by Steve Strauss Mr. AllBiz, The Strauss Group, Inc.
Not advertising is like being alone in a dark room with the door closed. You know you are there, but no one else does. Most businesses have to advertise if they are going to succeed because it is the basic way new customers learn they are out there.
Yet it is surprising how many small business owners assume that their great idea, or cool location, or bright sign, or good looks, or whatever else it is, will bring people in the door. Here’s what brings new people in the door: advertising. Sure, marketing is great and important, as is networking, and social networking, and customer service, and word of mouth; but advertising is the route with potentially the biggest payoff. Advertising turns the light on —it lets people know you are out there.
Which then begs the question: In this Internet era, is newspaper advertising still a good choice? My answer is yes.
Now of course some caveats apply: Newspaper readership and circulation are declining. Online ads are growing. There are a slew of new choices out there these days.
But that’s the whole point.
Today, it’s not that difficult to get lost in an online advertising campaign, but offline, in the paper, you can be a big fish in a smaller pond, and at a fairly reasonable cost. Sure, unlike some geezers like me, younger people are generally not in the newspaper-reading habit. But if you are targeting a demographic older than, say, 30, newspapers can make a lot of sense.
I am partial to newspaper advertising for many reasons.
- Your ad is physical and, as such, can be clipped (no need for printing.) It can contain details, prices, offers and contact information that is sometimes more difficult to get across (and remembered) with the electronic media.
- Because it is old-school, a physical newspaper ad is not a click, or DVR fast forward, or changing to another station, away.
- People take time with the paper, and thus can really read your ad.
- Studies show that newspaper readers tend to be a little older, better educated, and better off, which sounds like a great customer to many a business.
- As indicated, with fewer ads these days, yours can stand out.
Continues at: Should You Advertise In A Newspaper? : Money :: American Express OPEN Forum.
Related articles
- Pros & Cons of Newspaper Advertising (cash-bandit.com)
- Newspaper ad revenue in US falls 7 percent in 1Q (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- Newspaper Ads Driving Purchasing Decisions (webpronews.com)
