January 17, 2022

So you're thinking about advertising in your local newspaper and you want some help.

Let's get to it:

1: Bigger is Not Always Better
Okay dirty mind, I'm talking about the size of your advertisement.

The bottom line is you have limited funds to do so many ads, and that means maximizing your budget for maximum sales.

Because of this, I'd rather you run several smaller ads versus a few larger ones.

Why?

Well, you see, consistency is the key with advertising because people will need to see your ad at least a few times before they trust you enough to contact you, no matter how big it is.

2: Keep It Simple
We've all heard this, so what the hell does it have to do with advertising?

Quite simply, every ad you have should have one message, for one market.

When you go around creating ads that try to speak to everyone, it appeals to no one.

Law Firms are the most guilty of this advertising sin.

Make sure the headline covers the key benefit of your offerings, and keep it short.

3: Location, Location, Location
Advertising in newspapers is all about the proximity of your ad to relevant editorial content.

This is because people in your specific audience are most likely going to visually congregate around information that pertains to their particular need which is also related to your particular offerings.

So, if you're the new play in town, stay close to the entertainment section. If you're a real-estate company, stay close to the public sales announcements. Fitness, etc.

4: A Call to Arms
Most people WILL NOT respond to an ad unless you tell them to. Humans are lazy and will not do you any favors. You have to MAKE them respond.

The gold standard is a time sensitive coupon or offer.

Pretend that you need to do everything in your power to get them to contact you, or you will die. Literally, write the ad with that in mind.

I bet it will be 10xs better than what you wrote before!

5: NEGOTIATE!
The advertising world is one big negotiation as ad space costs/impressions/impact fluctuates as much as Michigan's weather.

So start your bids really low, and then negotiate a price somewhere in the middle.

Just remember, you can always say NO and walk away and come back next week. They can't.

To your success!