Affiliate Marketing Industry

Why Dental Marketing Newsletters Remain an Effective Element of Any Strategic Marketing Mix By [https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sarah_Simmons/349885]Sarah Simmons With more and more businesses, consumers, and even dental practices relying more and more on computers, many people believe that print marketing is no longer effective in the digital age. Decades ago, many predicted we would soon live and work in a "paperless" society, yet that prediction has never materialized. The power of print drives dental marketing newsletters to remain an extremely effective element of any dental advertising campaign for many reasons. Print provides easier readability, long-lasting staying power, and environmental benefits to boot. Read on to discover how print can engage, persuade and teach, remaining powerful and relevant even in the digital age. Looks Good on Paper The first reason print marketing is so powerful lies in how easily our eyes and brains receive and respond to this centuries-old medium. Studies have shown that we read 20% to 30% faster when reading a hard copy of something rather than reading it off a screen. We also experience less eye fatigue when we read a print-out compared to reading from a monitor, and evidence shows that reading print leads to deeper understanding and comprehension of content, a better sense of structure, and faster navigation. Even in dental marketing, recipients of marketing materials are learning, and studies indicate that by facilitating reading and writing, print combines tactile and visual learning in a way that online communications can't. Plus, there is no better medium for allowing the reader to compare and contrast-a function that is at the heart of making buying decisions (or in the case of dental practices, healthcare decisions). Part of the Marketing Mix Print advertising not only suits our eyes and brain, it also matches effective dental marketing strategies. Far from being replaced by online marketing, print remains an effective and essential element of any strategic marketing mix. For example, print is an extremely successful way to drive traffic to a website. But print is more than just an assistant to other marketing methods. Its staying power as a marketing medium lies in its ability to deliver the right message in the right space to the right person at the right time! Smart marketers understand that print lets you put your brand in the hands of consumers - literally. Studies have shown that 98% of people collect their mail every day, and 77% sort through it immediately. In households, that person is also typically the main bill-payer and shopper, as well as the key influencer. In other words, they are the "right person." The permanence of print also means that once the dental advertising is delivered into the "right space" - whether a dental office, home or business - chances are it will be there at the "right time." A printed piece of dental advertising will often find its way to the fridge door, countertop or desk, where it's seen many times a day. Online marketers would be envious of this many "impressions." If the adage is correct that consumers must be exposed to a message three times before it affects their behavior, print dental marketing materials are an effective way of making it happen. Environmentally Friendly Everyone wants to do what they can to reduce their ecological footprint and live and do business as "green" as possible. Many practices believe that print ads for dental marketing are not environmentally friendly, but the fact is, print advertising is often more green than going paperless. While certain print and paper uses can be environmentally unfriendly (such as not recycling paper or using paper from unsustainable forests), paper has made leaps and bounds to become more environmentally friendly. 37% of U.S. pulp is produced from recovered paper and that figure is growing every day. The paper industry's goal is to recover 60 percent of the paper Americans consume by 2012. In addition, more and more print providers are leading the way through chain of custody certification (the ability to trace paper and wood purchases from the original forest site through every single step to consumer point-of-purchase, and ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, and economically viable way). Thanks to ongoing reforestation efforts, forest acreage in the U.S. has actually grown over the past century. Plus, strong associations such as the SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) work to ensure sustainable, environmentally-sound forestry practices. While it may seem that electronic alternatives to print dental marketing have a smaller eco-footprint, they have a huge impact on the environment through the generation of e-waste-the fastest-growing component of municipal waste worldwide. Poor or non-existent recycling of electronic devices leads to the creation of tons of non-biodegradable, toxic landfills containing lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium, and polyvinyl chlorides, and when disposed of improperly in developing countries can cause serious health and pollution problems. Even in developed countries recycling and disposal of e-waste involves significant risk, and great care must be taken to avoid unsafe exposure in recycling operations and leaching of materials such as heavy metals from landfills and incinerator ashes. The Proof is in the Printing Research illustrates that the reports of the death of print are greatly exaggerated. For example, within the 18-49 consumer age group, 90% read and respond to printed, mailed materials. Similarly, a recent DMNews (Direct Marketing News) survey sponsored by Pitney Bowes found that 75% of consumers preferred receiving coupons in the mail, rather than via e-mail or in the newspaper. With numbers like these, it's clear that personal, tangible and trusted print will continue to hold power over consumers. Professionally produced dental marketing newsletters represent the single most effective relationship building tool available to healthcare professionals because they take advantage of the power of print to achieve specific goals such as strengthening patient relationships, increasing referrals and practice awareness, and/or growing a client base. The printing press was invented in 1440, and it is still considered one of the greatest inventions in history. It played a large role in establishing a community of scientists who could easily communicate their discoveries through wide dissemination of scholarly journals, and helped to bring on the scientific revolution. Over 500 years later print remains a powerful tool in sharing information, so start using print as a part of your dental marketing mix today. Patient News Publishing is North America's most comprehensive and innovative newsletter and postcard provider. Founded in Canada in 1992, the company produces award-winning [http://www.patientnews.com/]dental marketing and [http://www.patientnews.com/]dental advertising products in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-Dental-Marketing-Newsletters-Remain-an-Effective-Element-of-Any-Strategic-Marketing-Mix&id=2971808] Why Dental Marketing Newsletters Remain an Effective Element of Any Strategic Marketing Mix