Print vs. Digital: The Best of Both Worlds (INFOGRAPHIC)

Nowadays, advertisers have a plethora of advertising options at their fingertips. From digital advertising to print, magazine, native and outdoor advertising, the options are truly endless.

While that might sound like an advertiser’s dream, the reality is that all these options can make things a little confusing. With so many different options, it’s hard to know which is best for your business. Maybe you’re not sure how digital advertising really works, or you’re afraid nobody pays attention to print advertising. You have too many options and not enough answers.

Well fret no longer because we’re going to break down the benefits of digital and print advertising, and show you how to use both to give your business the best of both worlds.

Digital Advertising

It’s instant

Unlike print advertising, digital is instant. There’s no submitting artwork to the magazine and waiting for it to go on sale. Instead, with the click of a button, your advertising is live. This makes digital a great option if you’re looking to promote a sale or an upcoming event that can’t wait for a magazine to hit newsstands.

It’s interactive 

Have you ever tried tapping on a product in a magazine to find out more? Yeah, print advertising doesn’t exactly work like that. Digital does, though. Say your ad pops up in the middle of a news article, and the reader is interested in what you’re selling. He/she can easily click your advertisement and will be immediately redirected to your website.

Digital ads make it easy for potential customers to find out more as soon as they see your ad. A customer likes what she sees, so she buys it. Right away.

You can track it 

It’s incredibly simple to measure the performance of your digital advertisements. From impressions to clicks, it’s easy to find out if your ads are getting noticed and growing your sales.

It’s flexible

Digital advertising is great because a) you can track it, and b) if it’s not working, you can change it. If you see that your ads aren’t performing the way you’d like, you can stop running them or change them to be more appealing to potential customers.

It’s shareable 

See an ad you like while scrolling through Facebook? Share it. See a sale or promotion your friend might like? Share it. It’s pretty easy to share things online. Whether it’s a repost or a retweet, if you see something you like, it’s easy to pass along. That’s a huge plus, because the more times your ad is shared, the more eyes see your product.

It’s less expensive

Generally speaking, a digital campaign tends to be less than a print campaign. If you’re looking to get your feet wet in advertising, a 30-day digital campaign would be a great way to start. That being said, digital is best used for promoting a sale, product launch, or big upcoming event. If you’re looking to build brand recognition or gain credibility, you might want to familiarize yourself with print advertising.

 

Print Advertising

It’s forever 

We all have that stack of old magazines sitting around the house. They might be on the coffee table, in the living room, or sitting next to the bathtub, but they’re there. They’re there because, for some reason, people like to save magazines. Whatever that reason may be, it’s great for your advertisements. Every time someone new picks up that magazine and flips through the pages, your ad makes an impression. Think of how many times one copy of a magazine gets passed between friends. Or read in a waiting room or nail salon. Your advertisement is seen every time.

It’s sensory

There’s something blissful in physically turning the pages of a good magazine. The smell of the ink; the feel of the pages. That’s something you just never get from browsing the Internet. Social media is great. Digital advertising is awesome. But print just has that something special. Not to mention, people have a longer attention span when reading from a physical page. They also retain information better and longer when reading from something like a book or magazine versus an online article.

It’s traditional

Print media is a lot like bread. Some people will say bread and gluten is bad and will switch to something new. But there will always be those bread lovers who will never give up their traditional white bread, no matter what nutritionists and health experts say about gluten. Ok, so that was a really longwinded metaphor about bread and print media, but you get the point. Digital media is great, and it offers advertisers a ton of benefits. But print media is traditional, and people will always want that.

It’s specific

There’s a publication for just about every interest and hobby out there. Are you selling a product for dogs? Advertise in Dogster. Horseback riders? Check out Horse Illustrated.

Yes, there’s also a variety of websites and blogs to advertise on, but magazines allow you to target an incredibly specific audience. You can rest assured that if you place an advertisement in Horse Illustrated, only horse lovers will see that ad. Your impressions aren’t wasted.

It builds credibility

Almost anyone can place a digital advertisement, but it’s a bit more difficult to advertise in a magazine. Publications don’t just allow any business to run on their pages. That means when you see a product or business in a magazine, it’s typically a pretty trustworthy company. If your company is looking to build brand recognition or credibility, print advertising is the way to go.

The choices are endless

When it comes to print advertising, the choices are truly endless. From sizes to spaces, it’s easy to find something that fits your goals and budget. There’s a huge variety of publications available, meaning you’ll be able to find an audience that fits your product, and working with an agency means you won’t have to spend $3 million on a single ad.

Whether it’s digital or print, you have plenty of advertising options to choose from. Digital is better for certain things like flash sales or promotions, whereas print is great for establishing a brand and building credibility. To truly get the best of both worlds, create a campaign with a combination of the two.