twice, maybe even three times before even getting to their front door. From there, it might sit on their counter where they walk past it multiple times. Or maybe it will pique their interest and they keep coming back to it in the coming days. Regardless of whether they initiate an immediate response or not, the exposure time on print media is longer and oftentimes more effective than digital marketing.
While digital marketing has the potential to reach a vast audience throughout the world, there are so many possibilities that it won’t hit as hard due to the immense amount of people it reaches. That’s why print marketing comes in so handy. Print marketing is a fantastic way to reach local or regional audiences and consumers who will be closest to your brand and more likely to need your product or service.
While print marketing offers more benefits than people may think, digital marketing also offers benefits worth noting. One of the top reasons companies love it for marketing is because it’s so easy to publish and allows access to audiences around the world. However, the flip side is that more people are using digital marketing and it’s easier for your efforts to be swallowed whole by bigger companies and the millions of other businesses using similar tools. Either way, the advantages of digital marketing are certainly there. Explore the various benefits of digital marketing below.
The biggest appeal to digital marketing is that it can reach the entire online world if you want it to. However, there’s a big if there. While there’s a possibility of reaching a giant audience, the odds of that happening are slim unless you’re willing to invest a large amount of time and money. So, most people aim for their target audience and go from there. That said, digital marketing makes it easier to target your preferred audience on a global scale if you use the proper resources.
Without the need for materials, digital marketing offers a cost-effective way to share your brand. However, it’s important to note that while you don’t pay for tangible materials with digital marketing, you may need to pay for space and extra online visibility when running campaigns. While certainly not cheap, there are various advertising methods to choose from that allow you to find options within your budget for an allotted amount of time.
Print marketing is a fantastic way to promote local and regional brand awareness, but digital marketing is your best option for reaching a global audience. If widespread awareness can help your company, digital marketing is a great way to achieve this goal.
One perk of using digital marketing is the opportunity for audience engagement. Print marketing is limited to simple calls to action to visit a site or scan a QR code, but digital marketing allows a much broader offering of interactions with your audience. On social media, consumers are able to react to posts, ask questions, reach out to your team and so much more.
With advanced digital marketing tools at your fingertips, it’s easy to track where your content is going, who has seen it, who has engaged with it, whether it’s working and more. These tools also allow you to see ongoing results and use data-driven optimization to adjust campaigns accordingly.
Digital marketing is on the rise, and it’s steadily growing—but that doesn’t mean that print is going anywhere. The best way to enhance brand presence and gain more loyal customers is to combine digital marketing and print ads. Both marketing methods have unique benefits, and they work even better in tandem with one another. By combining print and digital marketing methods, your company can benefit by:
After seeing the comparison of print marketing versus digital marketing, there’s no clear winner—because they are both winning marketing tactics. Print marketing elicits an emotional response, has a better impact on memory and brand retention and offers direct local awareness. Digital marketing offers an easy, trackable option for reaching a global audience. Together, the integration of print marketing and digital marketing unlocks a surplus of benefits for your company. However, while you may be using digital marketing already, print marketing might be something you have yet to try.
Curious how you can get started with print marketing? Using our team at Signature Graphics, we’ll help you determine what campaigns your company can benefit from and get you started in the print marketing world. Reach out today to see how print marketing can amplify your brand message, increase return on investment and more.