Is Print Dead?
All across the wedding industry there are two sides to the argument, “Is Print Dead.” Wedding magazines are standing up and firmly saying- “Absolutely not!” While vendors are almost jumping out of their shoes to say, ”Print is dead!” As an impartial third party observer, I think I have a unique point of view which can help bring the 2 parties together. I truly have nothing to gain if you place an ad in a wedding magazine or if you don’t. I simply will point out the plusses and minuses and then you decide if Print is a match for you.
First off: Print is not Dead.(caveat: in the Wedding World) Wedding Magazines are what are referred to as specialty print. There are 3 kinds of print you need to be aware of: 1) News/Current events 2) Advertorial 3) Specialty print. Examples of the three would be: 1) Newspapers, periodicals such as Newsweek/Sports Illustrated 2) yellow Pages/ Nickel saver 3) Guns and Ammo, Guitar Monthly, Classic Auto (and Wedding Magazines). Further- advertising in the Wedding world is also referred to as destination advertising- the kind of advertising which is sought out after.
Why do I say that Print is not dead? Simple; there are some who are doing Print advertising (what is offered through a wedding magazine) and finding huge success. If they can do it- so can you. In your town, there is most likely a wedding magazine which has been there for a few years, where someone has been with them from the beginning and most likely will be there until the end for a reason- it works.
There are reasons why some ads work and why some do not. Most times it comes down to the ad created. If you create an ad that is all about you and your business as opposed to the problems you solve or the results you provide, Ta-da! Or, the ad is beautiful and wonderful, however you do not tell your prospect the next step to take. Learn this: a badly conceived ad in a great magazine should blame the ad, not the medium.
Smart Wedding magazines are combining an online component which gives a “one – two punch.” This combination helps to be in 2 places where the brides go so you can potentially be seen online as well as offline. Further, the magazines who capture the Brides information and then use if prudently to promote their advertisers by bringing the Brides back to the site again and again have found better than average success.
Here is a hard question: If I offered you (and I emphasize “if”) a free ad in any of the local wedding publications, would you take it? Harder question: If I said something bad about you in a local wedding magazine, would you sue me?
Depending upon how you answered those questions might lead you to believe how you truly feel about print (why take a free ad if the medium is dead or why would you sue me- fact is most people feel that they would take the free ad and that they would sue me, so print must have value).
Print may have not been effective for you in the past, but the fact remains, It is still valuable to Brides and you should consider being anyplace a bride is.
Until next week, here’s to your success!
RICK BREWER,
SPEAKER, COACH AND NATIONAL EXPERT
Rick Brewer is no stranger to the wedding industry. Since 1992, He has been a wedding vendor (with over 300 weddings to count), Published 2 wedding magazines, produced bridal shows, and has worked with hundreds and hundreds of wedding businesses across the nation. For the past six years, Rick has spoken to over 250 wedding groups and regularly publishes articles on wedding marketing and selling to brides at his website,www.GetMoreBrides.com. Rick is the proud Daddy of Emma, Ally and Rj. They live in Charlotte, NC.
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