Why It Is Vital That Printed Advertising Can Create Bond With The Internet
There is no denying the printed media is at risk of dying a death from the introduction of the Internet but the advertising techniques we use via print are unlikely to follow the same path of destruction, as you simply cannot replace printed advertising with adverts via a computer. The Internet is certainly recreating the landscape of media in print and over the next 10-20 years we will see a huge difference in the way in which we consume our media.
However, I am far from convinced that printed advertising will be negatively affected by the Internet as I believe that nothing can replace the traditional use of business cards, flyers or even letter headed paper as a form of advertising. Revolutions create an extremely curious inversion of perception and it is still unclear what the future of the Internet has yet to bring to the table, which is a real concern to the world of printed media. But if the intricate cyber world can find a way to work alongside the print industry we have ourselves a genius recipe for a successful working partnership that will revolutionise businesses all over the world.
Online adverts vs. flyers
I am not suggesting that advertising your services via the Internet is not a productive means of selling your business as it certainly is. With millions of people in countries all over the world at your finger tips it makes absolute sense to utilise the modern technology to its utmost potential. Business is all about creating a successful advertising campaign and while the wondrous World Wide Web provides a sturdy base, flyers and leaflets offer a whole different resource of advertising.
The beauty of a flyer is the ability of advertising directly to your target audience as you are handing out your adverts immediately to their hand ensuring that there is no chance of people not receiving word of your products/services. If you run a business like a club or garden centre and you are having a sale or special party night then a printing out hundreds of flyers and handing them out is a fantastic form of advertising and has proven itself as a flawless method of promotion.
While online adverts will reach out to many, if you want to advertise something in an immediate fashion that will undoubtedly inform people of your services then an online advert holds no short term guarantees. What an online advert is good at is long term marketing promotion and creating a working partnership between the printed flyer and the online advert is easy. Simply use both, one for short term adverts, i.e. sales, special promotions etc, and the other for the long term prospect where many will see the advert but only as and when they are online.
By placing a link to your online advert, often a website, on your flyers you create double the amount of exposure as those who disregard flyers may well check out the website and vice versa.
Email vs. business cards
As we have already established that there are no illusions that the Internet is an innovative piece of genius at work and advertising a business via email can be productive but there are some draw backs to the electronic way of communicating with the most obvious meaning that you are then inaccessible to the older generation and the less privileged people in the world who may otherwise be interested in your products/services.
Email can only be used with existing customers or through cold emailing, both of which are not particularly beneficial for creating new business. If you run a small to medium size business and you engage in conversation with someone at the local supermarket about your offerings then the only way to provide a means of turning your new acquaintance into a new customer is to produce a business card.
Email in cases like these is useless but by combining the two, i.e. a business card with an email address, you gain the confidence of your potential client through your professionalism of carrying a card full of vital information along with proving you are easily accessible via modern technology. A simple yet effective means to blend the two primary means of advertising that seem to consistently wish to fight each other rather than co-exist.
However you choose to promote your business, creating a working collaboration with the print industry and the Internet is a fool proof way to advertise your company. An alliance is always beneficial and in this case it provides you with the ability to really get ahead of the competition.
