You may have heard about the death of traditional media in light of all the digital advertising options out there, but much like Mark Twain, the reports of the death of traditional media just might be “greatly exaggerated”. There are still many reasons that brands can and should be advertising through one of the oldest advertising mediums—print advertising.

Reaching the Target Customer

Traditional print advertising is not necessarily right for every brand and every product, but for those who are trying to reach out to high income consumers, a report from Shullman Research Center indicated that for those with high net worth, more “traditional” forms of advertising such as print, direct mail, and television actually rank in the top five for the most reach of all channels studied, and print newspapers actually had the highest of all advertising mediums in terms of engagement (measuring the percent of people who saw the ad and were actually interested)—a much higher engagement rate than Facebook (#10), email marketing (#12), and websites (#16).

While it might not be as shiny and new as some of the other technology and digital marketing options available, print advertising does still offer some advantages for those trying to reach a specific consumer segment.

Building Trust

Consumers today are drawn to brands they trust, and a 2013 Nielsen survey found that of all the advertising channels out there, print advertising in the local newspaper actually generated the highest level of trust (61%). Readers understand that when they read a newspaper, they will get both content written by what they hope is an objective third party, as well as ads placed by companies.

Targeting the Right Group

While studies have shown that people are more likely to recall an ad placed in the newspaper or other form of print, it’s important to note that this type of advertising is not right for every single company—just as an all-digital advertising strategy isn’t right for every company. Newspaper readers tend to be an older and more affluent audience, and magazines can appeal to more niche audiences depending on their content. For this reason, anyone considering print advertising should first take a look at the demographics of the audience to make sure you’re reaching the right people who would be interested in your product or service. If the print media audience fits with your product, these ads have been shown to have a great return on investment (ROI).

Brand Awareness and Recognition

The goal of advertising is often to get someone to take action—call to schedule an appointment, purchase a product, or learn more about the services you offer. However, there is another purpose of advertising that doesn’t have such a direct ROI, and that is advertising that creates brand awareness and helps keep your business top-of-mind for consumers. Print advertising can be one of several touch points where you reach a potential customer and help them build trust in your brand. It may not be your only strategy, but it should be part of your advertising mix.

If your current digital strategy isn’t necessarily reaching the right people, or you are looking for ways to diversify your advertising mix, call today to learn more about how print advertising can be an affordable and effective way to reach your target.