Technology continues to change the way we do things. From the way we contact our loved ones to the development of life-altering medications, there’s no denying the vast technological impact on our daily lives.
As marketers establish their brands online, they may neglect the unique benefits of traditional marketing strategies, like those of newspaper advertising. The truth is — print is alive, not dead. Advertising strategists are taking advantage of newspaper advertising to maximize their advertising mix, and here’s how.
The Effect of Newspaper Advertising
In 2018, the daily print and digital newspaper circulation in the U.S. was estimated to be 28.6 million readers during the weekday, reaching 30.8 million on Sundays. Of these people, the average reader spends about 12 minutes every day reading the paper.
Consider if only one person out of these millions saw your advertisement about your startup lawn company during their daily read. Using the little advertising budget you have, you invest in the one publishing platform you can afford — a small ad on a newspaper page’s bottom corner. After the first week of publishing, that one person calls your business and requests a quote for trimming a pair of overgrown shrubs. It’s not the largest job, but you say yes.
As you’re carefully trimming, their neighbor admires your work and requests a quote for their shrubs, too. You say yes. As you’re working your second job, the neighbor’s brother hears about your work quality. He hires you as the sole lawn maintenance provider for the active homes of his real estate company. By taking advantage of newspaper advertising, you establish several reliable and profitable relationships with quality customers.
Some people argue that digital platforms can spark the same domino effect while reaching more people, and they’re not completely wrong. But, just as marketers shouldn’t ignore their digital presence, a good advertising strategy shouldn’t ignore the far-reaching potential of newspaper advertising.
Does Newspaper Advertising Influence Consumer Purchase?
As marketers take advantage of growing digital potential, many of them disregard newspaper marketing. For companies that recognize newspaper advertising potential, this only increases the benefits of reaching higher-quality audiences. Adding newspaper advertisements to your advertising mix offers unique benefits like:
- Better reach of niche audiences: A healthy number of print publishers create publications in special-interest topics. These innovative publishers are shining a new light on the world of newspaper advertising, making otherwise hard-to-reach audiences easier to target for marketing strategists.
- Higher advertisement engagement rate: Print media, like newspapers, is an active medium, meaning users have to engage with the platform to consume it. Because of this high engagement rate, over 50% of consumers notice print advertisements, no matter their position on the page.
- Increased sales chance: Approximately 55.9% of print newspaper users have a household income of $75,000 or more, 44.2% of which report making over $100,000. By reaching demographics with higher levels of income, the possibility of them having the disposable income to purchase your product or service is greater.
For these reasons, consumers are statistically more likely to follow through on your advertisement’s call to action (CTA) when you’re effectively using newspaper advertising.
4 Reasons Why You Should Advertise in Newspapers
Reaching higher-quality audiences through newspaper advertising is a clear advantage, but there are many more reasons why you should add newspaper advertising to your marketing mix:
1. Active Readers
A majority of daily newspaper readers subscribe to home delivery, indicating a desire
- Which page your ad appears on
- What size you want the ad to be
- How frequently you want the ad to appear
The publishing staff can work with you to determine the best way to position your advertisement based on their experienced opinions and recommendations. Ultimately, you have the final say in how you want your ad to appear. You also have the flexibility within your budget to determine the best advertisement for you.
2. Improved Affordability
As businesses continue to ignore the potential of newspaper marketing, there may be less competition for prime ad spots and more affordable ad prices. This benefits the proactive advertising strategists, resulting in more affordable ads for their brands. Plus, you can establish a mutually beneficial relationship with the newspaper publishing staff as you partner together.
Newspaper advertising costs will largely depend on your budget, ad characteristics and the newspaper publisher. If your strategy includes advertising on major newspapers like the New York Times, you can expect to allocate more of your advertising budget towards reaching their massive audience. Or, if you want to reach a more specific demographic through local newspapers, you may pay as little as $11 per inch.
3. Brand Safe & Trustworthy
According to The Media Insight Project study, users are comparatively more skeptical of digital platforms because of their influx of intrusive advertisements, difficult navigability and long load times. Printed newspapers don’t share these strictly digital clutters, generating a natural feeling of trust with users. Newspapers have been historic key players in advertising campaigns for years, amplifying this level of trust. Brands are still trying to learn the best digital advertising methods, while newspaper publishers have already done the hard work of gaining user’s trust.
4. Increased Print-To-Web Traffic
Getting your print-based audience to interact with your brand online is a lot easier than doing the reverse. By using newspaper advertising, you can generate traffic to your digital brand by:
- Using QR codes: Usequick response (QR) codes within your newspaper advertisement, so users can scan the specialized code using their smartphones and be directed to your website.
- Writing web-specific CTAs: Somewhere in your advertisement, direct your reader to visit your website for more information. Write a CTA that entices the reader to a meaningful digital destination that can solve their hypothetical problems.
- Tracking print-to-web traffic: By using analytical tools, you can track your users’ engagement rate to receive accurate data on the content they respond the best to. With this information, you can better strategize your next advertising campaigns.
