If you’re like most of us, you’ve been told time and again that print is dying. Professionals across countless industries have told you to ditch paper entirely because digital is the way to go. Everywhere you look, another company is moving to an online only platform.
Don’t get us wrong, we love digital (you’re reading this online, after all). But like any good business, we see the value in a multiplatform approach to branding and marketing that includes a healthy dose of print.
“Having the ability to print something is one of the greatest inventions the human race has ever made,” says Kristyn Lechwar, Printing Solutions’ Director of Marketing. “With print today, you have almost an unlimited amount of tools at your fingertips. You can turn any dream into a tangible object.”
At Printing Solutions, we are whole-hearted believers in the power of print. If you’re not quite there, that’s OK — here are three reasons you need print in your life.
BONUS: 1. It Gets a Reaction
Ever wonder how companies like Hallmark and American Greetings stay in business while more and more media companies are opting to cease print publication? It’s because they’ve capitalized on the online-only trend, but in the other direction.
In an era where the vast majority of our communication is digital, print feels special.
“If you get one of those Facebook e-birthday cards, you’re going to be like, “Oh, that’s cute.” But if you get one in the mail, it’s special,” Kristyn says. “You get to open it, pull it out, bend the pages. It’s way more of an impression.”
But research has found that the reaction goes deeper than that. According to a Norwegian study, reading something printed on paper promotes better reading comprehension and emotional connection than reading it from a screen. The heft of a book or pamphlet held in a reader’s hands “gives you a mental map of the entire text. The brain has an easier task [comprehending the material] when you can touch as well as see.”
Reading on a tablet or laptop doesn’t allow you to see how far through the piece you are, and the lack of tangible pages to turn leaves readers with a lessened sense of progress, the study found.
“You don’t get the pleasure of smelling the real pages and feeling the pages turn,” Kristyn says. “It’s great that your website is up and running, but to get the full effect of your company there needs to be a tangible piece of you.”
2. It’s Easy on the Eyes
Any company worth their business knows that they need a solid website to get anywhere in today’s world, but leave it at that and you’re missing a key piece of the marketing equation.
“You’re just looking at a screen now,” Kristyn says. “That’s all we do is look at screens, whether it’s your phone or your computer. So seeing a company there and in print is really cool.”
It’s important even if cool isn’t what you’re going for. Studies show that screens and paper actually trigger different parts of your brain — screens tend to tell your eyes to skim and skip around, while paper allows them to move through text methodically and in a linear fashion.
If your goal is to convey a larger message, consider using a print product like our flyers and brochures to get your point across. Options range from a one-sheet flyer to a multi-page brochure, and can be customized to perfectly suit your business’ needs.
3. It Sticks With You
There’s a reason so many companies opt for direct mail over email marketing. While emails can be easily deleted with a click of a button, printed materials have to be handled and touched before being disposed of.
Think of the last time you got a piece of junk mail. You probably looked at it for at least a few seconds before tossing it in the recycling bin. You may have even left it on your kitchen table for a few days before finally throwing it away. During those few days, you saw it every time you looked at the table, and the branding on that piece of mail slowly ingrained itself into your brain.
Even if you never actually leafed through the flyer or opened the envelope, having to physically do something with that piece of mail made an impression the likes of which a hastily deleted email never could.
“I talk to people all the time and they think that print is so old-school,” Kristyn says. “And it is an old industry, but that doesn’t mean it’s going away.”
Want to learn more about the power of print? Our talented team of print professionals is happy to help you identify which products and services are best for your business. Give us a call at 480-596-6300 to get started.