Don’t Write off Old School Content Marketing

Following on from this week’s (wonderful!) InsidePR podcast I couldn’t help but think about the ramifications for old school content marketers if traditional print media really does go the way of the Dodo.

Thankfully, Gini Dietrich, Martin Waxman and Joe Thornley came to the agreement that print would somehow survive the threat from digital, continuing to play a role in textual communication. I say “thankfully” because if these guys believe in it, I’m in good company.

And the Point is?

Now all this got me got me thinking about traditional content marketing – on paper. Does this have any role to play in your business ?

Clearly, some organisations think not. Several of our clients have recently kicked expensive customer magazines and brochures into touch, killed off their annual poster campaigns in favour of Pay-Per-Click ads, Spotify ads, search engine optimization and social media marketing. Well, I guess that’s why they come to us.

Still, I’ll miss their pretty images on the Stockholm T-bana (underground), but they tell me they won’t miss the expense. The hefty prices of old school marketing and that word on the street that online is where it’s at has persuaded them to put their marketing budget into online PR and marketing.

Can you blame them? Digital content is everywhere in business. Even at corporate level, intranets and internal business blogs are rapidly replacing in-house newsletters. And many organizations have shifted over to digital newsletters, emailed out by the bazillion.

Hang on!

Personally, I wouldn’t write off paper just yet. Although you’ve always got the chance to forward an email newsletter, I’m sure many people don’t. In fact, I bet YOU don’t even read them!

But put a glossy brochure or magazine in a bathroom, a doctor’s waiting room and it will get readers. It’s a no brainer.

Yes, you have the unique opportunity to connect with your audience offline, too, with your content! Even Mr Teen likes a magazine or two to flick through when he’s at the dentist, rather than skimming his iPhone.

So don’t discard print media just yet. It has a role to play and an audience who’ll lap it up. But you old school content marketers need to come up with some new ideas too, just in case.

Now where did I put that iPad?