Business Monitor Support your local rag Support your local rag
Many small businesses have given up advertising in their local newspapers. The reasons vary: it’s too expensive; the paper overall is poor; above all they have experienced disappointing results. Given the online options, many free, who’s surprised that people are turning their back on the local rag?
Marketing expert Paul Clapham explains why you should turn back to local newspapers for advertising.
B
ut and but…ignoring your local press may be a mistake. A good local newspaper – and there are plenty – is part of the fabric of a town or city. People read them and respond to the ads but increasingly the customer is marketing savvy – you must do it well to get results.
Start by reading the paper regularly – every week for a weekly and at least twice a week for an evening daily. Youʼll quickly get a feel for what the paper is about. If you decide itʼs only fit to wrap chips, fine. Youʼve only wasted the cover price. But if you think, ʻactually, this is okʼ, you need a game plan to get the best outcome.
Get a vibe
Make a first appointment at their offices. Is there a vibe in the place? There should be. A weekly wonʼt be like a national daily, but a sense of activity, of some urgency should communicate itself. They will present their wares. Do you get a sense of pride in the publication? They should tell you about the myriad options, the ideas they come up with, the success stories they can quote. If the ad manager just walks you through the paper and the rate card, sorry, youʼve got a chip-wrap. Then theyʼll visit you. Ask some tough questions. What deal will you offer me as a new advertiser? (It should be pistol hot). Can I get front page/back page space as part of that? (negotiate hard on this one). How often can I expect editorial coverage? What type of story achieves that? Do you run reader offers and how
| 14 | August 2017
would you use my products within them? The best way to make an ad stand out in a local paper, is to do the artwork properly. If your cost alarm bells are ringing, maybe they shouldnʼt. Look at a local paper and even a non-expert can tell which ads have been put together by the paper (paper set) and which by a trained, experienced graphic artist. The latter look smart and clear, they reflect well on the business. The former often look tacky, certainly unimpressive. But you donʼt have the budget (or the inclination) to get a professional to do the job. What then?
Slick artwork You may well have the solution in-house. Many young people have learned how to use computer design functions. Their product might not be as slick as an ad agencyʼs but it will beat the newspaperʼs version and you wonʼt get a bill for it (that staff member will enjoy doing it too). Talk to your suppliers. If you are featuring their products in an ad, they should be mustard keen to help you. As a minimum, they should have top quality product photographs available plus logo artwork. They may have a set of pre- artworked adverts ready to use. They could have an in-house designer who can do the whole job for you – not common, but not unknown. They may have a co-op advertising programme. A typical example would share media space costs 50:50, although they vary. Even if the rep you see is a superstar, insist on talking to the marketing department about the above. The rep can give you the broad-brush
picture, but you need the detail. Buying space in newspapers is as much an art as a science. There is no such thing as ʻthe best placeʼ in a newspaper. However, there may well be ʻthe best placeʼ for your business.
As a generalisation spend extra money on special positions rather than going for run of paper (ROP). The former can include such as next to TV guide, next to weekend sports events, motors, property etc. The latter means ʻanywhere in the newspaperʼ. I suspect that that most of the people who are disappointed with their results from local press buy ROP, because itʼs the cheapest.
Premium positions
Instead, try to get the most premium positions. These would include front page solus, title corners and back page solus. A solus ad is the only large ad on the page. It will have a non-negotiable size and price and it will work. Title corners are small and appear to left and right of the masthead (the newspaperʼs name). Not all newspapers offer them. Typically these premium positions are sold out many months, even years in advance. Guess why? Still, my best tip would be this: if there are a number of newspapers in your area, ask for first refusal on title corners when they come available and be creative with how you use that small space. Those slots punch far above their weight.
If you have a choice of newspapers, choose just one and focus on it. The circulation and readership are the first considerations, followed closely by the quality of the publication.
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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