Today’s marketing gurus can provide immediate and detailed feedback on a variety of advertising media, so it’s no wonder that print advertising gets lost in all the click-through rates and linkback tracking. While all the instantaneous metrics can be a great tool to aid in marketing decisions, magazine and newspaper advertising efficacy can be a little more elusive. But, Forbes Magazine experts admonish: it’s not time to say goodbye to print ads just yet.
The Proof is in the “Read-Through”
There may not be a way to measure the effectiveness of a magazine advertisement in real time, but there is a way to gauge its impact on your business. Dedicate the call-to-action tools specifically to your print advertising to keep a record of how many readers are affected by your print ads. Ironically, the best way to do this could be through the use of modern smart phone technology and Internet traffic. If you put a QR code within your print advertising, link it to your website via a web site built just to monitor print traffic. These kinds of sites redirect visitors immediately to the main site, and don’t add more than a second to the time it takes to navigate to your page. They can, however, add lots of value as a marketing metric.
A QR code by itself may not address your target audience, or you may want to add another tracking mechanism to judge print efficacy. A telephone number within the advertisement can be dedicated just to tracking your print ad traffic, providing the same specific feedback a click-through site can offer.
Digital Print Media Won’t Leave Advertisers Behind
As more people turn to tablets and e-readers for all their reading, going paperless doesn’t mean that print advertising is dying off. Magazines that offer digital editions will take their print advertisers digital, as well, and the interactive format of digital magazine advertising lends itself perfectly to Web-based links and efficacy tracking. While you’re re-evaluating your print campaign, preserve those paper advertisements with custom wall plaques. They’ll help your team commemorate an effective advertising medium whose application may be changing, but whose effectiveness in the ad world still makes it a worthwhile investment.
Whether your ads are seen in print or online, That’s Great News can create a statement piece with the feature that can be displayed right on your wall for years to come. Allow your ad to do more and go further with a custom article frame. See how great it will look today with a FREE, no-obligation preview.
