Vinyl records have made a major comeback since the era of bell-bottom jeans and way too much hairspray. In 2022, $1.2 billion records were purchased, a 20% increase from the previous year. Why are records, Polaroids, and even bell-bottom jeans becoming popular again? The answer is simple — Millennials and Gen Z are nostalgic. Hardcopies of books and magazines have also seen an uptick in popularity, and thanks to the nostalgia for flipping through pages, magazines have become a great marketing tool in 2023.
Are Magazines Making A Comeback?
Research has shown that 60% of Americans, especially young Americans, want to spend more time away from technology. We have all heard that being on your phone or looking at a screen all day isn’t beneficial for our emotional, mental, or even physical health (there is even a new disorder called “smartphone tendonitis.”) Especially now that most of us work from home, finding a way to create an at-home work schedule can be challenging. Taking a break from screens each day can have some serious benefits. Even people who read printed books before bed fall asleep faster and feel more rested than those who relax with e-books at night.
This desire to take a break from screen time means print marketing is making a comeback. People love to read magazines, make notes in the margins, dog-ear pages to come back to, and share their well-read copies with friends. In fact, according to a recent report, consumers are 152% more likely to pay attention to print marketing than digital. Disconnecting with a printed magazine you can hold in your hands is a great way to unwind, learn about new products, read interesting articles, and see beautiful imagery.
What Is The Difference Between A Catalog And Magazine?
A catalog is designed to highlight your product and services. It does this by showcasing a collection of products for sale, typically targeting a specific user base and audience. Catalogs will contain minimal text and marketing copy, focusing more on pricing and the ordering process. In today’s age, most companies’ catalogs encourage consumers to purchase their products online or in-store.
A magazine is more editorial, typically containing more text than a catalog and longer-form articles. Less focus is on the products or services on sale, and more is placed on the brand as a whole. Brand magazines can include everything from vital product information to charitable work, company news, brand stories, or staff interviews. These magazines aim to promote the brand as an industry expert and create brand loyalty.
Why You Should Start A Magazine For Your Business
A printed or digital magazine lets you get creative and lead the conversation around your brand. Magazines can also create a community between customers, partners, vendors, and stakeholders. Here are our top three reasons you should invest in a magazine to promote your brand.
Brand Magazines Are A Great Investment
Company magazines are affordable and a great investment with a high ROI. As of 2021, magazines average a $3.94 return on every dollar spent. While direct mail often ends up in the trash bin, with 60% of mail ads getting thrown away immediately —magazines can make it to your audience’s coffee tables.
Researchers found that magazines had the highest aggregate ROI compared to other media sources, including TV, online, online video, and outdoor. Not only did magazines fare well in American markets, but also in Europe. Magazines give you more bang for your buck, can expand your reach in international markets, and aren’t as likely to end up in the bin.
Magazines Get Your Customers’ Attention
It’s impossible to read a book AND scroll through social media on your phone (we simply don’t have enough hands), and the same can be said for magazines. When someone picks up a magazine, they give it their full attention. Unlike online marketing, consumers can’t switch between tabs, close out of windows, or get work done while reading an article in print magazines.
At the end of the day, reading a magazine is simply a more immersive experience than they’d get reading an article online. Undivided attention is hard to come by these days, but magazines demand it. Readers can flip through the pages while relaxing at home over coffee or waiting for an appointment. Brands then can connect with consumers whenever and wherever they’re open to giving their attention.
Magazines Strengthen Your Brand Image
Magazines create a tangible connection between you and your audience. While leafing through the pages, consumers can read about how your company got started, how you give back to your community, your core values as a business, and more. Magazines are also a chance for you to get creative. You can tell your customers about your brand in myriad ways — illustrations, graphic designs, infographics, press releases, and more! Instead of informing consumers with graphs or ads, you can tell engaging stories through articles and convey messages and ideas about your company that might otherwise get lost in the expanse of the internet.
This tangible connection between you and your customer can also help build trust in your brand. In studies, print magazines have had an average trustworthiness score of 82%. This means they’re one of the most trusted media sources in America. Building your brand image through magazines can help you make a great first impression and create loyal customers.
Flocksy Can Create Eye-Catching Magazines For You
Putting together a magazine can be grueling work. There’s the copy, imagery, font choice, captions, formatting, and cover design … you get the point. Our expert team at Flocksy can design a magazine’s interior, cover imagery, and visual formatting based on your brand guidelines and content. Your final product can be designed for printing, digital use, or both!
We guarantee fast turnaround times and as many revisions as you need to make sure your brand is perfectly represented. Simply select a membership, create a new print project, and select the subcategory “magazine” — you’ll have a completed brand magazine to send to consumers before you can finish reading the latest copy of Cosmo 😉.
If you’d like more information about how Flocksy can provide unlimited marketing materials, graphic design, copywriting projects, etc., check out our site here.