Using the paper is considered gospel by many people in business. Use it
wisely and it can be a good tool.
(article continued below ...)
Remember, newspapers are passive, non intrusive media. They tend to reach
only buyers who are looking for the product. They are poor at reaching
prospects before the need arises.
Think about it, there are few times you have been driven to go to a store
to buy a product you never heard of because you saw an ad in the paper. You
had to have an earlier impression about the product for the newspaper ad to
point you to the location to buy it.
There are 4 ways to use the newspaper for advertising.
1) Display advertising from one column wide by 2 inches high to a full
two pages, display ads can be so numerous the news stories have to be cut so
both can live on the page.
There is usually no protection. Competing store ads can be next to each
other (next time you see the paper look for tire store ads on the same
page).
When designing your ad, remember it's all about them. Use a catchy
headline and tell them what you will do for the. Forget about your picture
or your "Number One in the District Award". Good advertising "feels their
pain".
2) Classified advertising
- The effectiveness of classified ads varies by
paper and by who wrote the ad and by what the ad is selling. Many classified
sections have turned into giant car dealer pages and huge homes for sale
sections complete with four color pictures.
The small, private, "gotta sell my Bow-Flex" ads can be lost in a giant
classified section. Many shoppers and Nickel Savers have smaller, and
cheaper, classified sections.
Some small business operators find success with a series of small
classified ads. Small blurbs tend to build "top of mind awareness". A cheap
way to keep your name out there.
3) Tabs and special sections
- Tabs, the cash cow for newspapers, are
manufactured events designed to sell ads. Progress Edition. Easter Shopping
Special. Dollar Days. You name it, there is a tab every idea.
Typically a tab is the regular paper page turned sideways (landscape) and
folded in half.
Tabs get ad-on advertising dollars from existing clients and offer one
time only exposure to those who don't normally use the paper (i.e. the giant
corporate ads in every Progress Edition). Most papers have so many tabs,
they print an advertising calendar.
Understand them for what they are, vehicles to get extra bucks from you.
If you want to be in one, rearrange your budget, don't ad to it.
4) Inserts and stuffers
- Some Sunday papers weight 4 to 5 pounds each,
mostly for the weight of stuffers and inserts. Usually reserved for national
advertisers and big box stores. They print them and deliver them to the
paper and pay a per piece fee to have them stuffed and delivered. For
smaller businesses they become cost prohibitive. Better to stick with
display ads.
Sunday papers have the biggest circulation, and ad rates are more
expensive. Regional and national papers can be expensive, too. Local papers
and shoppers are less expensive, but nonetheless can be a major part of a
small business ad budget.
Newspaper advertising is sold by the column inch. Different categories of
ads and section placement determine the rate and rates vary throughout the
paper. Rates also vary with advertisers, depending on how many column inches
they have agreed to buy in a one year period. The more the cheaper.
Plan your advertising well in advance and stick to your budget. Sell to
needs, not ego and newspaper can be your buddy.
About the Author:
BIG
Mike is a Small Business Consultant, Professional Speaker and former Major
Market TV News Anchor. http://BIGIdeasGroup.com
February 22, 2005
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