Print advertising in a newspaper or magazine can reach large local audiences.
If you own or work for a small business, you're aware of how dependent on advertising your company is. Without a big name or brand behind a product or service, it can be difficult to solicit new customers and keep the old ones. Because of this, your business must not only advertise, but advertise successfully. Advertising can bring in revenue by building an awareness of your business, promoting specials and highlighting services. For small businesses, print advertising can be of particular interest because rates are low relative to the potential business generated. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Document sales prior to advertising. To determine your advertising success, document your daily sales for at least one month prior to placing your advertising. Do this by entering each sale and amount into a paper ledger or into bookkeeping software.
2. Choose a publication for advertising. Research local magazines and newspapers to decide which would best suit your business. You'll want to choose a publication with a large local audience. Newspapers and magazines can give you their circulation numbers and geographical delivery information, or you can research this yourself online.
3. Talk advertising rates. You know your business' budget better than anyone, so be thorough when asking about print advertising rates. Be sure to find out exactly what you are getting for the money: the size of the ad, the color options and the location within the publication. It is acceptable and beneficial to haggle print advertising rates. With the decline in print publications in recent years, many publications will tailor their rates to work for you.
4. Form an advertising pitch. A simple ad with your company name and what you do or sell may not be enough to get new customers into your business. With the help of your coworkers or employees, develop a solid advertising pitch. This could be a special promotion to attract new customers, or highlighting a product or service that potential readers may not otherwise know about.
5. Contract a graphic designer. To ensure that your ad is professional and eye-catching, hire a graphic artist to design and lay out your print ad. Work closely with this person to ensure that he or she knows your business and your pitch well enough to accurately design an ad that will not only drive business but stay true to your brand and business.
6. Run the ad. Submit your finished ad to the publication of your choice via email, with the specifications of dates to run and ad placement as previously discussed. When the publication is released, check to ensure that the ad was printed properly.
7. Track new sales. For a month following your ad, track your sales again in your ledger or software. If you were successful, you should see an increased volume during the time period following your ad release. Track the longevity of the increased sales. This will let you know the period of time that can lapse before you'll need to place another ad to drive sales again.
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