Did you know that you can increase your website traffic more from traditional advertising than online ads? Part of the reason behind this is that when you place ads online, you also have to deal with obstacles. Some of which are ad blocking, digital fatigue, and massive competition. Oh my!
These roadblocks can hit your digital ad campaign harder than a badly timed meme of your most embarrassing high school photo. Direct Response print advertising may be the lifeline that advertisers need. It’s low cost being an especially big incentive.
How Direct Response Print Advertising can help you increase your return on Investment.
Unless someone is looking for your product or service specifically, most people hardly pay attention to the ads they see online or on their mobile devices. Many of us are “tuned out. ” Albeit because of all kinds of factors. Everything from a fast-paced life with many moving parts and being inundated by everything happening all around us.
Have no fear; this doesn’t mean you can’t increase traffic to your website by incorporating other types of advertising, such as direct response print advertising, into your campaign mix.
You might be thinking, “Direct response print advertising? This isn’t 1992. Does anyone still read anymore?” Yes! Most people still do. What’s more surprising is that younger generations like Millennials are the heaviest readers of all!
By including direct response print advertising into your multimedia advertising campaign, you include more opportunities to reach your audience. Additionally, print media is also one of the only forms of media left that is still considered vetted and authentic.
This means that readers, more than any other audience, are considered to be open to new things and experiences.
Print ads that are visually appealing and stimulating do especially well in this format. Direct Response ads that clearly lay out exactly what you expect them to do make it that much more likely for them to respond!
Direct Response print advertising produces a better recall of information within the ad.
Most marketing experts agree that the key to a strong campaign is including a variety of media and, most importantly, a strong dose of direct response print advertising that sends people to your website or landing page.
Studies show that print advertising improves the response and recall of other types of advertising because it appeals to people on a broader range of their senses. People are better able to recall what they read in print as well as brand images; both will appear more trustworthy and familiar later on.
Reduced advertising fatigue in response to Print Advertising vs Digital Advertising
Reducing advertising fatigue has a lot to do with catching people when they are more open and engaged with the media versus mindlessly participating. Studies show that online reading primarily consists of a lot of browsing and scanning, which leads to worse recognition and recall.
This is because people tend to read and retain information differently depending on the type of medium they are reading it from. When people choose to look at a magazine, newspaper, or flyer they get in the mail, it’s typically during a chosen time of the day when they are ready and, more importantly, “expecting” to see advertising. When reading in a print publication, audiences are actively looking for things that appeal to them both in content and commerce.
The response with print advertising grows after repeat exposure.
Most of the time, response to an ad fades as the novelty effect wears off. For both TV and Online, response began to diminish after only four exposures to an ad. The opposite, however, was found to be true for print advertising responses.
In contrast, direct response print advertising showed campaigns showed growth after five exposures to the same ad. In addition, printed publications magazines are kept around for weeks or months at a time. For instance, think about how long magazines tend to sit around in Doctor’s offices. Frequently you will see magazines that are months or even years old. As people wait for their appointments, they tend to flip through and may even rip out ads.
In printed publications, the ads never go away.
This is not the case for other forms of advertising. Other media like online, TV, or even radio which tend to disappear fast! If not the second the money runs out or only remain on the screen for a short period of time.
The big draw of digital is that it’s “so easy” to track…. and this is true…sort of. Clicks start adding up, and you know “stuff” is happening, but that does not always mean it translates into the sales you need. Oy Vey, whatever is a marketer to do?
How to track Direct Response Print Ads
Ideally, make sure you have a separate landing page for each ad campaign that you have running. This will add some clarity to your tracking process. Without this, it can be very confusing trying to figure out where all of the traffic is coming from. Coupon codes, QR Codes, and unique 1-800 numbers are other ways that you can track the profitability of your direct response print advertising campaign.