5 Ways to Get The Biggest ROI on Your Print Advertising
Print is not dead! While in recent years, there has been a big shift to make everything digital, and the focus on print marketing, and print publishing has decreased, print advertising is still an effective way to market your organization, product or event. According to the Retail Advertising & Marketing Association, 47% of all consumers are more likely to start an online search after reviewing a magazine ad. However, what makes print advertising hard is that it’s not as easy to track as digital. For web ads, social media posts, websites, we can easily see numbers, click rates, visitors, likes. Print advertising can’t be tracked in the same way—but that does NOT lessen it’s value!
As a publisher of a print magazine, advertisers frequently don’t know how to maximize print advertising to their fullest potential. So, we’ve put together a list of ways to get the biggest return on your print magazine advertising.
Sign Up for a Contract
For our publication, Sass Magazine, and many others, there is an option for an annual print contract. Sign up for this, instead of trying just one or two ads and then claiming they don’t work. A longer contract will get you in front of the publication’s readers more often, and they will begin to recognize your company or service. We also recommend changing up your ad slightly with each print run—update your offer, change the headline, or change the photo.
(P.S. while an annual contract seems like (and is) a commitment, you actually will typically get a discounted per ad rate for signing up for a longer contract)
Don’t Overdo It
Sometimes our advertisers want to include EVERYTHING about their business and/or offer within one ad. We encourage you to narrow down your content. Focus on one offer, service or event. Make your message very clear and concise, so, as a reader is flipping through a magazine, they can quickly scan-read your ad. If you include everything and the kitchen sink in your ad content, the reader will simply be overwhelmed, and will most like just pass over your ad. We suggest 1 to 2 large images, a large headline, one call to action, 1 to 2 information sentences and/or bullet pointed ideas, and then your main contact info. Read Anatomy of an Effective Ad Design.
Include a Way to Track Your Ad
There are several ways to track your print ad using several digital tracking options and/or in person tracking options. These can include something as simple as including a specific promo or coupon code. You’ll then be able to see how many people use that specific code when either shopping online or in person. You can also include a QR code (as long as you’re using it smartly), or a vanity URL that directs the user to a very specific landing page. This will allow you to track how many visitors you get directly from that URL or QR code.
Stay True to Your Brand
This should go without saying, but from our experience, it needs to be said. Make sure your ad always has a branded overall look and feel. Hopefully you already have an established logo and business brand (if not, call us, we can help!), so make sure your print ads stay true to it. This not only includes some of the visual aspects, such as color palette, fonts, and photography usage, but also includes language and copy that matches your overall brand and culture and/or a specific campaign you may be running.
Mix It Up
While we are big believers in print advertising, we know you have mix it up. Your advertising and marketing needs to incorporate both print and digital components. So, why not integrate the two? Have your print advertising point the reader to your website or list a specific hashtag, have a social media post mention your print ad.
These are five basic tips that can help you get the biggest response to your print advertising. Have a questions about how to accomplish one of these and/or need some help? Give us a call. Interested in advertising in one of our publications? Check out SassMagazine.com or EverydayDogMagazine.com and contact us for advertising details and rates.