We live in a world where almost everything is digitalized: digital libraries, arts, courses and more. Advertising is no exception. The advent of search engines and social media advertising has completely shifted the advertising landscape, and traditional advertising methods such as Newspaper Advertising now appear inefficient and obsolete. This raises questions in the minds of advertisers because many believe newspaper advertising will have little or no positive impact on their business.
Whenever newspaper advertising creeps into a conversation, one question often pops up: Is Newspaper Advertising still relevant in this digital age?
This article attempts to answer this question by stating the advantages and disadvantages of Newspaper advertising so you can decide if it’s a good fit for your business.
Advantages of Newspaper Advertising
Credibility
Most Newspapers have been around for a long time and they have built a reputation over the years as trusted information sources. When you place your ad in such publications, it gets a measure of their credibility by association. Since most readers trust the newspaper, they will tend to believe your ad is credible as well.
Advertising in reputable newspapers helps you leverage the credibility of that newspaper and establish trust with both existing and potential clients.
Tangibility
One of the major differences between digital content and newspapers is that newspapers are physical, material. Readers can hold on to them for as long as they want, cut out ads for future reference and even possibly share the ads with friends and relatives. This leads to prolonged exposure to the advert which in turn leads to substantial brand recall and customer engagement.
This also makes it a good medium for things like coupons that can be held onto and used later.
Targeted Reach
Newspapers allow you to reach your audiences with a combination of targeting options that you may not get with online advertising.
Local Targeting: Many Newspapers cater to specific geographic locations and have built a reputation in that community. So, if the majority of your audience is localized, you should consider publishing your ad in a local newspaper. Publishing your ad in a local newspaper allows you to concentrate your advertising efforts on the areas where your ideal customers reside.
Niche Targeting: Some newspapers have specific niches like sports, entertainment, finance, etc, and the niche determines its type of readership. Advertising in a publication whose niche is relevant to your ad is more effective than advertising in a “generalised” publication as it allows you to tailor your message to resonate with those most likely to be interested in your products or services.
For example, If you sell sports equipment, it will be more effective to advertise in a sports newspaper than a finance or entertainment newspaper because readers of a sports newspaper will be more likely to purchase your product.
Section Targeting: Newspapers are always segmented into sections such as automobiles, sports, etc and many readers have favourite sections based on their interests. If your ad is about real estate, for example, advertising in the real estate section of the newspaper will be more effective than advertising in any other section.
Complementary
A combination of Newspaper advertising and digital marketing endeavours, known as cross-media strategy, can be a very powerful way to enjoy the best of both worlds. Using this combination can help you reach a wider audience, improve brand recall, and reinforce your message.
By incorporating print ads into your overall strategy, you can create a more cohesive and impactful brand experience for potential customers.
Disadvantages of Newspaper Advertising
Limited Readership
The availability and easy accessibility of news on different digital media platforms have resulted in a constant decline in the readership of newspapers as readers now turn to digital news sources for their daily dose of information. It doesn’t look like the decline will stop anytime soon as even corporate organizations now subscribe to e-papers instead of print.
This means fewer people will see your ads, and of those few people, there will always be readers who aren’t part of your target audience.
Cost
Newspaper publishers usually set a fixed fee for adverts. So, advertising in newspapers can be quite expensive when compared with digital advertising options.
Factors that determine the pricing include:
Size: Large sizes are more expensive so if you have a limited budget, you should go for smaller sizes.
Placement: Prime locations like the front page, back page and centre spread also tend to be more expensive
Colour options: Black and White adverts are usually less expensive than colour adverts.
Reach and Circulation: Reach is the number of individuals that read the newspaper while circulation talks about the number of copies distributed or sold within a specific period. Publications with more reach and circulation are usually more expensive than those with less.
Shelf Life
Newspapers are physical and can be kept for a long time but in terms of circulation and reach, they’re only good for the day they are published. This means adverts published in the newspaper are only as good as the circulation and reach of the newspaper for that day, and only people who got the paper that day will see your adverts.
People do not buy old newspapers, except on rare occasions and mainly for reference purposes, because most of the news in the paper becomes stale after 24 hours, and that includes your ad.
Limited Interaction
Interactive display ads, video ads, voice ads, polls, etc are some of the ways digital advertising can make your ads come alive. These are not available in print. Print ads are usually static and do not offer many opportunities for readers to engage so there’s usually a limit to how exciting they are. This limitation also affects the speed, quality and quantity of feedback you can get from your readers.
Design Limitations
The size, colour and placement of ads in print advertising may directly or indirectly impact how creative you can get. While you can play around when you have a full page to design, you may not be able to use complex visuals and design elements with a smaller space and black-and-white design.
Measurability and ROI
It is usually more difficult to measure the results of ads placed in a newspaper than digital ads. You cannot directly calculate the number of people who saw your ad, conversion rate, etc so you cannot accurately calculate the overall impact newspaper advertising has on your business or your ROI. This is a major limitation because measurability is very important for growth.
However, there are still ways to measure the impact of your ads in print, and we will be discussing this in detail in our next article titled Stop Wasting Money: How to Make Your Newspaper Ads Work.
Is Newspaper Advertising Right for Your Business?:Factors to Consider
Marketing Goals
Marketing goals are the targets you set for your marketing efforts. This is the most important factor in determining whether you should use newspaper advertising or not. Here are some of the common types of marketing goals: lead generation, website traffic, revenue increase, brand awareness, customer acquisition, engagement, etc.
While it can be a bit challenging to generate leads with newspaper advertising, you may be able to increase brand awareness. Therefore, your goal is the first thing to consider before jumping in.
Budget
High cost is one of the disadvantages of Newspaper advertising. You should carefully consider your budget and determine if the ROI justifies the cost. If you have a limited budget, you should spend it on your digital marketing efforts.
Target Audience
You need to understand your target audience. Who are you trying to reach? Do they still read newspapers for news and information? If the answer is No, newspaper advertising may not add much value to your business.
Type of Business
What is the scope of your business? Local businesses tend to benefit more from Newspaper advertising than businesses with a national or global reach. Physical stores, restaurants, and similar businesses can leverage newspapers to connect with potential customers in their immediate vicinity.
