Small-Business Marketing Strategies: Print and Video, a Perfect Marketing Mix

Video is a deep part of our lives and an effective tool for engagement. How appropriate, then, that there are now ways to mix video and print in one convenient package. Susan Dobbe-Leahy explains.

Northwest Quarterly Live brings together print and video in one location.

In the classic novel “Fahrenheit 451,” author Ray Bradbury depicts a dystopian future where books are outlawed and burned. The characters are then bombarded by videos, instead. Bradbury once explained that his 1953 novel was a commentary on how mass media reduced interest in reading.

Thankfully, today the value of video and its role in mass media may provide us with a happier outcome than the future Bradbury warned us about.

Video is integral to our daily lives in many ways. Television was initially promoted as a medium for entertainment; in the 1950s, one small set was watched by the collective family. Today, video is selected and consumed individually for most people every day; for some, it’s just about every minute.

Why is video so popular? It is very, very effective in entertaining, educating and influencing. Human nature is attracted to the multi-sensory experience, not to mention the personal examples of how, why and what other humans value.

Think about your last encounter with video. How were you influenced by the images, music, voices and messages?

If it’s not already, video should be a working part of your marketing plan and strategy.

We consume a vast assortment and quantity of videos throughout an average day. As we do so, marketing videos evolve and improve as the variety increases and our attention span shortens. How can your business use video to capture the attention of your target audience and get them to take action?

Viewers today are seeking a quick message: one minute for an average commercial, 15 to 20 seconds for a Facebook or YouTube video. Quick videos segue to an action: click through for more details, visit our website, order now, sign up, make your donation. And, they have the bonus effect of motivating someone to visit your business.

If you haven’t noticed yet, Northwest Quarterly Magazine now has a video component to its print publication. Readers download the free app Wikitude and use it to bring the pages of this magazine to life. Northwest Quarterly is the first publication in the region to utilize this energizing and engaging advantage to reading a magazine.

Live action gives readers a more exciting perspective on an advertiser’s message. The instant click-to-action provides the advertiser with measured results.

Return on these ads is growing exponentially. No need to find the website, because this feature can take you directly there. Buy tickets, make a reservation, view samples, read reviews or find other ways to capture your target audience.

Ray Bradbury might have viewed video in a brighter light if he’d seen the positive partnership Northwest Quarterly Magazine has created between the print and video worlds.