It’s no secret that newspaper readership has declined significantly in recent years. Local newspapers, once bustling with engaging articles that captured the attention of residents, now often seem more like advertising catalogs. One might even speculate that if major retailers such as Game, Checkers, Makro, or Pick ‘n Pay were to cease their advertisements, many local newspapers might struggle to stay afloat.
However, dismissing newspaper advertising outright may not be the wisest course of action. Crafting an effective marketing strategy is rarely a one-size-fits-all endeavor. It requires a nuanced understanding of your business’s unique needs and the behaviors of your target audience. For instance, in the digital realm, B2B companies often find more success with search engine optimization (SEO), while B2C companies may benefit more from organic social media engagement. Similarly, traditional print media can still hold value, depending on the context.
Consider a local lawn care service aiming to reach homeowners aged 45 to 60. This demographic may still engage with print media, making newspaper ads a potentially effective channel. In fact, studies have shown that print advertising can significantly enhance campaign effectiveness. According to the Southern California News Group, incorporating print ads can triple the effectiveness of an advertising campaign, especially when combined with digital strategies.
Moreover, print advertisements often enjoy a higher level of trust compared to their digital counterparts. A report by Hearst Bay Area highlights that nearly 80% of consumers act on directly printed mail advertisements, whereas only 45% respond to electronic advertisements. This suggests that, for certain audiences, print media can elicit a more substantial response.
However, it’s essential to weigh these benefits against current trends. The global newspaper advertising market has been experiencing a steady decline in relevance and investment, largely due to the rise of digital media. Additionally, the average return on investment (ROI) for print advertising is around 130%, which, while impressive, may not always surpass the ROI of digital campaigns, depending on the business and target audience.
The Constraints of Print Media
Print media is inherently one-dimensional. When advertising in a newspaper, your business is limited to a static block of space—typically a few square centimeters—within which you must communicate everything about your brand, product, or promotion. There’s no movement, no audio, and no interactivity. Your message is confined to text and a single visual, and the impact is entirely dependent on whether someone decides to read that particular page. It’s a medium that requires immediacy and precision, yet offers very little room for creativity or storytelling. This is a massive limitation when compared to digital platforms where you can communicate using dynamic formats like video, animations, and audio—all within the same day.
Another major constraint is timing. Most local newspapers are published weekly or monthly, meaning that if you miss a deadline or want to tweak your messaging, you’ll be waiting weeks before your next opportunity. This is in stark contrast to platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok, where you can post multiple pieces of content in a single day and edit or remove them in real time. Social media thrives on immediacy. Content can be seasonal, trending, or reactive—and you can engage with your audience the moment something happens. Print simply doesn’t allow for that kind of agility.
Finally, let’s talk about reach and distribution. A local paper has a fixed number of subscribers or pickup points. Once you’ve hit that ceiling, that’s it—your ad won’t be seen by anyone outside of that network. And it’s not just about quantity; it’s also about quality. With digital ads, you can track how many people saw your content, clicked on it, and even purchased something afterward. Newspaper ads give you no such feedback. You pay for space, not performance. This lack of data makes it incredibly difficult to assess ROI, which in 2025, is simply not good enough. In short, while there may be specific use cases for print, businesses are severely limited in both creativity and reach when they rely on newspaper advertising alone.
How To Do Print Advertising Right in 2025
Back when newspaper advertising was at its peak, the playing field was relatively even. Everyone had the same tools—text, images, a small slice of space—and the challenge was to stand out within those confines. Clever copywriting, smart image placement, and unexpected layouts gave advertisers the upper hand. With some creativity, you could carve out your corner of attention and turn readers into customers right from the breakfast table.
But 2025 presents a different kind of challenge. Today, you’re not just competing with other ads in the same paper—you’re competing with the endless scroll of social media. Your print ad is up against a never-ending stream of engaging TikToks, Instagram reels, viral memes, and influencer shoutouts. It’s no longer about standing out on the page; it’s about creating something that can hold its own against the dopamine-fueled carousel of modern digital content. The bar has been raised, and print ads need to bring a new level of innovation to remain relevant.
So how do you compete? You go bold. You make people stop. You create something that makes readers pause and say, “Wait, what was that?” Instead of trying to cram every piece of information into a tiny space, try the opposite—give them less. Create intrigue. Ask a provocative question. Show a striking image that doesn’t explain itself. Print has the power to slow people down—but only if you give them a reason to linger. And then, once you’ve got their curiosity, give them a clear next step. A QR code, a website, a phone number—something that turns the mystery into a moment of action.
Most importantly, your copy and visuals need to work together. Don’t just throw a promo into a box and hope for the best. Make your message and design complement each other. Let the copy set the tone and the visuals drive emotion. Your ad should feel more like a campaign than a coupon. If you treat it like a throwaway, it will be ignored. But if you treat print as a blank canvas for creativity—something unexpected in an age of fast content—you’ll find that there’s still magic to be made on the printed page.
