Once the online world started taking over our lives, pessimists had already started tolling the death bells of print advertising. Why would anyone pay for a newspaper ad, they reasoned, if people now read their news online? And why would a client pay thousands of dollars for a large billboard, when he can post an online banner on a dozen websites for a couple of hundred dollars?

We’ve seen some big changes in online advertising that show that it is not the perfect medium. First came the bane of pop-up windows when pop-up blockers became a standard feature in internet browsers. Now there is a new trend on the rise among internet users: adblockers. Adblock software effectively removes every kind of advertising from websites: video ads, photo ads, and link ads. Meanwhile, there is still no way to remove print ads or billboards from your sight.

Leaving this trivial reasoning aside, here are five solid reasons why print advertising is still effective:

1. It’s a Highly Creative Medium

Paper is one of the most versatile advertising mediums. It is the retro version of 3D advertising. There are so many ways in which you can prepare and render your ads on paper: textured, with cut-outs, on glossy or matte paper, folded in every creative way you can think of.

If you want to stand out from the crowd of competition, an edgy brochure ad is the right way to do it – even in the online era.

2. It’s an Actual Item = It Inspires Confidence

Paper is something that can be held, felt, turned around, put away in a bag and taken out again. People love palpable things and they react with a higher level of confidence in front of printed words.

Statistics support this claim. A recent study has shown the following:

• 79% of US people will purchase an item advertised in a newspaper
• 40% of them will take this action within 30 days after seeing the ad

Now, if you were to compare these astounding numbers to the conversion rates of online ads, you would notice the higher level of confidence people have in printed advertising.

3. Print Advertising Works Well with Other Mediums

Print catalogs, brochures, and direct mail can result in customer actions throughout all your communication and marketing channels. You can direct people to visit your website or your social media pages, to give you a phone call or to enter your store.

Printed magazines are still a staple in building and expanding your brand image and directing effective calls to action to your readers. Through QR codes on your printed materials, and you have also reached out to smartphone users as well (a QR Code is a type icon that can be scanned by a smartphone and pull up any information you’d like — similar to a barcode on a product).

4. Print Ads Are Memorable

Do you remember that sizzling Pepsi ad featuring Cindy Crawford? It was back in the ‘90s but you can still picture it in your mind. What about that online ad appearing on the web page you were reading this morning? Not really, right?

This small experiment is backed by research conducted by Penn State University, which proved that people are more likely to commit to memory a printed material than one viewed on a computer screen.

5. Print Advertising Is Better at Targeting Certain Consumer Groups

As shocking as it may seem, not everyone is online. The middle-aged and senior demographic groups are less connected than millennials and the Y generation and still depend on newspapers and magazine for information. They are also very likely to open and respond to direct mail advertising.

These are some reasons why you should keep your print marketing budget and continue to invest in billboards, brochures, and direct mail. Print is here to stay and will continue to be a powerful advertising medium.

>> Are you looking for a reliable partner for your print needs? Get in touch with Impact Color today.