I’m sure you’ve heard that print is a dying breed. Yes, newspapers aren’t as many pages as they used to be and their subscriber base has shrunk for all forms of print, but does that mean it’s not worth advertising in?
Rather than focus solely on circulation numbers (the actual number of printed copies), you should look at the medium’s readership (the percentage of adults who read the material) According to Scarborough research on newspapers, for the top 25 DMA’s, newspapers’ readership audience has higher household income levels than the overall median, are 16% more likely to be college graduates, and 11% more likely to be home owners. So what does this mean? Make sure you know your target audience and what their habits are. For example, that stay at home housewife is not the one commuting to work, probably not listening to the radio as much and is not passing billboards. But she may have time to flip through the newspaper or read a magazine while she’s drinking her morning coffee. I’ve been preaching throughout this series about having the right media mix. If you put all of your eggs in one basket, you’ll be missing out on a potential customer.
So what are my advertising tips on print? If you can budget it, and you know you’ll be advertising often, buy in bulk. Frequency buys WILL save you money. Make sure that your ad has a call to action. It could be a sale, a special discount to the customer that reads that ad, coupons, etc. You want to drive people to your location. Lastly, you want something that sets you a part from the rest of the crowd. Most likely your competitors are advertising in the same sections or trade publications as you are. Make your creative pop. It could be something as simple as a catchy headline, a crazy creative approach, or my favorite, white space!
