Our lives are rife with endless scrolling, notifications and pixels, and if you work in marketing, it’s easy to focus on these areas as the most important aspect of your campaigns. But it’s important to keep in mind that printed media still has the power to make people pause. It’s not just about the thrill of a glossy magazine we love – it’s all sorts of print.

There’s something about the sensation of holding something physical – the weight of a printed booklet in your hand, the feel of the paper and the permanence of the ink that, for many people, still trumps digital marketing strategies.

Dipping your toe in print, as a marketeer, might seem as though it’s full of jargon and production quirks. But it’s surprisingly straightforward. Plus, when you connect a print strategy with digital campaigning, it has the potential to become one of the most powerful tools in modern marketing.

Print still carries weight in your marketing mix

Despite advancements in technology, the truth is that print holds people’s attention in a way screens rarely do. Research from JICMAIL shows that a piece of addressed mail gets over two minutes of active attention spread across nearly a month. Compare that to the few fleeting seconds an online ad enjoys.

Even better, print doesn’t just sit on the kitchen table – it drives action. Roughly six per cent of mail prompts a purchase, and nearly half of those happen online. In other words, print starts the journey; digital finishes it. And it’s even more impressive when it comes to magazines.

You already know that we have invested considerably in research around print and digital media consumption, with print having some impressive stats and preferences when it comes to going head-to-head with online.

But some unique neuromarketing research by Canada Post also found that physical media required less cognitive effort, generated higher recall, and was more motivating than comparable digital ads.

Print materials elicit stronger emotional responses and deeper brand connections. The tactile experience of touch and texture continues to activate emotional and memory-related regions of the brain, helping audiences engage more meaningfully with the brands in front of them.

With so much focus and drive being placed on social media virality, it’s easy to think of print as being an outdated form of marketing. Instead, see it as your high-attention, high-trust channel; the piece of your marketing mix that endures long after the browser tabs have closed.

Making offline work online

Print doesn’t have to live in isolation, and when done right, it can act as the bridge to your digital world. And this is where the best results happen.

QR codes are still the simplest way to connect the two. A quick scan takes readers directly to your landing page, video, or offer – but give each campaign its own code, so you can track who engaged and where. For audiences less QR-friendly, include a short, memorable URL or even a personalised link.

Then there’s tech with a bit more flair – NFC chips and augmented reality. These can trigger animations, demos, or interactive content, but it’s important to remember to use them to add value, rather than as a flashy gimmick.

Whatever route you choose, always design for mobile first. Most scans will happen on a phone, so keep the page light, fast, and instantly actionable. Ensure your online creative feels visually connected to your printed piece.

7 design tips to keep in mind

1. One purpose per page. Don’t overcrowd; give your reader one clear next step.
2. Create hierarchy. Let size, contrast, and space lead the eye naturally.
3. Make it readable. Body text between 9–11 pt, headlines bold enough to be seen at arm’s length.
4. Lead with value. State the benefit before the brand.
5. Make response effortless. Combine QR, short URL, and a clear reason to act.
6. Keep it consistent. Match tone and visuals across print and digital.
7. Add trust cues. Logos, credentials, even a small “Printed responsibly” note — these build credibility.

Sustainability in print

Sustainability is at the forefront of business discussions nowadays, and we choose FSC or recycled papers, print with vegetable-based inks and keep your formats efficient to reduce waste. A small note like “Printed responsibly by…” quietly signals that you’re on top of your footprints.

Bringing it all together

Print can be magical. When you understand how paper affects perception, how a well-placed QR bridges offline to online, and how colour accuracy shapes your brand feel – you move from simply producing print to using it strategically.

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Silver Magazine back in print, you say? Well yes! And not only am I doing this because I love it, but apparently so do hundreds of thousands of other people. I kid you not.

Friends and followers on social media will have seen me crowing about this already recently. It’s vulgar to crow, I know. But I don’t care, because something good happened the other day that was worth having a little crow about. Something that felt like a proper ‘sign’ from the Universe, you know?

This was my slightly cocky social media post:

“Today I crunched some Silver Magazine numbers as we’re going back into print (whoop!) and we need a new media pack. And I’ve managed to get hold of a bunch of media packs from competitors to have a nose, natch.

“And we are actually killing it. We’re blowing at least two of the biggies absolutely out of the water! Our reach is higher, our follower numbers are higher. I had no idea, until I actually worked it all out. So yay for us!

“Now I know this I’ve got my swagger right on. Look out!”

So yes, I have a bit more swagger again. And yes excitingly, Silver Magazine is coming back in print format. And while comparisons are odious, and probably odorous too, it was really encouraging to see that not only are we – as a very small business – fighting our corner with not inconsiderable zeal… we’re actually outshining publishers and magazines with budgets and manpower that I can only dream of. Little us!

Some of you will have had a print issue of Silver before. And many of you subscribed, and have been insanely patient, waiting for the print issues to be relaunched. God, I love you guys. Literally about two people have asked for a refund, which is extraordinary. The faith people have in Silver Magazine is humbling.

But I digress. Print! We’re back! Hurrah for print, print, print. With its lovely feel, and it’s new-print stinky inky smell. And as someone commented on my crowing post, that feeling of “thumbing through the pages.” I can’t wait to get into it again. Print will always be my first and biggest love.

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So why print and why now?

Every Christmas I take two weeks off. It’s a set-in-stone sabbatical, and usually the longest break I take all year. I tend to crawl towards the finishing line in December, absolutely shattered from another year of ALL THE THINGS.

I’m really scrupulous about distancing myself from work at this time. As any business owner knows, it’s virtually impossible to do this. My holidays and long weekends are always punctuated by emails and phone calls and texts. Even if I’m in a beach bar sinking a cold one, I’m still connected. I’m never ‘off the clock’.

But I can do it at Christmastime because everyone else is kinda in the same place. People don’t care if I don’t reply – in fact they’re probably relieved. So I can let go. And that’s when I’m truly able to stand back and look at what’s going on objectively. And after about three days something magic happens. I start to see things clearly again.

Over this Christmas I realised that I wasn’t happy

2023 was filled with the excitement of bringing new things into the Silver arena. I created a truly wonderful little Silver Skincare range, that I’m so, so proud of. And we launched our Silver Retreats, which I am also really excited about. But this meant learning a whole new set of skills, and delving into the world of ecommerce. And if I’m honest, I don’t find that stuff very sexy.

What I DO find sexy is making magazines. And after about a week of R&R, I realised this was where I needed to refocus in 2024. I didn’t care if it was hard to do, or if it didn’t make me rich. I just wanted to do more of the thing I love.

And so when I crunched those numbers, and discovered that we genuinely, honestly stand proud in our given arena, more than head and shoulder above many bigger brands, it was actually quite an emotional moment.

It also helps that one of my younger team members came back from Christmas and before I’d even said about print, told me we should be back in print. Apparently it’s what all the cool kids are doing because it’s trustworthy, and seen as classy. Print is BACK baby.

And so here we are

I’ve put literally everything I have – energy, heart, money, and soul – into making Silver Magazine work. There have been days – so many days – where I’ve felt like I’m banging my head against a brick wall. I’ve seen other startups in the silver sector moving faster than us, and felt inadequate. I’ve wept with frustration as global events have knocked us down, repeatedly. On a personal level I’ve soldiered on through the loss of my parents, the menopause, the end of my longest relationship ever… you get the picture. It’s been hard work.

But through it all I kept feeling like Silver was a good thing. And people kept telling me it was a good thing. And the other day was really wondering if I should keep going. “Give me a sign, please!” I asked the Universe. And I got a sign.

Sam Harrington-Lowe

Sam is Silver’s founder and editor-in-chief. She’s largely responsible for organising all the things, but still finds time to do the odd bit of writing. Not enough though. Send help.

The post Guess who’s back? Back again. Silver print, tell your friends! appeared first on Silver Magazine.

For those of you who don’t know me, I have a Great Idea probably twice a day. Some are Greater than others. Most of the team raised a quiet eyebrow but listened politely.

We were a fairly new business at the time, a small publishing house with a marketing agency side. At the time I was about 47, 48. And as someone interested in magazines, I’d started to look around at magazines specifically targeted at the 50+ age group.

Honestly, at the time, it was pretty dismal.

Things are improved now, but the obvious magazine for the ‘mature market’ was quite grim. And I looked at some of the other newsstand giants and was left cold by those too. As far as I could see, the content in the magazines bore very little relevance to my own life. And ‘bore’ was the operative word all round.

Not all over-50s are built the same

I was born in 1970 and grew up through a time of massive social change. I was formed during the rise of feminism, a child through the lingering permissiveness of the 60s. Men had landed on the moon. People turned on, tuned in, and dropped out. Punk came and went, as did the beautifully garish 80s and my floppy New Romantic fringe. We had Thatcher. Riots. Football violence. Then the Summer of Love, and the sensory tsunami that was dance music and ecstasy blew my world open.

Through all this I grew and absorbed. I was working in magazines when nascent emails and the world wide web started to take hold. The world was opening up before my very eyes, literally. I grabbed every opportunity that life sent my way and I have – so far – had an extraordinary time. And I’m not even close to being finished with it.

So I looked at these magazines, and I looked at me and my friends, and I realised there was a big old gap. As the kids say, WTF?

So my Great Idea was to have a magazine for my age group that actually reflected our lives.

Time to change perceptions

One of the younger members of my team looked horrified. He was about 24 at the time. “I’m not writing stuff for old people,” he said, aghast. And in that moment I knew this was why we had to make Silver.

It was bloody well time to change perceptions – there are more adults over 45 in the UK than any other age group. We run the world, have the most money, live increasingly longer lives, and have backgrounds rich in experience and wisdom. And yet we’re looked at disparagingly.

I’m not an idiot. I know that young is fun, and it’s excellent to be sexy and attractive. But so much of that side does the heavy lifting. Being young is also really crap. My mental health was shot to bits, I was insecure, unstable, often angry, often broke. My knees might be a bit crunchy now but I am so, so much happier these days.

Celebrating life

So it became a bit of a personal crusade, to create a magazine and platform where older people could find themselves, and find they’re still cool. A place to celebrate. But also a place without judgement.

Since I started to shout about this, lots of other people have started to step forward, and I have seen perceptions change massively in the last few years.

Silver Magazine in print has been put back a number of times, for different reasons. Some have been my own personal tragedies. Some more obvious, like Covid. But we steadily built an amazing, engaged, and very lovely audience via our website, and especially Facebook, and this week saw my dream realised.

Silver Magazine is finally in print. It has been a long time coming, and I am both grateful and astonished at how patient people have been, and how amazing my team have been. But it’s here, and I’m very happy with it. I hope you enjoy it too.

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Sam Harrington-Lowe

Sam is Silver’s founder and editor-in-chief. She’s largely responsible for organising all the things, but still finds time to do the odd bit of writing. Not enough though. Send help.

The post Silver Magazine in print. How my dream finally came true appeared first on Silver Magazine.