Printing has gained a mild connotation of being an outdated technology in today’s world of e-mails, online forums, videos, and social media, but in fact, print media still has a lot of power for advertising and other forms of communication, and printed signs, business cards, custom printing jobs, and much more can be highly effective and price efficient in many different arenas. Printing companies still have plenty of work to do, and their power can be harnessed by any client who asks. Trade show booths, for example, are a place where printed signs and displays can be useful, and besides trade show booths, on-site signage or paper fliers can be effective marketing methods. What are some examples of how signs have been effective in the recent past? Why should a client reach out to a print shop or printing companies in Boston or San Francisco for work?
The Power of Print
E-mails and videos on computers have not, in fact, rendered physical signs or print documents obsolete, and in some ways, the opposite has happened: with the enormous abundance of digital media, print media has become fresh and innovative again, and in some ways, print media is in fact safer for consumers or other businesses to use. Why? Phishing scams, viruses and malware, and spybots are a hazard in electronic media like e-mail attachments and hyperlinks, but this will never be a problem with a printed brochure or flyer or business card; no one ever got a virus on their computer because of a piece of paper. Also, many people are so inundated with e-mails every day that they cannot even check over their entire inboxes, and often, documents go unread and unseen, but paper mail has the immediacy of being in someone’s hands, something they can touch and feel.
Trade show booths, billboards, and on-site signage have a great deal of message-carrying power that some people may underestimate. For example, it has been determined that typically, 85% of a business’s customers live within a five-mile radius of the building, and this means that if the business sets up enough signage on or near its campus, those customers may see the signs up to 50 or 60 times per month. It has also been found that about half of all customers who enter a business were drawn to it because of the sign, and many consumes have said that the contents and quality of a sign or poster may reflect the personality and quality of the company that set it up and designed it. Billboards, too, are effective ways to share information such as a new business opening nearby or for advertising local political campaigns. Often, on a country road or highway, drivers may have little else to look at, so they may often view billboards.
This is also effective at trade shows, where a number of related businesses gather to show off their wares and services to potential customers in person, and here, trade show booths can make all the difference. Since this is a matter of in-person advertising, a printed sign, display posters and boards, and much more can convey information to interested customers and draw in crowds, so having good quality print media is critical here. Statistics have been gathered to show just how effective this can be. For example, around 99% of all marketers have said that when they visit trade show exhibits, they find unique value that they did not find from other marketing mediums. And given how nearly four out of five people visiting trade show booths have buying authority, which is to say that they are spending customers whose attention any trade show booth will want to draw. And unlike with digital media, which is often scanned very quickly by customers, customers may take their time reading physical signs and displays, and the people running the booth can answer questions, provide additional information, and use their charm and personality to keep customers engaged. Online media is often tailored to fit the fact that online customers are impatient and have a lot of options; but in person, signs can convey more detailed messages at a more leisurely pace, and there is a person present to help add a human touch and immediately answer questions or address concerns that the customer may have.
