Print continues to receive a lot of attention from marketers. Why? First, because it works. Second, it’s simply less annoying. (According to PrintIsBig.com, print is 43% less annoying than the Internet.) Less annoying or not, there are many misperceptions about print that cause marketers to overlook its value. Let’s look at three myths about print marketing and the reality behind them:

Print is all or nothing. Many marketers think that either you live in the age of print or the age of digital, but not both. The reality is that print and digital channels work together. One study found that 51% of consumers prefer companies to communicate with them using a combination of physical mail and email. Even if buyers do end up purchasing online, 39% say they tried a business for the first time because of direct mail.

Consumers prefer digital communication. Sure, consumers love to connect with brands digitally, but they also want to connect with brands through print. They want to communicate across both print and digital. According to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), 92% of shoppers prefer direct mail for making purchasing decisions. In part, this is because print continues to have a trust factor. It also motivates people to buy. The DMA found that for every $167 spent on direct mail, marketers sell $2,095 of goods. There is something about print that spurs consumers to action.

Personalization only works for email and online. Print can be personalized, too. Personalized direct mail can increase ROI by 3x to 10x. Furthermore, 40% of consumers say they buy from retailers who personalize the shopping experience across channels. With all the new digital press technologies any customer data could be personalized using print.

Print Still Works; Don’t fall for the myths. Know the real value of print marketing!