The rise of ad blocking technology has made the future of digital advertising very murky indeed, both for online publishers and advertisers.

Fortunately, reports of the death of print are no more true than reports of the death of Mark Twain in 1897. While advertisers scramble to find a solution for ad blockers, magazine media isn’t just enduring—it’s thriving.

Print has advantages over digital

Print has a number of advantages over digital advertising that make it an ideal medium for healthcare providers. It definitely won’t replace digital, but together print and digital can do the most to enhance your hospital’s brand and bring new patients through your doors.

Print has a long shelf life

A magazine can be left anywhere and picked up by multiple people, multiplying its reach many times its circulation. While most digital content gets buried as soon as the next big article goes viral, print has the potential to be seen weeks, months, or even years later. Magazines reach 80 percent of their audience two and a half months after publication and continue to expand.

Print is non-disruptive

Most digital advertising is built on the idea that readers have to view ads before they can view content. That means full screen overlays, essentially the return of popup ads, covering content that people just want to read. Sliding or expanding ads that reconfigure pages interstitial ads in the middle of slideshows and before pages load with countdowns forcing readers to view them for a certain length of time.

The print model is different. Advertising is expected in this medium, even welcomed. Readers are free to pick up a magazine and peruse it at their leisure, lingering when they wish instead of waiting for a skip ad button to appear after a few seconds. That results in a more enjoyable experience for readers and a more positive feeling towards your brand.

Print is trusted

Trust is vital, especially in healthcare, and readers still trust print. Magazine readers cite magazines as a way to learn about new products and services, a reason to try new things, and inspiration in their own lives.

Trustworthiness of magazine advertising compared to online and TV advertising (source: MPA Factbook)

In a healthcare context, that means calling a number to get more information about a service line or making an appointment with a doctor. And if readers trust magazine content in their own lives, they’re more likely to pass the information they learn along to their friends and family members.

Maximize the benefits of print

Creativity and the value you can offer to consumers are key to any ad campaign, but these tips can help you get the most out of print advertising campaigns:

1. Run multiple times

Brand awareness and favorability go up the more times an ad campaign is seen. So does purchase intent—in healthcare, becoming a patient!

Brand metrics go up with greater exposure (source: MPA Factbook)

Whether it’s running in multiple issues or running multiple ads in the same issue, you need more than one ad to see the full benefit.

2. Customize your advertising vehicle

Many brands in healthcare and other industries are moving beyond just advertising in print to publishing completely customized magazines. Even digital-first brands like Airbnb and Uber have seen the benefits of print and embraced custom publishing.

For hospital marketers, custom magazine is an opportunity to make editorial and advertising content enhance your brand together—to truly tailor your patients’ experience from cover to cover.