Print has been with us for hundreds of years, It has played a role in overturning governments and building new ones, influencing how we view the world in every possible way.
When the digital age began, many predicted print was dead and prepared for the mourning. In fact, 200 billion pages are shifting to digital printing devices annually. This means that we have not so much abandoned paper, as modified the way we print and distribute content.
As for digitalization and online distribution in general, the last decade has proved that the companies that have been able to adapt and achieve a successful combination of print and online media for their marketing materials are the ones that have really thrived in the digital era.
One of the main arguments against print is that it is more expensive than online publication. However, digital printing around the world has become extremely competitive, and there are now options for cheap catalog printing and printing of all kinds of marketing materials at very affordable prices all over the world.
Digital online printing services have also simplified the whole process of printing orders and delivery. Now, there are sites where we can choose our paper type, select formats and settings and have our brochures, postcards, etc promptly delivered to our doorstep.
The key of print marketing for this age is the creation of VALUE, It is quite easy to file mass mailing materials under G (for garbage), but one must not underestimate the readability of the tangible object that a piece of printed paper is. When we create attractive content that represents value for consumers, the print version of the same exact materials can be perceived as having much more value than a simple email or Internet page.
Last but not least, printing your materials tells the consumer that you mean business, that you are ready to spend some money (on digital printing) to get to them, because you believe in your product. Today, spending your marketing budget on backlink building and SEO has become as important as using printed materials to both connect with existing customers and attract new ones.
Photo: attribution: Printing press mural at
John A. Prior Health Sciences Library
Wikimedia Commons. By Ehschnell.