Maximizing Your Print Ad

Do not buy into the hype, and believe for an instant that “Print Ads are dead.” When there are no longer newspapers, magazines, billboards, or paper and ink left in the entire world, print will be dead.  Maybe.  Until then, print is very much alive.  If you think print media is dead, chances are you aren’t capitalizing on what it can do for you.

Social media has become a leading form of advertising because it interacts with a customer in a way that traditional print could not.  You need your print advertising to cause some interaction between the customer and your company.  I’m not saying your ads should feature paper doll cutouts, Sudoku puzzles, or hand puppets.  I am saying that your advertisements should be the beginning of a conversation, not simply a statement.

A couple of quick suggestions:

• Incorporate your social media pages into your ads, so that interested readers can see you in a social atmosphere, if they so choose.
• Create custom landing pages for your ads, rather than simply providing your regular website.  If something on your print advertisement made them go to your website, you should focus their attention on that particular product or service, not simply dump them onto your homepage.
• Incorporate a call to action.  Do you want customers to visit your website? Then tell them to.  Do you want to have them come into your store? Give them a special coupon, and invite them in.
• Make sure you are imparting something on the reader.  Ads that are simply for product awareness are fine, but ads that move readers to become customers are better. 

Just for fun, I’m going to provide two lines of text.  Obviously, in a print ad, especially one this short, there would be graphics involved, and the graphics would steer the conversation just as much as the text.  However, for simplicity’s sake, we’ll pretend that the images and layout of these two ads is exactly the same.  The only differences are the text.

1. SAVE SAVE SAVE Best prices best selection best service. You will not find a better price anywhere.  SAVE SAVE SAVE Call xxx-xxx-xxxx now to speak with a professional, or come in today! 
2. Best Prices ever! Check out the comparison at www.yourbusiness.com/pricewars See what others are saying about this deal at www.facebook.com/yourbusiness Call xxx-xxx-xxxx to discuss your specific needs, or come in today!

Not only does #2 provide two separate links to begin a conversation with the customer, it also incorporates a way to see how effective the print ad is, by capturing readers on a specific landing page. I don’t think anyone would disagree that #2 was the better option.

Is it time to update your print catalog or marketing structure?