A web consultant once said to me that “there’s no money in print”. I presume that by this he means that the world of printing i.e. brochures, leaflets, newsletters and the such are in decline due to the rise of the internet (not a new thing of course!) and the importance of companies having a web presence far exceeds printed literature. Hmmm, is print dead? I would tend to disagree with this view.
Of course if you have a website then you need to promote it online as well as offline. As far as the web consultants are concerned their primary business is to sell websites and to promote things online.
My view is that online promotion is only half the battle, offline is just as important. Printing a web address on monthly newsletters that get thrown on your customer’s desk is one way of reminding your customers of your online presence. The content of a newsletter also has the advantage of telling your clients what you do and what you can offer in a natural page by page browsable format. You can bet your bottom dollar that they are going to browse a printed newsletter for a lot longer than they browse the internet!
Printed literature is a way of shouting loud and proud about your services and what you do, which might not necessarily be at the forefront of your customers’ minds, but it is a tangible piece of print that might end up on a desk or coffee table or in the staff room for several weeks. A tangible piece of print also has the benefit of being seen by others who might happen to pick it up and give it a good read on, dare I say it, the throne!
I don’t think print is dead! Mindsets have changed and technology has changed that’s all!