subject: Proven Offline Marketing That Works - Newspaper Advertising [print this page] Everyone wants to market their business online these days. Why not, right? Your reach is global and that's a big plus. However, the competition for reader's attention is exponentially higher for the same reason. Most marketers begin online marketing with no training and go broke before they can figure it out. The result? They are back to their day job before they even got started. What to do? Before there was online marketing there was offline marketing. Just ten years ago entrepreneurs made their millions marketing offline and one of the best tools they used in doing so was newspaper marketing. Newspaper marketing is still a really great way to market your business! What's the secret? It's affordable to learn and all of your competition is online losing their shirts! To get started, you will need a computer, and 800 number and/or a website to send your prospects.
Choosing A Newspaper, Where To Start - Deciding which newspapers to advertise in depends somewhat on your budget and goals. The bottom line is that there are thousands of newspapers out there in which to place your ads. Start with a site like newspapers.com. You should be looking for pockets of wealth. Wealthy towns near you, places you vacation, the "10 fastest growing cities in the U.S."...you get the idea. If you are not sure about an area, use a site like zipskinny.com to check out the area's demographics.
Choosing A Newspaper, Picking The Right One - When narrowing down your list of newspapers, look for newspapers with a circulation of 20k-200k and don't pay more than $10-$40 on an ad. There are too many choices out there to ever overpay. Unlike online advertising, it is best to call up a newspaper to get specifics on circulation, submission deadlines, rates and special offers. You can often get a deal by talking to a rep, especially these days with newspapers suffering financially. Reps may try to get you to buy additional advertising but you are only interested in the Sunday print version. This is the peak readership day. Also, be sure to plan ahead. Ad submission deadlines are normally 2-5 days in advance of the publication date.
How To Maximize Your ROI - There are a few do's and don'ts to keep in mind then placing your ads. Be mindful of which pond you are fishing from. Say you are running an ad for new associates with a help wanted ad. Make sure your ad language sounds like something you would find in the help wanted section. And, don't run a help wanted type of ad in the business opportunity section. Also, avoid major metropolitan newspapers. Your ad will be one of dozens and the cost is prohibitive for most marketers. Next, stick to Sundays only. There will be deals for additional days as well as advertising on their website. Sunday is your big day. Don't spend part of your budget on ineffective days. Last, plan ahead. You'll need 2-5 days lead time between the ad deadline and publication. Don't let Friday come around without having placed your ads for the next week. Better yet, buy ads a month or more at a time. There is often a discount for multiple insertions. If your ad flops, newspapers will generally refund your ad fee.
Writing An Ad That Pulls - When writing your ad, it is best to keep it simple. Your are just trying to create interest with your ad, not explain your product of business in full. Three or four lines at the most with your web address or 800 number. The 800 number should go to an automated message in which the lead can leave their contact information. An 800 number is cheap and easy to set up. Try 800link.com. FYI, some newspapers can be particular about placing ads for business opportunities in their want ads. Using a web address may draw unwanted attention from sales reps when placing your ad. I would recommend using an 800 number for that reason.
Keeping Score - Here is how your gauge your success. Newspaper ads take time to really start pulling. It's a steady build to success. Experienced marketers know that the more someone sees their ad, the more likely they are to check it out. Other ads come and go but yours will pull because it is there week in and week out. If your ad generates even one lead, leave it there to grow. Your goal is to develop 10-15 regular newspapers to place your ads. Some will flop. Some will rock. But most will be somewhere in between. Drop the losers, add new newspapers and be the master of offline marketing!
by: Trish Thackston
welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net)
