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PRINT AND DIGITAL MARKETING: CLOSING THE CIRCLE Paul Moran explores the benefits to your business of a considered approach to combining the best of print and digital advertising
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n a world where businesses are continuously searching for the next digital marketing trend or jumping on the latest social media tool, it is easy to overlook the proven traditional means of print marketing and advertising. Certainly, digital marketing has changed the marketing game, offering many ways for businesses to reach their audience. However, a more nuanced approach focusing on combining the best of both print and digital formats could yield the greatest results for businesses today. I will discuss how print campaigns can fill the gaps and how combining both can complete the circle in your marketing strategy. BUILDING CREDIBILITY When we read print we assume that the material we are reading was researched, drafted, examined and cross-checked before publication. Generally, this assumption is correct, publications normally have technical writing and subject knowledge expertise built up over years. This brings credibility to advertisers who can leverage this knowledge and associate their brand with the relevant expertise. Print offers a different and complementary means to simply promoting adverts or supporting newspieces without research or reference across digital platforms. When a digital source is linked to a print publication, this credibility and technical expertise can resonate with the product and service you are offering and can build a bond between you and your customers. TANGIBLE CONNECTIONS The experience of consuming print and consuming digital content is quite different. The consumption of material in printed form
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leads to a tangible connection between the material and the reader through touch. Publications, journals or newspapers can be put down, picked back up again, shared and read several times. They are focal points at tradeshows, checkouts and shops. The consumer interaction with digital advertising lacks this sensory and tangible connection because the consumer is clicking and scrolling through content quickly. The advertiser’s message can become blurred into the background and consumers tend to take more time with print adverts, rather than pop-ups that interrupt their reading on a screen. The next time you read a book or newspaper, feel how your experience of that information is different to what you read or consume online. I’m sure you’ll be surprised just how different the experiences are. Perhaps, the complementary use of print and digital advertising delivering quality formats to support the brand and the deepest audience reach can be most appropriate. NICHE AUDIENCE Print media continues to have strong and engaged audiences built up over many years. A business seeking connection with this audience, is advised to consider print media as a means to engage and promote. It can simply be more effective than
HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticultureconnected.ie / Spring 2021
