The short answer is “yes we do”, and it doesn’t look like going away anytime soon!
Advertising is all around us, from television and radio ads and poster hoardings to streamed online banner ads. Multinational companies will often have advertising budgets running to millions of pounds. Small businesses need to advertise as well, to spread the word about their services and products and to become better known locally.
In this digital age is may come as a surprise to find that traditional print advertising is still an excellent option for a small business. There are several reasons for this:
• Performance – print advertising, such as magazine ads or marketing brochures, is recognised as an excellent way of producing results. In most criteria it does at least as well as television and internet advertising and outperforms both in maximising return for investment.
• Permanence – television and internet ads are there and gone in an instant. Print advertising, however, remains there every time someone looks at the page it is on. Magazines can typically get passed around family, friends and work colleagues ensuring that a print advert will be seen by somebody new each time it is opened.
• Credibility – a print publication that appears regularly with quality content builds a reputation as a credible, reliable source. As such, any advertisements that appear in that publication automatically have this credibility attributed to them by the reader.
• Engagement – watching television or listening to the radio are passive activities. Advertising may attract attention but may provoke negative reactions. People often take the opportunity to put the kettle on during the ad breaks! If someone decides to read a magazine, however, this is a positive choice on their part. They have made a conscious choice to look at and engage with the articles and adverts in the publication.
We are not saying that small businesses should devote their advertising budget exclusively to print media, but it should still form an important part of your planning.
Don’t forget that print media also includes things such as brochures and business cards, essentials for most businesses.
Dynamic Sales Solutions are Gloucestershire’s specialists in all things relating to marketing. Our experts can offer advice and help with all your marketing needs, including creating fantastic websites. Contact us for an informal discussion on 01452 534860 or visit our website dynamicsalessolutions.co.uk to see what we can do for you.