In a recent comment on REMonline, David Zalepa wrote, “All the successful Realtors that get the lion’s share of listings in their communities and make the most money still use full-page ads in the local newspapers and publications.”
According to a survey by MarketingSherpa, 82 per cent of respondents trusted print ads in newspapers and magazines as one of the main advertising channels used when making a purchase decision. Forbes Magazine recently released a series that offers reasons why, in a world of digital phone and tablet use, print advertising is still sexy:
- Print can provide a way of introducing and solidifying a new brand’s reputation
- Good social media posts can also work well as innovative print ads
- Focus on just three aspects – audience, your offer and overall design
- Print ads can be made interactive through phone apps and QR code use
- Keep your copy short for the maximum effect
- Leave them wanting more – use print as a way to direct customers to other media and advertising by building a story they will want to follow to its end
- Don’t forget the call to action – it works so well for online ads and it can work for print just as effectively
- Eighty per cent of print ads are acted on by potential customers, whereas the online ads can only boast a 45 per cent success rate. It is also known as a better medium for targeting your audience the most effectively.
For print advertisers like Avi Rosen, the combination of methods works best in advertising and marketing his business. His company, Together We Are Stronger offers legal advice to the public and to real estate professionals.
He likes the tangibility of print advertising. “I think, you know, TV came along but newspapers survived that. Digital advertising came along, and newspapers also survive that. (Print advertising) provides an additional way of communicating with people. You can touch it, hold on to it. Just as people still read newspapers, people read print ads.”
Rosen, a paralegal and Realtor, sales that for his business of giving legal advice to brokers, print advertising in a variety of publications does the job. He says, “It gets my name out in front of people. Repetition is important in marketing. It can be helpful to have digital and print advertising.”
Another method he has used is through writing his own articles. He has written guest columns for real estate publications as well as his own website information for clients and prospective clients.
The Forbes Communications Council asked 10 advertising experts for their opinions on the future of print. Overwhelmingly, they stated that print will continue to be an excellent complement to digital advertising.
Dave Matli of Parasail Health says, “Direct mail is the most effective way to reach senior citizens who will read long-copy mailers.” That means clients who may be looking to sell or purchase smaller locations for retirement will be waiting to hear from you.
Many consumers feel that print advertising in magazines carries more weight. Even if your online ad is interactive and technologically superior, being able to hold the ad in the magazine and see it in person weighs into a consumer’s considerations about the brand and its quality.
Your augmented reality campaigns can get their kick-off through print advertising. Says Patrick Niersbach of InContext Solutions, “Advances in technology like AR and image recognition will enable print ads to be the first step in a seamless omnichannel brand experience.”
Adds Almitra Karnik at CleverTap: “Gone are the days when leftover budget from digital channels was used for print. For maximum impact on a product launch or announcement, build an integrated marketing campaign that brings the best of both worlds together.”
While seeing the benefits of print advertising may be a matter of honing your metrics analysis, those in the field who work with multiple (or “omnichannel”) advertising on a day-to-day basis indicate that although there are more digital media choices, this makes print stand out in a whole new way.
Yvonne Dick is a contributing writer for REM with two decades of experience in journalism.
