How to Start a Newspaper Ad Agency

The story that newspaper advertisements are on the wane with the growth of the Internet is greatly exaggerated. Millions of Americans continue to read daily newspapers in their community to get local news from their favorite reporters. You can take advantage of this sustained interest in newspapers by starting a newspaper ad agency.

Instructions

Realize the Dream of Owning a Newspaper Ad Agency

1. Register with your local Chamber of Commerce to gain invaluable connections with community businesses. Chamber membership allows you to advertise your agency's services in local publications at a reduced rate and gain admission to members' events for networking with potential clients.

2. Focus your attention on creative and artistic design teams as you start your newspaper ad agency. Newspapers are facing heavy competition from other media, and clients expect cutting edge campaigns to get the best value for their money. A well-connected creative director can mobilize her network to find production artists and designers for your agency.

3. Study newspaper advertising rates as you create financial schedules for your agency's services. You need to know the worth of different ad sizes as well as the technical specifications imposed upon advertisements. You should keep a database of ad rates around the nation for review as your team submits quotes to potential clients.

4. Decide what your policy will be on applying print advertisements to online versions of a paper as you start your agency. Many ad agencies contract out conversion of print ads for the Web to web design teams due to financial constraints. A small in-house web design team can ensure quality control for both media types.

5. Build your agency's profile by working with community and alternative newspapers in your neighborhood. These newspapers have limited budgets but look to build a long-term relationship with agencies in order to get a special rate based on volume.

6. Lease office space that has sufficient technological and spatial characteristics for the first days of your agency. You can utilize a large storefront, cubicles and used desks to house your staff while you earn enough money to move into better facilities.

7. Attend conferences for advertising professionals to learn about the latest trends in the industry. You can use these opportunities to get word out about your agency, start partnerships with design and production vendors and determine the major players in your niche of advertising.

Tips & Warnings

• Fill your ad agency staff with a high number of former newspaper employees who fit your agency's mission. You should focus your attention on qualified copywriters and advertising executives who understand the vagaries of newspaper marketing. You should turn a blind eye to newspaper size in using experience as a hiring criterion.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish