While most people nowadays prefer the internet over the newspaper to get their daily news, marketing your business using newspaper ads is still far from being obsolete. In fact, the gigantic amount of traffic on the internet sometimes makes it harder for a business advertisement to get noticed. Online marketing plays an essential part in promoting your business, but if you want to get the best of both worlds, don’t ever ignore the merits of newspaper advertising. There are still some people out there who would choose the newspaper over the internet when they want to be informed. A newspaper is still your best company on a Sunday morning with a coffee in hand.
PICK THE RIGHT PUBLICATIONS. There are still thousands of newspapers out there that you can choose from. The trick is to choose the ones that publish at a high volume and don’t charge a high fee in exchange for publishing your ad. You can browse the internet and pore over the list of publications and make your choice according to the potential ROI (return of investment) in relation to the rates, volume of circulation and special offers being rolled out by each newspaper publication.
Special offers are not hard to find these days considering the heavy loss the newspaper industry has suffered in the market, so you would do well to take advantage. You can also contact the local newspaper if you want to start small. After all, your local community is the best starting point if you are on a tight budget. Keep in mind that it takes 2-5 days for an ad to be published at the point of transaction, so always remember to plan ahead. Sunday is the day when readership is at its peak, so it’s always wise to have your ad published in the Sunday papers.
KEEP ADS SHORT AND INTERESTING. The preferred way to attract costumers is to come up with a byline that sparks interest. Be concise, but keep the words that can pull the reader in. A catchy but meaningful slogan leaves an impression on the mind of readers. So be creative! If that’s not your suit, you can always brainstorm with friends that have a lot of experience in advertising. It’s also important not to give out all information.
Remember, these ads are only meant to evoke interest and incite costumers to look for more information. So make sure to leave your website address and 800 number. Your 800 number can provide the lead the means to leave their contact information. A transaction is more likely to proceed if both parties have open lines of communication.
PERSISTENCE IS THE KEY. Now don’t expect immediate results in the early stages of your newspaper ad publishing. It’s a process that pays dividends through long exposure, so keep rolling out those ads and keep tabs on which ones lead to success and the ones that lead to failure. Have a keen eye for detail and look for trends that can give you a consensus of what works best. Weed out the ones that fail, and add newspapers that are more or less identical to the ones that produce good results.
If you keep in mind this three pronged formula for your newspaper advertising, I can guarantee that your business is on the right path to success.