newspaper advertising

Advertising University: Newspaper 101

I hear horror stories all the time from business owners who say, “I’ve spent thousands of dollars on XX (type of advertising) and I’ve never had a single call from it!” I think the key is in learning how to make the most of that advertising, so you can reap the benefits.
Today, I’ll give you a few tips that I’ve learned about Newspaper Advertising – and how to make it more effective.

1. People read News, Not Ads.
Before you think about taking out an ad – thinking about writing a press release. That means you have to have something newsworthy – but it’s possible. Also – especially with small town newspapers – your news story is most likely to get a little extra space and coverage if you also fork over a little cash for advertising. News coverage is tainted if you pay for it- but I’ve occassionally seen editors give preference to paying customers.

2. Consider an Advertorial.
This is a newspaper ad that LOOKS like a news article. Most of the time it has some kind of marker that says “Paid Advertisement” on it  – but if it’s placed above the fold – it often gets read.

3. Go big or go home.
Let me remind you – people don’t read ads. Especially not those dinky business card sized ads. You are better off saving up and buying a full page, half page, or quarter page ad – especially above the fold, then you are running multiple smaller ads.

4. Consider an insert.
A nice, glossy, full color insert falls into their lap when you open the paper. This gets noticed more than an ad inside the paper.

5. Most important things!
I can’t tell you how many ads that I have seen that do not include the most important things: Your Call To Action and your Contact info. Don’t forget them!

Tune in next week. We’ll be discussing Advertising University: Broadcasting 101
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