by Print media advertising is a form of advertising that uses physically printed media, such as magazines and newspapers, to reach consumers, business customers and prospects. Advertisers also use digital media, such as banner ads, mobile advertising, and advertising in social media, to reach the same target audiences. The proliferation of digital media has led to a decline in advertising expenditure in traditional print media, but print isn’t dead.
Print advertisements are only effective when people see them. When people browse through newspapers and publications, these advertisements should grab the attention of the potential customer. Therefore, these advertisements should be created in such a manner that they can hold the attention of the customer to some extent. Usually, a team of individuals is required in order to design the advertisements.
The newspaper or magazine ad should be such that it should compel people to spend money on the products. This is just what the advertising team does. To create such an ad, the team members work on a concept and develop the wordings and images of the ad. These wordings and images are then brought together to form the final ad. Then there are people who deal with the placement of the ad. They have to make sure that if the client has paid for premium place, they get the desired exposure. For example, an ad on the first page will get instant attention of the reader than the ad on the subsequent pages. Likewise, an ad which occupies greater space is likely to get more attention. All these factors have to be looked into while designing the ad.
Factors Affecting Selection of Print Media Decisions
Class of the audience: Firstly, the advertiser must note the class of the audience to be influenced by the medium. The audience can be classified into different groups by their social status, age, income, educational standard, religion, cultural interests. They may also be divided into men and women.
Extent of coverage: Secondly, the advertiser must consider the number of audiences to be covered by the medium. Every media has a general as well as an effective circulation. The general circulation is made up of the total number of people who read or subscribe to the media. The effective circulation is the number prospective customers who read it and the number of those who influences sales, though they may not buy for themselves. Effective circulation must be considered while estimating the number of people to be covered. The extent to which the medium reaches the same audience as that covered by some other media i.e., the percentage of over-lapping must also be taken into account.
Nature of the product: Nature of the product itself is a principal factor governing the selection of the medium. Products can be classified into various kinds; consumer’s products and manufacturer’s products etc.
Nature of the competition: The nature of the competition exerts greater influence of the selection of the media. If the competition is stiff utmost care is needed in the selection of medium and a larger advertising budget is also required. In many cases where the advertising copy is similar or the choice of the media solely determines the effectiveness of the campaign as compared with that of the other competitors.
Reputation of the medium: Newspapers and magazines can offer a beautiful illustration for the reputation of the media. There are a few newspapers and magazines which have international reputation with a high readership. Advertisements in such magazines and newspapers are generally recognized and believed as true. Such advertisements also add prestige to the product.
Cost of the media: Cost of the medium in most cases, is an important factor in the selection of the medium. Advertisements in certain media are expensive. For instance, TV and Radio advertisements. Magazines and newspaper advertisements are generally considered as less expensive. Yet, certain magazines and newspapers, having larger circulation and high reputation charge higher rates. The rates also differ depending upon the space occupied and the preferential positions. The first page of a newspaper is rarely missed by the reader. Hence, they have more attention value, than the advertisements presented anywhere inside the newspaper.
Time and location of buying decisions: The location of the audience and the time by which it should reach them must also be looked into. This consideration also enables the advertiser to keep his retail outlets in the proximity of the customers.
Newspaper Advertising. Newspaper reading is a common habit among most of the educated people. Besides daily newspapers, there are bi-weekly and weekly newspapers also Newspapers reach almost every place and are read by all kinds of people. Therefore, newspaper can be used as a medium of advertisement with great advantage. While selecting a newspaper for this purpose, an advertiser has to take into consideration the strength of circulation, the class of readers it serves, the geographical region over which it is popular, and the cost of space.
Magazine Advertising. Magazine or periodicals are an excellent medium of advertisement when a high quality of printing in colour is desired. Magazine advertisements can be directed towards a particular class of people. . Thus, marketers can avoid wasteful expenditure on advertising.
Magazine advertising is considered to be superior to newspaper advertising because of the following merits:
- Magazines are read more carefully and at greater leisure. Advertising through magazines is more effective.
- The life of the magazine advertisements is longer. Magazines are preserved for a long period of time and are read time and again.
Types of Print Media
Print media include those media of communication which are controlled by time. It can be read at any available time and can be kept for record. Following are the major print media of mass communication.
Book
It is most effective mass media. It is best source of education. It is best and cheapest means of storing and transmitting to others the records. It is best example of print mass media. By books people easily get information and knowledge
Newspaper
It is most effective and important media of mass communication. Its valuable services to the community like information, education, entertainment, record facility etc. It gives information to the people in the printed form. It is good example of print media
Magazine
It is most important print media of mass communication. It gives information to the people. In magazines people show their talent in the form of anything. it is predecessor of the daily newspaper.
Advantages
Higher Frequency of Viewing
One of the best benefits of print media is that it has a higher frequency opportunity of viewing than online ads. Since the newspaper or magazine may sit on a table or rack at a business or home, repeated exposures are allowed. Flyers, brochures, and other physical pieces are often reviewed multiple times and shared with other prospects. Unlike digital messaging, print media does not disappear after generating an impression. It piles up, creates clutter, and is thereby reviewed once more, even before recycling or discarding. Because of this long shelf life, you can benefit from having your ad seen by more people, more often.
Holds Readers’ Attention
If you’ve ever tried to read a lengthy article online, you’ll understand how much the digital age has nearly killed the human attention span. People surf the Internet with multiple tabs open, while texting their friends, and half-listening to the television in the background. With all this constant stimulation, it’s almost impossible to focus on a single thing for very long. That’s why print media is the better option for your advertising. Print readers cannot multitask while they are reading your magazine or newspaper. This means they can focus on what they see and be more receptive to the ads within the publication. This benefit of newspaper advertising is one of the reasons why so many big brands still post ads in print.
Flexibility
Print ads are amazing at allowing you to target your audience. You’re in full control of exactly what section of the newspaper or magazine you place your ad in, and you can do this based on information about where your audience is most likely to read. You can run your ad in specialty magazines related to your topic or in general papers that deliver to your geographic locations. You can also run your ad on a specific day of the week. You can tailor your campaigns to suit your budget by changing the size and colour of your ad. Even more, you will be working with a human being when you buy your ad space, so you won’t be at the mercy of an online algorithm that decides where your ads are seen. Print media provides you much more customization than digital ads.
Credibility Increases Reader Loyalty
Print publications are better able to increase reader loyalty because they are credible. Many people subscribe to magazines and newspapers because they understand and believe that the information provided to them is credible and accurate. Publishing an article in print takes a lot more effort than publishing something online. This is because you only have one chance to get every word and image right before it gets published. With online ads, you can go back in to change or tweak your ad and send it back out. Since there is this pressure on accuracy and credibility and print media, readers are more likely to trust this platform. This works to your advantage by generating leads and sales much easier. As an added benefit, this trustworthiness leads to better reader loyalty.
Control over Appearance
Another newspaper advertising advantage is that you can control the way it looks. You have complete power over the colours you use and the characteristics of the paper. Every aspect of typography, colour choices, graphics, and design allow you to create a presentation that meets the expectations of your prospects. Other types of media provide less control over these aspects. Digital media can be subject to operating systems and browser configurations, and television advertising only appears and sounds as good as the technology it is presented upon.
Encourages Action
When people use the Internet, they try to avoid ads at all cost. It’s easy to click the “X” button within seconds of an ad popping up on the screen it’s almost instantaneous. Online users hate ads. There are even apps designed to block ads from showing up on webpages. This isn’t the case with print media. Most print readers are motivated to take some form of action after viewing a magazine or newspaper ad. For example, ads for a local grocery chain product sale encourage customers to visit the store and buy the product right away, instead of waiting until they actually need it. The idea that the item, at such a good price, could go out of stock sends signals to the reader that they need to take immediate or soon action, so they don’t miss out.
More Accurate Targeting
It’s hard to know exactly whether print media or digital media are better at reaching a targeted audience. Print allows you to choose a publication that your target audience is most likely to read. This can be a trade magazine that caters to a specific industry or a local newspaper. This is why many say print is better at reaching local audiences. Print media allows you to advertise directly to your audience, by publishing your ad in magazines that rely on subscriptions. For example, if you sell gardening tools, you can post your ad in gardening and home magazines. Since digital ads can get lost on the Internet and are subject to algorithms, you can benefit from choosing a print media marketing solution. You have the time to better understand your target audience and specify your ad to appeal to them.
Sensory Experience
Some people simply enjoy the act of flipping through magazine pages, creating “dog ears” on the pages they want to turn back to, and carrying the information everywhere they go. When people wait at a doctor’s office, it’s second nature to pick up the magazine or newspaper on the front table and start reading. When people take a flight on an airplane, they often bring reading material to enjoy as they relax and try to get their mind off how high up they are. This sensory experience of touching the page of the ad is on improves the impact it has on consumers.
Limitations
Competition for attention is fierce: Research shows that Americans now engage with seven different types of information sources each day from print, TV and radio to online videos while spending one of every four minutes on a social media platform. Rather than fight this trend, savvy business owners work to ensure that their media mix covers all the opportunities available to them.
Print media requires multiple exposures: Consumers need to see an ad several times before they will take action. Marketing professionals call these exposures “touches.” This is why print ad buys are usually made in bundles for multiple exposures. Print media can quickly add up to be a costly proposition for the small business owner, which is why it’s imperative to select the different media carefully, so that you increase the chance of a return.
Print media requires longer lead times: The immediacy of social media has cast a brighter light on the meaning of the word “long.” Even if it’s not particularly well done, an ad can be written and posted on a social media platform within minutes. Competition has helped shorten lead times, but print ads must be written, produced and distributed. Knowing this, small business owners should plan accordingly, designating print media for messages that are less time-conscious in nature and are less likely to change at a moment’s notice.
- Requires multiple exposures
- Not for a global audience
- Requires a lot of planning
- Hard to target a specific audience
- Competition for attention is fierce
- Higher cost
- Requires longer lead times
