Over the last decade, there has been a significant reduction in the popularity of print media advertising. The free and low costs option of internet marketing and advertising has made it a more attractive option for many business owners who are working hard to cut costs without sacrificing their outreach efforts. While this is understandable, print media advertising is still a valuable marketing tool for reaching out to people who either do not have internet access or opt not to participate in social networks. Social networks are mentioned specifically because this is the most popular form of internet advertising. Here are ten tips for advertising in print media. Using these tips, you can approach the demographic groups that others are missing.
- List Your Facebook and Twitter Profiles – Although you are reaching out to a broad spectrum of people, there will be some people who see your brochure and immediately start looking for that Facebook address. Adding these bits of information requires nothing and can make a difference in how your materials are received.
- Offer Readers Discounts – Traditional printed media like newspapers and magazines have massive readerships from all backgrounds, so you should expect some people to be more interested in your product than others. Providing these people with paper media that advertises something they have to go online to see is a great way to get them to interact with your brand.
- Present Your Audience with Something of Value – Whether it is a thank you, a gift or a discount, offering people something that they consider valuable will help you become a more successful business owner.
- Prepare a Campaign Before Individual Ads – Print media is best when it is part of an entire marketing campaign. Know ahead of time what you want the advertising insertions to achieve and who will best receive each piece. Determine if one single ad will address your entire target audience or if you need to produce multiple ads to reach out to everyone.
- Consider Different Placement Options – There are many different vehicles for print media advertising with everything from business cards, signs, newspaper and magazine ads, brochures, thank you notes and many others. It is a good idea to reach out in as many ways as possible to get the attention of your customers.
- Know Your Target Audience and Target Ads at Them – If your target audience is 50 somethings living in the suburbs, then you obviously wouldn’t be using the same tactics as you would if your target audience were teenagers. Keep the audience in mind when choosing where to run ads and while preparing advertising materials. If necessary, talk to someone who specializes in advertising to find out the key ways to get the attention of your audience.
- Track the Results – The most important thing about advertising campaigns is finding out if they were successful. In order to determine if print advertising campaigns and materials are working, ask your customers how they found about you. Either ask them to bring in a coupon for a discount or ask them to mention where they saw the ad for a discount. You need to give them something to bring back to you so that you are able to gauge the return you are getting on your print media advertising investment.
- Set a Budget and Stick to It – Just like an online ad campaign, it is important to have a print media budget and to stick to it. Printed advertisements can get very expensive, very quickly. By setting a budget, you will be more motivated to price different options, stay within your limits, and above all, think creatively.
- Shared Advertising Opportunities – Businesses that compliment each other sometimes find that sharing the cost of advertising space is a great way to get name recognition while still saving some of the costs associated with print media advertising.
- Take Risks – If you find that print media is working well for you by generating a positive and identifiable return on investment, take risks and spend more money on it. If you find that one thing is working and another isn’t, never be afraid to adjust your ad campaign to meet your findings. It is sometimes necessary to take risks in advertising to get greater rewards and a higher return on investment.
These ten tips can help you to maximize your earning potential when you use print media advertising. Take some time to review the tips and you will most likely find that they will start helping you to generate more revenue almost immediately.
Today’s guest article was submitted by James Adams who covers the latest releases in gadgets and tech at Cartridge Save. James’ days are filled reviewing the best Lexmark supplies for a range of printers and writing blog posts.
