With the growth of digital media you may think print ads aren’t nearly as effective as they once were. But, research shows consumers trust print ads 34% more than search engine ads. In fact, print advertisements have a significant impact on converting prospects to customers. Nearly 80% of consumers act on direct printed mail advertisements compared to 45% of consumers that act on electronic advertisements.

We all get mailers from the local dentist, landscaper, politician, or even local big box store. They wouldn’t keep sending them to you if they didn’t work, so there is proof that they keep bringing people in!

Print ads include:

• Billboards
• Magazine ads
• Newspaper ads 
• Postcards

Choose some print ads to look at and examine what is working for them. What does their actual ad look like? What message are they trying to convey? Is this something that you could emulate and pull off for your brand?

Elements to include on your next print ad:

• Eye catching & authentic image 
• Prominent message
• Highlight viewer’s pain point
• Highlight success if they work with you
• Value proposition
• Event date, time & location
• Accreditations, awards, certifications to build credibility 
• Call-to-action
• Contact info
• Deadline – what is their reason to act now?

Tracking effectiveness with print ads

While print ads are one of the more difficult to track, there are some great ways to ensure you can track your ROI.

The best way to track the effectiveness of a print ad is by creating a specific print campaign. This campaign is strictly used for print advertisements, tailored to be effective in print format. 

With any successful campaign, you will want to create a specific landing page on your website for your print ad. Keep it super simple and memorable, like yogastudio.com/freeclass so that you are able to know and track who signed up for the class after seeing your print ad.

Finally, your campaign should have a custom coupon code for customers to check out with. Make sure the coupon code is prominent on the ad and only used within that print advertisement campaign. That allows you to know that the person who used the coupon saw your ad and it was effective in driving a sale.

In the end, print ads can be an incredibly effective way to reach a new audience. While tracking can be a bit more cumbersome, stay consistent and intentional and you will find what works for you. Your efforts will pay off!

Download a copy of our free team marketing worksheets here. Want to learn even more? Check out our book and video course, Unify Your Marketing.