There is something comfortable about holding printed paper that doesn’t glow on a screen. Maybe because it is traditional, or maybe because it feels good to actually touch and feel something when we are trying to relate as we read words or view images. One thing is certain – a pop up advertisement will not unexpectedly pop up to distract us when we are looking at printed content.

Also, especially in advertising, print seems to further stimulate trust in a potential customer when they can hold something in print to go along with something digital. A recent Washington Post article discussed the fact that even today’s university students, who have been raised on digital media, express a preference for reading print.

The format of print magazines define your target audience

Really effective content marketing focuses more on engaging and connecting with an audience than on marketing. That dynamic is precisely why print magazines provide an ideal way for a business to brand itself.

By its nature, a magazine speaks to a defined audience with a distinctive, authoritative voice. Think of any successful magazine, – Rolling Stone, National Geographic, Guns and Ammo, Cosmopolitan, Teen Vogue – and you have a sense of the publication’s voice and target audience. They wouldn’t be able to tell their readers compelling stories without first defining those two things. This is also what you must do in order to create a successful content marketing strategy.

Print magazines are viewed as authorities in their field

With all of the fluff, nonsense, and random ideas saturating the internet, print magazines retain a certain dignity. We are used to looking skeptically at stuff we read online, but we expect more reliability and seriousness from printed content.

Unlike digital information, print is fixed and immutable. You can’t go back the next day and correct mistakes or remove it from circulation if you decide it doesn’t represent your brand well.

Taking the time to put your content in print magazines and have it distributed usually means you’re proud of it and believe others will benefit from it. It gives your audience reason to trust your authority as well as the stability of your brand.

Print magazines will reinforce your brand and build loyalty

For decades, consumers have found pleasure in reading printed content for entertainment, learning, and finding discounts or promotions. Even in today’s digital world, they still turn to print for the same reasons.

It has been proven that consumers will go out of their way to use a coupon to try something new or re-experience something they’ve tried and enjoyed previously. Coupons and exposure ads in print magazines create traffic for businesses, and companies who advertise in print tend to build a loyal customer base because of it.

Most importantly, business owners and marketers should keep this in mind: If your competitors advertise in print and you don’t, they’re more likely to gain the business of consumers who see their ads than you are.

For help promoting your brand or to reach consumers who could use your products or services, contact us today.