Going Digital Doesn’t Mean Forgetting The Print

Digital is picking up pace in the news media world. Newspaper houses adopt digital platforms and social media for dissemination of content and advertisements, which has eventually eclipsed the traditional methods to an extent. Does it mean that the glorious days of printed content and advertisements have come to an end? The answer is ‘no’. There is still advantage and importance of print in the news media world.

When it comes to digital advertisement, online strategists and social media are pervading all over the places, because the medium is cheap, modern and chic. But it’s not turned out to be the best way to promote business! Have you ever heard anybody around who says they love pop-up ads on their smart phones or computer screens? This is where digital advertisements risk being easily ignored. This is why the value of print still holds its significance.

We all know that print engages readers closer than digital format, because it is physical, tangible and readers can feel the texture, quality and keep it handy to see it again in future. A printed newspaper ad with high print quality implies prestige and permanency, suggesting that the product or service being sold is valuable. In addition, printed words and pictures are more impactful than what is in digital format on a website or pop-up message.

There is a fact that readers have a much lower attention span or tolerance level when reading on a digital screen. This is the reason why printed page of a newspaper or magazine is far more likely to engage and induce a response from readers, especially when it is printed in sharp image quality. Cheap pop-up ads, interstitials and banner ads always fail to compete with their traditional print counterparts. In fact, it will be quite a difficult task for digital ads to step into the shoes of print ads.

Another concrete reason why traditional printed ads in newspapers or magazines are going to survive is that this medium provides value for money. Of course, ads on digital or online platforms are cheaper in terms of cost of production, but printed ads will defeat them when it comes to counting return on investment. This is not just subjective evidence. Various market research data and findings in the industry show this fact.

Here the bottom line is not about saying ‘digital ads are going to go away’. It is about adoption of a broad strategy that embraces the best of old and new marketing techniques. Through we are living in the digital era where everything goes online with touch on a screen and click of a mouse, it would be a wise decision for media houses to know which platform is impactful and why. Living in the digital era and going digital doesn’t mean totally forgetting print to leave it behind.

SM Dutt
info@smediagroup.in