4 Quick Tips when choosing between Internet Advertising or Traditional Print Advertisements

Internet Advertising or Traditional Print Advertising?
4 useful tips when deciding which marketing medium is best for your company

By:  Sierra Mable, Director of Marketing at Connextions Magazine

When trying to budget your marketing dollars, do you wonder which marketing medium will give you the best bang for your buck?  We’ve listed a few tips, with consideration on both sides of the advertising spectrum, to assist in your decision making process.
 
#1 – What media do your customers use? 
The first question to ask yourself is what media your prospective customers are using.  Ask them.  What media do they spend the most time with? Web, local newspapers, radio, TV, magazines? Obviously there is a huge difference between marketing to the younger generation who spends a large percentage of time online, vs the senior community who still enjoys reading their daily newspaper.
 
#2 – Internet Advertising Pros & Cons
The internet has amazing capabilities to measure consumer interest. Using google analytics and facebook as an example, detailed statistics are provided so you know exactly how many users click on your advertisement.  
 
Internet advertisements can also be animated using software tools such as animated GIF images and Adobe’s Flash, which gains attention; animated advertisements are impossible for traditional print media.

The downside to internet advertising, is that many people feel it is intrusive, annoying and distracting.  Even opening an email is now a bombardment of ads.  Internet browsers will refrain from viewing pages filled with busy advertisements.  When I click on a link and the page takes too long to load because of advertisements, or the page pulls up an ad that you must click the ‘x’ to remove, before allowing you to view the page… my mouse instantly heads for the ‘back button.’  Print advertising offers a tried and tested way of delivering news content and advertisements in a format that that can be classed as relaxation.

#3– Traditional Print Advertising Pros & Cons
Print advertising, especially full color as seen in magazines, has a higher resolution than your computer screen, so visual quality is by far much greater of an impact in traditional advertising mediums.  
 
A magazine or newspaper, through its circulation figures, can prove to its advertisers that the money they spend on advertising is worthwhile. Though they cannot prove that readers saw any ads, they can have some confidence a certain percentage did.
 
Although statistics show that each copy of a magazine will be viewed by an approximate 2.5 people, there is a much broader
reach on the Internet since users from all over the world can potentially fall upon your advertisement. Another advantage is the immediate publishing of information vs waiting for a magazine to be printed and hit the shelves.
 
#4 – Find a company that offers BOTH!
If more bang for your buck is what you are looking for, consider those companies who offer both print and web advertising in one, such as Connextions Magazine.  Here is where the shameless self promotion comes into play!  We offer both print and web advertising in 3 simple steps at 1 economical price!  To take a peek at our simple package options, click here.
 
In short, although advertising isn’t necessary to run your company, any advertising you do will certainly help promote or brand your business.  In the US, the amount of dollars spent on advertising and marketing in 2010 was estimated at $368 billion. To breakdown that figure between Internet and traditional print marketing:  Online media advertising was an estimated $119.6 billion and Print Media an estimated $111.5 billion. (Source: FT.COM)
 
Here is one of my favorite quotes that sums up the importance of marketing:
“Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing but nobody else does.”   - Steuart Henderson Britt

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