Guess who loves paper?

I love paper, and I’m not the only one, as millennials love it too…

Why do I love paper? I love paper because of the overall experience – the feel, the smell, and the tactile sensation I get from holding a book. Self-serving? Maybe, since I work in the printing industry and I love helping clients figure out the best way to use paper to convey a message.

Why do millennials love paper? This generation responds highly to a low-tech marketing approach due to digital fatigue. Yes, that’s a real thing. A recent USPS study revealed that 84% of Millennials actually do take the time to scan through their mail. They prefer to weed through paper rather than email for useful information. After all, print is tactile.

How paper is consumed seems to change with the ebb and flow of technology, but I don’t – and neither should you – underestimate the role of print in an omnichannel world.

That same white paper shares that about half of millennials ignore digital ads, while only 15% say they ignore direct mail ads. This is a gold mine for marketers who target them, and I urge you to use direct mail if they are part of your audience. It’s just one more touch point that can help personalize your communications. Not to mention, printed mail is said to require 21% less cognitive effort to process compared to consuming information on a digital device. Maybe that’s why I love paper so much.

The future for paper is looking brighter every day, especially if you are a service provider in the communications business. If that doesn’t convince you, the Data and Marketing Association’s Fact Book reported that 2017 U.S. spend on direct mail came in at $44.2 billion, only second to teleservices in the offline marketing channel.

Don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying that marketers should ignore digital, I’m just a big proponent of using all channels in your marketing campaigns to achieve your goals, and we do that very successfully at AGS. Want to learn how we accomplish this? Reach out to me, I’d love to chat.