Why Print Is Still Relevant…Sometimes

Let’s get one thing clear: Print isn’t dead, newspapers are.

It’s a common misconception that because newspapers aren’t as prominent, print isn’t either. Print communication is just as vital as it always has been, it’s just not as frequent because daily papers and the companies that advertised in those newspapers are hurting. Despite this, print is still a major factor in the marketing industry.

Here are the top five reasons why your business still needs print:

1. Print is tangible

Print design has a certain appeal to it that digital graphics don’t. The target audience can physically hold prints, feel it in their hands and incorporate one of the major body senses; the sense of touch. Print has an element of lasting power over the sometimes temperamental digital realm and won’t fail because of an internal error.

2. It adds a personal touch

Digital media is great for reaching a large audience, but what if you want something more personalized to your region? Print media has the business-to-person feel. The numbers of screens has increased but still can’t be everywhere that print can be.

3. Print requires an immediate call to action

When it is in someone’s hands, they can’t just click away or delete it; they have to use their physical senses to hold it, see it, feel it. Even if they’re going to throw it away, it takes more effort to walk to a trash can and drop it in.

4. You can make a HUGE impact with print

On the web, digital pieces are overcrowded with other ads, other text, and other graphics. With print, it can stand alone, work with other pieces, be large or small. If you want to add your digital footprint, include a QR code that will send them to your website.

5. The older population isn’t online

A majority of the population are still baby boomers who aren’t as comfortable looking at digital screens and still read the paper every morning. If these people are in your target audience, you want to reach them in the best possible way for them…which happens to be in print form.

That said, print is still a relevant topic in the marketing and graphic design industry, it’s just had to evolve some. Magazine sales are still up and there are many, many outlets for graphics online. Not to mention business cards, posters, menus, logos and many more forms that still require print. So let’s not discard it just yet.