We have been writing stories about the overall print industry. It has been agreed that digital marketing over the past 15 years has put a dent into print marketing. There are several indicators out there to suggest print is making a comeback and digital is not the be all end all in marketing. Just the simple knowledge that booksellers are making a comeback says a lot.
According to a recent article by Fortune magazine, booksellers are seeing a decline in e-book sales over regular paper books. Now, this is the moment I can say, “I told you so.” It is no surprise to hear this news. Studies have shown it is harder to “read” on electronic devices than it is to read on paper. Further, studies have shown that knowledge retention from electronic devices is far less than when people read the same content on paper.
There is further evidence out there to say that news aggregator applications on smartphones do not perform as well as picture driven applications. What does that mean? People do not read news on their phones and electronic devices. This is especially true of millennials. Only old farts will venture into their news apps to read more, but that market is small.
Once again, the news points to how Direct Mail continues to make a comeback. The information now is how to incorporate direct mail marketing with your email marketing. You can never have too many touchpoints with prospects and customers. Direct mail should be used to target prospects and direct them back to your web property. In the process, you want to add them to your email list. On th email marketing side, you also want to make sure your emails are now mobile compatible. Most people will receive your emails on their phones. Make sure they can read it.
Lastly, digital print continues to be the primary approach to print marketing materials. It is important to become familiar with all the substrates that you can use for digital marketing. Be able to demonstrate to your customers and prospects your ability to market them stand out using unique approaches. It does not have to be a simple 2 color postcard. You can print full-color cards that can be UV coated to make them stand out among the flat paper materials and envelopes they get in the mail.
If you are in the print industry. It is coming back. Find your place in these new opportunities. They are out there for you to take. Remember, everything “reads” better on print than on a screen. Screens are for scanning, paper is for reading.
