The Forgotten Advertising Medium
By Sharon Bray-McPherson
Too often those of us that own an online business
forget that there's another advertising medium that
business owners have been using for years, with
excellent results.
That medium is Newspaper Advertising. Any online
business owner that is not using the option of
advertising in newspapers is losing potentially
thousands of dollars per year.
Although print newspapers have lost some of their
readership to online news sources there are still
millions of homes in America that still buy
newspapers, either by newsstands or home delivery.
Reading the newspaper is a habit for many families
because there is something for everybody--sports,
comics, crosswords, the food section, classifieds,
etc. You can reach certain types of people by placing
your ad in different sections of the paper that
would appeal to your target market. People expect
advertising in the newspaper. In fact, many people buy
the paper just to read the ads from the supermarket,
movies or department stores.
As you look through your newspaper, you'll notice
some businesses that advertise regularly. Observe who
they are and how they advertise their products and
services. More than likely, their advertising
investment is working if they continue to place ads.
There are many advantages to advertising in the
newspaper. From the advertiser's point-of-view,
newspaper advertising can be convenient because
production changes can be made quickly, if necessary,
and you can often insert a new advertisement on short
notice. Another advantage is the large variety of ad
sizes newspaper advertising offers. Even though you
may not have a lot of money in your budget, you can
still place a series of small ads, without making a
sacrifice.
Before placing an ad in your town's daily newspaper
you may want to place a few test ads in the local
papers that publish less often and are not as
expensive, like the Penny Pincher or American
Classifieds (formerly Thrifty Nickel). If you get a
good response to your ad in the smaller publications,
chances are they will pull well in the larger more
well-known papers. If your response is not what you
were hoping for try rewriting the ad and placing it
again. Since the rate is less expensive for the
smaller local publications you should be able to do
this as often as needed until you get the response you
were expecting.
Some things to know about newspaper advertising:
1. Newspaper circulation drops on Saturdays and
increases on Sundays, which is also the day
newspapers are read most thoroughly.
2. Position is important, so specify in what section
you want your ad to appear. Sometimes there's a
surcharge for exact position ... but don't be
afraid to pay for it if you need it.
3. Request an outside position for ads that have
coupons. That makes them easier to cut out.
4. If a newspaper is delivered twice daily (morning/
evening), it often offers "combination" rates or
discounts for advertising in both papers. You
usually can reach more readers, so this kind of
advertising may be something to consider.
Other important tips to remember are:
* Before you advertise, have in mind a definite plan
for what it is you want to sell.
* Create short, descriptive copy for your ad. Include
prices if applicable. Consider using a copywriter
or ask your newspaper for free copy assistance.
* Face your products toward the inside of the ad. If
the product you want to use faces right, change
your copy layout to the left.
* Be sure to include your company name and logo,
address, telephone number and website url in the
ad.
* Neat, uncluttered and orderly ads encourage
readership. Don't try to crowd everything you can
in the layout. If the newspaper helps you with the
layout, be sure to request a proof of the final
version so you can approve it or make changes
before it is printed.
* Always make sure you are satisfied with what your
advertising says and how it looks before it goes to
print.
© All Rights Reserved. (iamsbm)
About The Author:
Sharon Bray-McPherson is the owner of SBM Distributors,
serving the online community since 1998. For online
business help be sure to visit her website, where you'll
find the cure for "guru" overload.
http://www.go2sbm.com
Permission granted to reprint this article as long as the resource box is included and all links are live if reprinted in a html document.
SBM Distributors
