When was the last time you made a corporate buying decision because of a magazine ad?
I’ll tell you when. Never.
Yet every day, someone from an industry publication reaches out trying to sell me on a $10,000 full-page ad in their next issue. They promise an audience of 35,000 decision-makers but never back that number up with proof. They tell me the magazine will be handed out at trade shows like that alone will generate new business.
I get it. They are in sales, and their job is to convince me that print still works. But I am never spending money on a print ad again.
Why Print Advertising in B2B is a Waste of Money
In the B2B world, print ads are the marketing version of cheap tradeshow swag. Companies hand out pens, koozies, and keychains, but most of that stuff gets left behind in hotel rooms or tossed in the trash before people board their flights home.
That is exactly what happens with most print ads. Nobody is flipping through a magazine and thinking, Wow, this company looks great. I should give them a call and sign a six-figure contract.
Brand awareness matters, but there are smarter ways to get it.
The 5 Best Digital Marketing Strategies for B2B in 2025
1. LinkedIn Advertising and Thought Leadership
If you are not using LinkedIn to market your business, you are already behind.
Forty percent of B2B marketers say LinkedIn is their number one source for leads. Decision-makers use the platform every day to research vendors and stay on top of industry trends. Sponsored content, retargeting, and direct engagement put your company in front of the exact people who need your services.
Instead of running a print ad, invest in LinkedIn Ads and create thought leadership content that builds trust. It works.
2. SEO-Driven Content Marketing
B2B buyers do not flip through trade magazines looking for solutions. They use Google.
Fifty-seven percent of B2B buyers are already in the decision-making process before they ever talk to sales. High-value blog posts, case studies, and optimized website content ensure your company is the one they find when they search for answers.
Google never stops working. A print ad gets skimmed once before the magazine gets thrown away.
3. Video Marketing and YouTube Ads
Video converts better than anything.
People retain 95 percent of a message when they watch it in a video. With text, that number drops to 10 percent. Video content builds trust faster than static ads and costs less than traditional advertising.
A well-placed video ad on LinkedIn or YouTube will always generate more interest than a print ad.
4. Email Marketing and Automation
Print ads are one-and-done. Email marketing keeps leads engaged over time.
B2B email marketing has an average return of 4,200 percent. Automated email sequences keep your company top of mind while lead scoring prioritizes the most engaged prospects.
A well-timed email can close a deal. A print ad sits on a table and waits to be ignored.
5. Account-Based Marketing and Retargeting
If you sell high-ticket B2B services, account-based marketing will change the way you generate leads.
ABM campaigns increase revenue by 208 percent because they target specific decision-makers instead of broad audiences. Retargeting ads reinforce your message by following warm prospects around the internet.
You can spend $10,000 on a print ad and hope for the best. Or you can spend that money targeting your dream clients directly and measuring the results in real time.
The Bottom Line
If you are still buying print ads in 2025, you are throwing money away.
Want more visibility? Want brand awareness? Want real leads?
Invest in digital marketing. Track results. Stop wasting money on something that has never worked.
And if you still think print ads generate ROI, show me the numbers. I’ll wait.
