It can be very difficult to make the decision whether or not to go digital when it comes to your advertising. Digital and print advertising are very different, even if they might both achieve the same goals. Getting it right can be very difficult, especially with a limited budget, and that’s before you even begin to take into account other new media advertising options, such as those GlobalMessaging offers.

Digital focuses on interaction, print focuses on information

In a print advert, you’ll need to include all the important information such as location, phone number and website – possibly an email address too. This kind of information is so important if you want interested people to be able to find out more or get in touch in the future.

In a digital advert you don’t need this kind of information as you can already assume that the reader’s preferred method of finding out information would be to look at your website. This is why all digital adverts contain a link through to more information.

You’ll also need to encourage interaction (such as a click) on a digital advert. These calls-to-action are a big part of persuading someone to take action now that they’ve seen your advert. A tempting button is usually the best way to go about this but text such as ‘read more’ or ‘act now’ does the same job.

Digital advertising goes beyond your initial advert

You’ll need an engaging destination for people to click through to from your initial advert. If you don’t capture someone’s interest after that first click then they’re probably going to leave your site and never think about you again.

When developing your advert, think about where the user is going to click through to. Think about whether the site is easy to use, if it offers the reader something and how that all converts into a sale or a lead – either now or in the future.

Digital offers greater control

It’s a lot easier to target your adverts to people whom you know will be interested in what you have to offer. This means you can keep a closer eye on your budget and get more bang for your buck.

You can also pay-per-click on these kinds of adverts. This means you’re only paying for people who have seen and engaged with your advert, unlike print advertising, which you pay for no matter how many people actually pay attention to the ad.

Print caters to those without the internet

Print advertising still has its place as it targets a whole different type of person. Depending on the magazine or newspaper your advert is going into, you can reach some interesting demographics, who perhaps don’t use the internet.

If you want to advertise something quite broad and don’t need the niche targeting that digital offers then print is still a viable option. As long as you understand that there are big differences between the two types of advertising, you should be able to make an informed decision as to which is best for you and how to make the most of it.