By Charity Bishop, Editor
In a world where everyone is glued to screens, you might wonder:
“Does print advertising still work?”
I get it. I’ve experimented with online advertising as an author and found out that pushing my novels on social media is a drop in the bucket. A teaspoon of my tears in a vast ocean of content, in a place where a million other writers are trying to reach the same audience. It could take me ten years to build up a following, by creating media content and sharing it every day, liking other people’s posts, interacting with them, and generating interesting content that isn’t just “look at me!” to build a readership.
Or I can pitch my novel in the Prairie Times and am guaranteed twenty thousand people will see it. The same number of readers that see my editorial column every four weeks. They may not all buy what I am selling, but I know they saw it. And if they don’t want it, it’s because it’s not their thing rather than them not knowing it exists. But I’m not a business. I’m a writer of niche fiction.
Social media is fast, and Google is convenient, but here’s the thing.
Print isn’t dead. It’s trusted. And it still sells.
For the kind of businesses that thrive out here (local, family-run, rooted in tradition), print is often better than digital.
Here’s why our magazine continues to deliver results in a screen-saturated world.
1. Our Format is Non-Intrusive
Let’s get real.
How many times has a commercial interrupted your movie in the wrong time and place, leaving you mad that they just ruined a stirring moment with a toilet paper advertisement? Nothing like watching The Chosen and pausing at an emotional beat, only for a car commercial to blast your eardrums, am I right?
The internet used to be a haven. Now it’s been strip-mined for ads, and everything is monetized. You scroll through twenty flashing ads to reach a recipe. Video ads start and interrupt your music or chat box whether you want to hear them or not. Half the time, you click on a Facebook ad only to be ripped off by a business that did not exist last week and won’t exist next month. (Don’t worry, it will come back under another name to cheat someone else out of their hard-earned cash.)
Then there is “Ad Block,” a extension that lets us opt out. So many people use it, some websites demand you disengage them or refuse to let you read their content. (For most of them, I click away. Not worth it.)
Our ads don’t make noise. They won’t flash in our readers’ faces. They are tucked here and there in our paper, for them to peruse at their leisure. They are non-intrusive, non-invasive, and unavoidable in an inoffensive way. Our readers don’t feel put-upon or irritated by them. They carry on their good feelings for the writers who entertain them, and for us for bringing them free entertainment, over to you.
2. Our Readers Actually Read
Unlike online ads that flash, pop, or interrupt, print ads live quietly on the page, right beside stories about cowboy boots, porch swings, the antics of our four-legged friends, and reminiscences.
And here’s the thing: our readers are paying attention.
They don’t skim. They linger.
They take our paper out to the porch swing with a glass of sweet tea.
They set it on the kitchen counter. Pass stories to friends. Some save every issue.
Your ad isn’t just seen once. It’s seen slowly, often, with intention by people savoring every word.
3. Print Feels More Trustworthy
Online, anyone can slap up a website and pay for a flashy ad. That’s how I got swindled a few times.
But in print? It’s different.
You live in their neighborhood and shop at their local store. They might know you from the post office (and if they come to your business, next time they will!). You travel the same roads and you will be there if they need what you offer. And that’s worth a lot. They are not taking a “risk” on you, as a nameless, faceless website who may or may not be telling the truth.
Remind them to come in and see you, to “meet” the person behind the counter. Because your business is local, either small and family-owned, or run locally, your print ads feel real. Tangible. It carries weight.
In our paper, your ad says: “We’re part of this community. We’re here to stay.”
4. We Reach the Audience You Actually Want
Your business is in Elbert County, which means you want customers from Elbert County. There is no other way to get your business in front of them that requires low effort from you (place the ad, let our paper do the rest!), at pennies per household. Online advertising can’t guarantee people from your area will see what you have to offer. Algorithms mess up.
Our job is to get the paper into our readers’ hands. Yours is to get them to call, walk in, place an order, or come by to say hi, and from there, sell to them. But you can’t do that unless they know you exist.
5. There’s Less Noise, And More Focus
Do you remember the six ads you saw when you scrolled through your feed this morning? Neither do I. I didn’t stare at them long enough for them to leave an impression. Online, you are competing for someone’s attention against a thousand other voices at the same time.
In our paper, you’re surrounded by calm. Humor. Inspirational pieces. Beauty. Gentle storytelling.
That means your message isn’t lost in the noise.
It stands out. It breathes. It feels like part of the experience, not a disruption. Plus, our western-themed layout and old-fashioned charm mean every ad feels like it belongs.
Final Thoughts: Digital May Be Fast, But Print Goes Deeper
We’re not against the internet. It has its place. But when it comes to building trust, reaching real people, and becoming part of the community story, print still wins.
And in a paper like ours, filled with values, tradition, and heart, your ad doesn’t just sit on the page.
It belongs there.
