There’s a new trend in advertising sweeping the nation. And as the author of this marketing blog, I feel compelled to tell you more about it.
This advertising medium is driving web traffic, helping brands separate themselves from competitors and leaving an impact on niche audiences from wood flooring to antiques. So what is it?
It’s print.
That’s right, trusty old print advertising is the “New ‘New Media’” according to the Columbia Journalism Review.
“Print is beautiful,” author Chava Gourarie writes in this piece published on CJR’s website.
She continues:
It can’t notify you when a work email arrives, can’t be tweeted mid-sentence, and won’t die without a charger. Even better, it’s finite.
It’s also supposed to be dead. For years, the new media vanguard has preached “digital first” and the death knell has sounded again and again for print, as legendary magazines moved online or ceased publication altogether. Now, 20 years into the digital revolution, print is making something of a comeback.
In fact, 2015 saw the launch of 204 new print magazines according to Samir Husni, the University of Mississippi professor known as “Mr. Magazine.”
This article underscores a trend we have seen at Wood Floor Business, as well.
Many clients I work with are surprised to learn print advertising is the most popular form of advertising among our customers, but Gourarie has a great theory for why that is. Magazines, especially those with niche audiences (such as B2B magazines), foster tight niche communities that are appealing to subscribers and advertisers.
“People want to be part of a tribe, and magazines with tailored content for an ardent readership reinforce a strong sense of community,” Gourarie writes.
In our industry, I believe it can also be attributed to the visual, tangible nature of hardwood flooring. When it comes to marketing your brand, there’s nothing more impressive than a fantastic room scene of a well-done hardwood floor.
The importance of print advertising is just one of the reasons we recently invested in rebranding our magazine.
A magazine is “like a membership card you receive once a week, or month,” says Husni.
This sentiment is backed up by Wood Floor Business’ own subscribers, 77 percent of whom are the owner, president or CEO at their company.
And as an advertiser, the print magazine gives you a unique opportunity to connect with that community in a setting where the reader is not distracted by the chime of a new email or the next “to do” popping up on their computer.
Of course, integrated marketing remains important. Digital advertising can help you reach tens of thousands of prospects in addition to those who receive the magazine. But the next time you’re looking do something special with your marketing budget, take a hard look at print advertising. Your prospects are doing the same.