Using Print Ads to Drive Traffic Online

Many people today are beginning to think that the print industry -- including newspapers, magazines and books -- is a dying industry. However, that simply is not true. Whether your business is a small or large business, it can greatly benefit from an integrated marketing plan, one that incorporates newspaper advertising and print advertising along with advertising online.

There are several ways to customize your marketing campaign in order to most effectively use newspaper advertising or magazine advertising to drive traffic to your business's website.

1. Consider Your Industry
   Different industries yield different results when it comes to the statistics of how much web traffic was generated from print advertising. For instance, if you are a local online travel company, print ads will do wonders for generating web traffic.
   
   By including a URL in your travel company advertisement, there is a 186 percent chance that readers will go online and check it out. (Source: http://www.bizreport.com/) Other top industries for print advertising include home, women's services, fashion, men's services and financial industries.

2. Use a Unique, Short URL
   Statistics show that the best way to drive traffic to the web through print advertising is to include a short, unique and memorable URL. If the URL is featured prominently in the ad, it will likely stick in the minds of readers. Recent examples of successful campaigns like this include Burger King's Have It Your Way campaign, with the URL haveityourway.com and Audi's Never Follow campaign, which used the URL neverfollow.com.
    
3. Create an Integrated Marketing Campaign
   One of the best ways to have a successful print advertising campaign that generates web traffic is to create an integrated marketing plan. Ensure that you are using both newspaper advertising and magazine advertising, as well as online advertising.
   
   A blended marketing plan will ensure that you have all your bases covered and that you will see the greatest return on your investment in terms of web traffic. Be sure that every advertisement you place -- be it in a newspaper, magazine or online -- includes a URL that readers can easily remember and refer back to once they get online.
   
   The numbers show that print advertising is still one of the most effective ways to drive traffic to your website. Nearly 44% of web hits are generated from print advertising that includes a URL. This is largely in part because of the trust the general public puts into print publications.
   
   Placing newspaper advertising or magazine advertising gives the appearance of a brick-and-mortar business, which customers are more likely to trust. The visual aspect of print advertising also attracts more new customers to your business, as it catches the eye as they are reading through their local newspaper or favorite magazine. Throughout the years, studies have shown that a well-integrated marketing plan that includes print advertising is one of the best ways to ensure you will get plenty of visitors each month to your business website.

Article originally published on: http://www.articlesnatch.com