Does printed text convey your message more effectively? Yes, according to a study published in the International Journal of Educational Research.
The 2013 study measured higher comprehension rates among students who read printed text compared to their cohort reading on a digital screen. Maybe this sheds light on why targeted print messaging has distinct advantages.
With humans having an attention span approximated at one-second-less than a goldfish (8 seconds) we’re faced with two choices. We can play into this trend by shallowing to a Twitter-like depth, or consider the benefits of a message that punches through and sticks around. If the latter is your choice, print is your medium.
Common sense provides insights into why printed text is more persuasive. Probably the foremost is a lack of accompanying distractions. A direct mailer in your hand does not also preview messages that say your credit card payment is due. A brochure describing a product or service is not attempting to sell you something else in the margins. Even if your goldfish-like brain momentarily short-circuits, you are still experiencing the tactile presence of the printed item, and are more likely to return to it.
Printed messaging can be technology-leveraged. Just because we’re talking about ink (or toner) on paper does not imply a lack of technical horsepower. Primarily, the key to print marketing is to carefully target your audience (database). Second, make the message interactive in any way technology allows by use of variable data, discount codes, or direct cues to your web presence.
Third, and perhaps most important, be sure the layout is at the highest level your budget will allow. Message consumers are exceedingly discerning, and there is nothing more detrimental in the mailbox than “homemade.” High production values play into our final point, below.
A printed message is a gift. Is this an exaggeration? Maybe, but not much of one. Consumers know that an email costs virtually nothing, whereas printed material is a significant investment. Millennials, particularly, have grown up with the “Nigerian Prince,” and tend to ignore digital messages from unknown senders. Tangible print messaging, on the other hand, is viewed by the same group as being inherently trustworthy. Additionally, older consumers are often reluctant to throw something away they perceive as “high-quality.”
Relevance, credibility, and longevity are the watchwords. There will be a quiz.