Print vs Online Marketing — The ROI Challenge
We talk a big game about the power of the web. We figured it was time to put our money where our mouth is. To prove that internet advertising is a more cost-efficient and effective way to meet marketing objectives and boost ROI, we pitted print ad campaigns against the power of PPC (Pay-Per-Click advertising) in a head to head matchup. For three months we ran a traditional print ad in a local business monthly and a targeted PPC campaign online. Both ads had identical objectives and budgets, and directed traffic to this page where results appeared in real-time. We’re not really the type to sing our own praises, but (thankfully) the numbers do a pretty decent job of that all by themselves.
PPC vs Print Advertising: Tale of the Tape
Though it's hardly the only online marketing strategy we've got in our lineup, consider how Pay -Per-Click advertising stacks up against traditional advertising strategy:
Magazine Ad
Traditional print advertising
| Age: | 1,778 years |
| Reach: | Varies greatly per publication |
| Key Players: | Newspapers, Magazines, niche publications |
| Cost: | Varies greatly per publication, on CPM basis |
| Winning Strategy: | Geographic and demographic targeting, creative flexibility, printed material has staying power |
| Recent Injuries: | Circulation rates are continually decreasing due to internet usage, profitability hurt by shift towards online advertising |
Pay-Per-Click
High-tech alternative
| Age: | 10 years |
| Reach: | The majority of the world's internet users, any location, any language worldwide |
| Key Players: | Google, Yahoo, MSN, extensive content networks |
| Cost: | Varies greatly, but averages $.50-$.70 per click |
| Winning Strategy: | Only charges when ad is clicked, great flexibility in campaign management, keyword- based, geographic and contextual targeting, highly measurable results |
| Recent Injuries: | Concerns about click fraud, inexperienced advertisers are sometimes left with a bad first impression |
Like what you see? Contact us today to discuss how we can create a customized online marketing plan that will help you get the most bang for your marketing media buck!
