How to Get Results From a Newspaper Ad

Newspaper ads

Advertising a business should be in the forefront of every business owner's efforts, regardless of the size of the business. Many businesses fail because of insufficient funds to keep the business going when starting up or to get through slow-downs in sales. Another top reason for failure is the lack of advertising and marketing the business. Even if a business has a storefront with busy foot traffic passing by its doors each day, advertising to pull customers from all around the area is essential. A business can never have too many customers! Advertising in local newspapers, especially the weekly tabloids, can be a very cost effective way to get the visibility needed to be successful.

Instructions

1. Keep it simple is the rule when planning an advertisement in a newspaper. Often an advertiser will want to write a book and put everything he can think of in an ad the size of a 3-inch square. Sure, you're excited and want to tell every possible benefit and feature of your products or services. But resist the temptation to be too wordy, especially in a smaller size ad. Careful consideration of the most important bullet points you want to tell people about is the key. A restaurant, for example, doesn't need to put their entire menu in an ad. Promote the things that make it different, such as "Early Bird Specials," "Senior Citizen Discounts on Tuesdays" or "Wednesday Night Is Steak Night."

2. Catch readers' eyes with a bright, clean-looking ad. There needs to be a little "white space" in an ad--areas where there are no words, pictures or graphics. Most people will skim over an ad that is filled with too much tiny, hard-to-read text. Although it costs a little extra, make your ads in full color. Color is a draw to the eye. When people are reading a newspaper, you only have a short time to catch their attention before they turn the page. A well-designed, eye-catching ad will get their attention, and then they'll look at it to determine if it's something of interest to them.

3. Place your ads in weekly tabloid newspapers whose themes are in keeping with your business, or ask that your ad be placed in a specific section of a paper that is most likely to hit your target audience. For example, if you install chair lifts on staircases, you might request your ad be placed in a section that has articles for senior citizens. A massage therapist might want to have her ad placed in a health and wellness section. Some weekly or monthly tabloid newspapers are "theme" publications, including pets, antiques, auto, boat, dining and so on. Placing an ad for dog grooming service in a pet-specific newspaper or in the pet section of a general newspaper may yield more response than if just placed randomly on any page in the paper.
   As to the actual position on a page, there are many trains of thought as to which area on a page is best for visibility. Obviously, and ad on the front page of a publication is comparable to buying beach front real estate in a popular resort! It will have the most visibility, because people will see the ad just walking past it on the newsstand, without ever picking up the paper. And when the paper is put down, your ad will be prominently displayed again. Of course, you'll pay a premium price to get on the front page. Other than the front page, it's debatable as to the next most effective placement area. Some ad agencies request that ads for their clients be placed "far forward, right hand read," meaning place the ad on one of the first few pages of the publication on the outside columns of right-hand pages (page 3, 5 or 7). Some believe that the back page is also a prime spot. Others question if a full page on the back, which might be more expensive, is any more effective than a full page inside.

4. Choose the best time to advertise. Businesses that offer a service, such as plumbers, electricians and massage therapists, should advertise all the time. It's important to keep their name in front of people's minds, because they may not need your service right now, but when they eventually do, your name will likely come to mind. This is also true of stores selling items needed only occasionally, such as washers, dryers, stoves and TVs. When one of these appliances breaks down and needs to be replaced, they're more likely to think of the business who they see advertising all the time. For these businesses, stretch your ad budget by running small ads all the time, rather than expending you whole advertising budget on one big ad.
   A large one-time ad is only justified if you have the money, or when you are doing a special event, such as a grand opening or a huge one-day sale. Retail stores also need to run ads around holidays and seasons when people will most likely be in need of their products. Valentine's Day, for example, is when jewelers, florists, candy stores and restaurants should get as much visibility as possible. Christmas is a big time for most retailers, and it's a time to run specials with heavy advertising promotion.

Tips & Warnings

• Make advertising a priority in your business's budget. Consistent advertising works best, especially in slow economic times. Don't be discouraged if you don't get an instant response to an ad. Some people will see your ad, cut it out, stick on the refrigerator, and respond many months later. It happens all the time. Studies show that businesses that advertise during a recession have 35 percent more sales than competing businesses.