Top 10 Reasons Print Should Remain a Vital Part of Your Marketer's Mix

Considering that my company publishes a national magazine for college-bound teenagers, you might think the title of this article paints me as self-serving.

Maybe you think I am trying to preserve print because it’s our company’s core product. But even though our printed magazine brings in the lion’s share of our revenue, it’s not why I’m trying to convince you that print is still tremendously relevant.

Actually, our company is much more than print. We are a Web site, an online community, an e-mail marketer, an online newsletter. We have a social media presence, we instant message with our readers, and oh, we print a magazine, too.

But here’s something that may surprise you.

Besides delivering great content to our readers, branding opportunities and leads for our advertisers, our magazine is also an amazing traffic generator. In fact, our magazine is the number-one driver of traffic to our Web site. It’s like buying keywords, only better!

The magazine also drives traffic for our advertisers. Third-party research shows that 60 percent of our readers visit an advertiser’s Web site after viewing their ad in Next Step!

I am going to pitch this list to David Letterman for his show. But just in case he doesn’t pick it up, I’ll share with you my “Top 10 Reasons Print Should Remain a Vital Part of your Marketing Mix.”

10. Print provides differentiation. How many of the millions of Web sites out there have a print magazine to drive traffic to it? The vast minority, I assure you. Print vehicles provide a unique strategy to drive traffic to your online marketing.

9. Print offers incredible branding. Nothing makes a brand more recognized than a beautiful ad in a glossy magazine. A well-designed ad is an engaging experience for readers. And by the way, according to a recent MRI/Next Step poll, 55 percent of teens say they pay a lot of attention to print ads.

8. Print makes introductions. Print is a great party host because of the talent it has introducing readers to your brand. An effective print ad stands in the crossroads between readers and advertisers. And your keyword purchases become more effective if customers have already been introduced to your brand.

7. Print readers are focused. It’s hard to engage in other media when you’re reading a magazine. In the world of multitasking—where people are texting, e-mailing and listening to their iPod while watching TV—it’s hard to get noticed. But it’s hard to do anything else when you’re reading a magazine! In fact, according a survey done by Ball State University, magazines are the exclusive or primary medium 85 percent of the time they are used by consumers.

6. Print travels. A magazine is your companion wherever you go: your favorite chair, your bed, an airplane—even your bathroom. A laptop on the porcelain throne just does not offer the same experience.

5. Print sways trendsetters. “Influentials” (those who sway other consumers) are themselves influenced by print. Check out this influence ranking, from the MRI Survey of the American Consumer:

1. Magazines: 61 percent
2. In-store: 58 percent
3. TV: 55 percent
4. Newspaper: 53 percent
5. Radio: 44 percent
6. Free samples: 39 percent
7. E-mail: 26 percent

4. Print drives users to other platforms. According to the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, 47.2 percent of shoppers are most likely to start an online search after viewing a magazine ad. Our own research shows that more than 75 percent of nextSTEPmag.com users type in the URL directly—which they likely got from reading the magazine.

3. Readers are receptive to print. Fact: People remember effective print ads. In fact, magazine ads have the second highest receptivity of any media, second only to TV. But try to “TiVo” a magazine ad!

2. You can pass along print, and it has longevity. Magazines get shared and passed on in households and among friends. And they stick around. Check out your own coffee table. Any magazines there that have been hanging around a few years? Have you ever tried to share a Web site in a dentist office?

1. Print is a lead-generation tool! Used correctly, print drives leads to your prospect funnel. Good print vehicles have a mechanism to deliver targeted leads to their advertisers. (Yep, we have one too.) So at the very least, consider print a unique, effective lead generation tool!

So there you have it, the top 10 reasons why print should remain in your marketers’ media mix! The world is changing fast, and you have to keep up. Your ability to combine the new with the proven will determine your success.

America’s schools need a Ctrl, Alt, Delete. (Reset)

Last month, I wrote about how basic life and financial skills are not required to be taught in our schools. We continue to teach the same core subjects that were taught in the 1940’s. The world has changed tremendously but our street smarts have not kept up.

Here are some facts of how America has changed since the year 2000 (as reported in the January/February 2009 issue of The Atlantic Magazine).

Hours of video game per person/per year: 2000: 65 2008: 80
Personal Savings (% of income): 2000: 2.3% 2008: 0.6%
Consumer Credit Card Debt: 2000: $684 billion 2008: $966 billion
Gross federal debt as % of GDP: 2000: 58% 2008: 67.5%
Family Health Care premiums (average): 2000: $6438 2008: $12,680
States with obesity rates below 20%: 2000: 28 2008: 1
People without life insurance: 2000: 39.8 million 2008: 45.7 million
People in Poverty: 2000: 31 million 2008: 37 million
Inmates in custody: 2000: 1.9 million 2008: 2.3 million
Street Price/gram of Meth: 2000: $180 2008: $365
Hours of TV per person: 2000: 1502 2008: 1704
Market cap of GM (General Motors): 2000: $28 billion 2008: $3 billion
Market cap of Apple Computer: 2000: $5.5 billion 2008: $88 billion
* We love our iPods!


I see some trends.

Albert Einstein once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

I am not saying we need to remove science or math courses; we definitely need to produce more scientists and mathematicians from our country. But not everyone is going to be a scientist. But everyone needs basic financial and life skills in order to be a well functioning adult.

So why are we teaching courses that only a few will need and not teaching courses that everyone will need? I think it’s a good question that deserves an answer.

Our schools have basically been doing the same thing over and over again for a long time. It’s time for an overhaul so that our youth will be prepared for life; a life without credit card debt and health problems due to poor eating/lifestyle choices; a life where a person has the skills in order to implement a life strategy that involves saving money, proactive planning and a basic understanding of finance, accounting and life skills.

Here is my dream. At the age of 18, upon high school graduation, the average American knows:

The basics of money – Interest, compound interest and understands the destructive forces of personal debt. Money is a tool to be used.

The power of a good career – Taking the time to access one’s natural strengths and matching a career path to it. A secret to a fulfilling life is finding a purpose and a good career can often be a big part of this.

Banking – Being able to manage one’s finances, manage a checkbook, read a basic financial statement (most people will have a 401K/IRA but can they read and understand the where and how their money is doing?).

Ethics – Understanding integrity and the power of compound honesty. Knowing that there are no long term short cuts.

Budgeting – Creating one and living on a budget. Having a pro forma for life. Knowing what a pro forma is! Establishing credit and then using credit properly. Understanding that you can’t buy a $500K house on a $50K salary.

Food – Knowing the basics of good eating. Being able to cook some meals. Knowing the destruction that take place in one’s body over the long haul with bad food choices.

Overall health – Having an exercise strategy that becomes a daily/weekly habit.

Investing – Knowing about stocks, bonds, mutual funds and the risks that come with it. CDs and Money Market accounts. Planning for retirement.

Insurance basics – Understanding of health, car, home, disability and life insurance.

Imagine if your average American teen graduated high school with an understanding of these skills. How much better would you feel about our future?

Now imagine if today your average American had these skills. Maybe we’d be in a different place today?

I am not just venting here. I am actually going to do something about it. Stay tuned and/or e-mail me if you want to help. I can be reached at: David@nextSTEPmag.com