In this second post, I will be discussing the importance of commitment to your advertising campaign.

If you are going to do it…do it properly.
Point 1: Creative and Design.

Unless you are really strapped for cash, don't be tempted to rely on the newspaper's in-house team to write and/ or design your ad. 

Inevitably, the ad will look, at best,  somewhat generic. The copy will be, at best, functional. The resulting ad will struggle to be noticed and struggle to persuade the reader. You won't be getting the most out of the media space you have bought.

It really is best to bring onboard a professional designer and/ or copywriter.

A good designer will create an appealing ad which allows your marketing message to do its job.

A good copywriter will help craft a clear, powerful marketing message which is relevant, engaging and memorable to the target reader.

If you are going to do it…do it properly.
Point 2: Commit to your campaign.

If you have decided to advertise, commit to your campaign. Successful advertising is all about the long game plan.

Advertising campaigns only start to pay off when you ad has been seen several times, week after week or even month after month.

This repeated exposure gradually builds up a level of trust in the mind of the reader which finally makes them respond to your ad.

Furthermore, by buying a long run of ads, you should be able to secure a significant volume discount in the cost of your advertising space.

This consistency should also apply to the look, layout and tone of your ads, week after week.

You can, of course, make changes to your copy and images to announce special events and promotions during the course of your campaign. Indeed newspapers accept changes to ad artwork 48 hours prior to printing.

However, your ad should always look and sound like YOUR ad.

Negotiate with the newspaper media seller to get the best position for your ad. In most cases, other things being equal, it is advisable to go for a right hand page, an outside edge and above the fold (top half of a page). Also go for the most appropriate section/ supplement of the paper [Sport, Business, Entertainment, etc.].

Look out for part 3 in this series. Meanwhile, get in touch if you would like to discuss your advertising, copywriting or graphic design needs.

It is no secret that newspapers, both national and local, are having a tough time of it. 

The growth of online news sources and social media has greatly damaged circulation/ readership and the recession has hit advertising revenue.

However, in the last year, more new local newspapers have been launched than have closed.

And the fact remains that, for many SMEs (small/ medium enterprises), advertising in local/ regional press is still a potent and profitable marketing method for communicating their offers to a [local] target market.

This series of five blog posts features tips and advice to help you get the most out of this potentially valuable medium.

Is the Medium right for you?

This is the subject of a textbook in its own right, or at least a lengthy blog post.

But, put very simply, you need to be asking yourself the questions:
• Roughly how many prospective customers [not to be confused with simply how many people] will be reading this publication/ supplement?
• Is this figure high enough to economically justify the expenses of creating the ad and paying for advertising space?

Assuming the answer to these questions is "yes"…I'll continue.

Take a good look at samples of the newspapers/ supplements.

Who is advertising in them? What sectors and industries are represented? 
This will give you a rough picture of who is actually reading these publications and the kind of products/ services they might be looking for.

How often are these companies advertising? Repeatedly over several days/ weeks/ months?
If an ad is repeatedly displayed in a newspaper, it strongly suggests that ad is working profitably for that advertiser.

What ads stand out most for you? [regardless of whether you would actually purchase that product/ service] Why? Is it a striking image? the layout? Interesting headline? Size? Position on the page? Interesting or entertaining content? Colour?

Look at what your competitors are doing…and don't do that!

And I don't mean just mean your direct competitors, but everyone else advertising in the paper.

Your ad must work to jump out of the page. Not to blend into the background.

Think carefully about how you can differentiate yourself from your direct competitors, other advertisers and from the actual editorial itself.

Think about the images you choose, the ad layout, the wording of a headline and the tone of voice used in your copy.