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Nominate Your Local Favorites Now!  Nominations for the 13th annual Best of the Red River Valley Contest have begun! From now until Sunday, Sept. 22, the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead is taking nominations for people, service organizations and businesses to be considered for the highly competitive contest. Check out the 104 categories spread throughout four areas: Arts & Entertainment, Dining & Drinking, Services and Local Business. Once the top nominations are determined, voting goes from Sept. 30 through Oct. 20. After the thousands of votes are tabulated, subscribers to the Forum will receive a full-color, printed Best Of the Red River Valley magazine in their Saturday, Nov. 30 edition, as the results will begin rolling out on InForum. Last year 16,436 people cast a total of 40,130 votes. Check out last year's winners.
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Learn the reasons print advertising is still a great way to reach your customers in newspapers and magazines. On Thanksgiving Day 2018, the Minneapolis Star Tribune [http://www.startribune.com/] did the seemingly unthinkable: It distributed its largest print run ever. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:6470665673877049344 Yes, you read that correctly. A newspaper produced its largest print run ... in November of 2018. The Tribune’s success supports a fact many people have dismissed for far too long: Print is very much alive and makes an excellent component to a strong advertising strategy. Still not totally convinced? Read on for our ten reasons we think print is (and will continue to be) a viable marketing solution for your business.  #1 Print is trusted over digital.Print advertising is still considered one of the most credible advertising mediums. According to a 2017 post by PRNewswire [https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/print-ads-in-newspapers-and-magazines-are-the-most-trusted-advertising-channel-when-consumers-are-making-a-purchase-decision-300424912.html]:
#2 We are neurologically wired to prefer print and there’s science to prove it.A Temple University study conducted on behalf of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) revealed that our attention spans, focus, memory and retrieval, plus all sorts of other brainy functions, perform better when print material is put before us. https://www.uspsoig.gov/sites/default/files/document-library-files/2015/rarc-wp-15-012.pdf #3 Print is quite interactive. Print naturally creates engagement because you physically have to hold a paper or magazine, turn the pages, clip coupons, etc. It also encourages conversation. Think about times you’ve discussed an article or did a crossword puzzle with a family member or friend. Was that interaction more memorable and meaningful than if you would have shared via a text or email? Odds are, yes. As in many circumstances, face-to-face interaction is a more valuable form of communication. #4 Print keeps us focused. We tend to recall information when we are focusing on one thing only, which is precisely what a print ad can do for you. Think about how many messages, ads, posts, videos, GIFs, memes and other content you look at simultaneously from your mobile device. With print, your brain has the luxury of focusing on one item at a time. #5 Print anchors a solid advertising cycle.A consumer’s recognition of an ad on, say, Instagram, is much higher if they’ve already seen the same or similar ad in a print format. Part of this is because, over time, we often become blind to digital ads, pop-ups and boosted content. It’s our brain’s natural way of saying, “I’ve had enough of all this digital noise” and “That ad is not relevant to me so it will go unnoticed.” As xero.com’s [https://www.xero.com/us/] Jeannie Ruesch puts it: “Print ads will be more effective if they are a complement to your digital campaigns already in play and entice readers to interact with your brand online.” #6 Print ads last longer.This might be an obvious one, but print magazines, newspapers, newsletters, brochures, etc., tend to stick around a lot longer on coffee tables and in waiting rooms than any blog, digital ad or Instagram post ever will. #7 It’s far less annoying than a pop-up.Ever get the same pop-up ad served to you while you’re scrolling Facebook? Yeah, we think it’s that annoying, too. #8 It’s cost-effective.When you think in terms of ROI, an Instagram moment or post doesn’t stand a chance against a print ad. Sure, running a sponsored post on Facebook or Instagram seems cheap. However, in the long-term, you’re sometimes going to spend more because you have to change your messaging and artwork more frequently online. With print, there is more permanence in what you say, how you look and what action you want your audience to take. #9 It’s artistically pleasing ... if you care about that kind of thing. As Roger Dooley from Neuromarketing [www.neuromarketing.com] says: “If I’m browsing fine home furnishings or custom shirts, a large-format catalog will provide an experience that is more enjoyable and useful. Big, beautiful magazines like Condé Nast Traveler or Wine Spectator provide a more relaxed and luxurious way to explore both content and upscale products.” #10 Flipping pages is fun and ink smells good. Okay, this might be the writer’s bias here, but there’s nothing better than sitting down with a cup of coffee and an inky-fresh newspaper, magazine or book. It’s interactive and relaxing, unlike many digital experiences that make you feel like you’re standing amidst the evening rush hour in Times Square. Sometimes slowing down is good!  As we’ve mentioned and will continue to reiterate: print and other traditional advertising mediums are certainly not relics of marketing’s past. Advertising in magazines and newspapers is as relevant as ever, and a great addition to your next marketing plan. Author:
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The Forum Multimedia team is really easy to work with and they always achieve what we ask of them either on time or ahead of schedule. |  |
Forum Multimedia: Tell us about your history working with The Forum and Forum Multimedia.
MetroPlains Management: We’ve worked with The Forum for a long time, but in the last two years, we’ve amped up our direct mail strategy and distribution. We did this because we wanted to target seniors age 55 and older. Using the direct mail options at Forum Multimedia allowed us to target this age group, while also targeting other areas of our campaign needs: renters only and homeowners who could potentially become renters. In addition, we’ve also been able to target specific regions and smaller towns where we think seniors are more likely to take an interest in what we have to offer.
Forum Multimedia: How has your business benefited from working with The Forum?
MetroPlains Management: Overall, we’ve had really good success with our direct mail campaigns. We’ve also stayed under our limited marketing budget because the cost for Forum Multimedia services is so affordable, and that includes printing costs.
Forum Multimedia: Why would you recommend our services?
MetroPlains Management: The Forum Multimedia team is really easy to work with and they always achieve what we ask of them either on time or ahead of schedule. They’re fast-acting, they get our direct mail proofs back to us right away for review, and the consultants make all the other steps in the process simple and efficient.
Forum Multimedia: Who would you recommend our services to?
MetroPlains Management: Anyone who has a limited budget and needs to target specific audiences will benefit from working with Forum Multimedia. They always come back to us with great, cost, effective strategies that are very targeted and just keep getting better every time I work with them. It’s always a pleasure to work with local companies, their people and Forum Communications Printing (a sister company to Forum Multimedia). Your team always gets things done.
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Our marketing solutions are handmade to suit the unique needs of each business - no matter the size. View our capabilities here or contact one of our marketing specialists today!
The Pifer’s Auction and Realty marketing team (from left): Brooke Northwick, Marketing/Communications Developer, Erika Stanley, Chief Operating Officer/Marketing Director, Cara Zastrow, Sr. Graphic Designer/Advertising Director.
Photo credit: Sandy Seefeldt Photography
Photo credit: Sandy Seefeldt Photography
Each of our clients’ success stories is unique, which is why we craft marketing plans to custom-fit the business.
Why? Because it works.
For clients like Pifer’s Auction and Realty, our print and digital marketing options hit their audience at the right time, in the right place, for the right price.
While we offer a full-suite of marketing options, through our collaboration with the team at Pifer’s, we handcrafted an ad plan that makes sense for what they do and where they want to go. Learn more about why Pifer’s calls us a “well-oiled machine.”
Forum Multimedia: What makes us different?
Pifer’s: Our main advertising platform is print, and with all the newspapers The Forum manages, we hit our target audience perfectly. Ever since they added Origami in addition to each print ad, we are also hitting the digital side of advertising for a very affordable price on top of our print. Working with The Forum has also benefited our organization as a company. We now place all of our ads that are Forum owned with one ad rep, and ever or rarely falls through the cracks.
Forum Multimedia: Why would Pifer’s recommend our services to other businesses?
Pifer’s: The representatives for The Forum are a well-oiled machine. The wide range of products and services will benefit any company no matter their advertising styles.
Companies have the ability to hit different advertising mediums at the same time. By utilizing The Forum’s services and amazing customer care, start-up businesses will benefit from spreading the word about their own services.
Forum Multimedia: How about our customer service?
Pifer’s: The Forum reps all are very friendly, personable, and are genuinely interested in our company’s growth & successes, which I love to see!
Learn more
If you’re looking for expertise, variety and affordability for your next advertising campaign, reach out to one of our media consultants today!
How to Grow Your Business in the Fargo Moorhead Market
If you own or manage a small to medium size business in the Fargo Moorhead market you know that advertising, marketing, and retaining customers are a very important aspect. The thing however, is that these things usually end up at the bottom of the list. Why? You are busy running the day to day activities and it just feels like these things are not so important and you don't have anyone to delegate your marketing tasks to. This can have a devastating effect on your business. After all, you don't operate alone without competitors. If these competitors are putting systems in place to grab the attention of more prospects than you are (or maybe even stealing your customers) you may be in for a big battle.
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The Forum Communications team of digital and print experts specialize in connecting your business with your audience. We provide customers with custom solutions for your digital, content, video, print or custom marketing needs.
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