There’s no doubt that e-marketing is the “it” way for businesses to communicate – especially in tight economic times. And, it’s hard not to argue for the cost effectiveness, reach and super-accessibility of digital media, from social networking to email, RSS, blogs, wikis, webcasts etc. With a seemingly endless array of digital marketing options, is there still a place for print media? Absolutely.

There are three key reasons print media remains a relevant, and important, part of your business’ marketing and communications program:

• Spam, Spam, Spam Spam...
  Recent studies have found that 90-95% of emails are actually spam. While best practices in email marketing can reduce the number of emails that end up in your customers’ spam filters, it still impacts the ability to get your message through. In addition, many business people complain of “email overload”, citing the fact that they spend so much time responding to emails that sometimes they simply can’t get to them all. For this reason, from time to time the opportunity to read something in print is welcome. In addition, print collateral is typically shared with others, one-on-one – as a result, it has the potential to spark ideas and agreements to act.


• What to Print - and When
  When people view material online, they typically print out lengthy or complex information so they can read it – why? Because computer screens actually make things more difficult to read. The constantly changing light patterns create an imperceptible "flicker" that makes it more difficult for the reader to process the information as it is read. As a result, people take as much as 25% longer to read information online than in print.
  
  This illustrates the need for both online and print material to effectively communicate marketing messages for your business. For more detailed or lengthy information, or for more complicated ideas, choose print. For simple, straight forward information such as tips, facts sheets, short articles etc., a digital format is the better way to go.


• Market From Every Angle
  It can be tempting to eliminate print advertising on the basis of cost. However, eliminating this important media entirely can be a mistake. Print advertising gives you an opportunity to be in front of your customers in a different environment, and layering print advertising with digital alternatives can together enhance the perception of presence, or media weight, within your target markets. The key here is to target your audience – there’s no point in spending valuable marketing dollars on ad space that targets the masses.

Your marketing plan needs to include the widest variety of marketing tools available to ensure maximum impact. For more ways to create a layered marketing approach to enhance return on your marketing investment contact 5th Business today!