The Lowdown on Newspaper Advertising

Newspaper advertising can provide you with exposure and leads.

Newspaper advertising is often a double-edged sword. It can provide you with exposure and leads, but your response rate will probably be less than overwhelming in comparison to other advertising mediums such as direct mail or broadcast advertising.

Advertising in regional and national newspapers can be expensive. Advertising in local or community newspapers is less so and may provide a more focused advertising approach. If your business trade is localized, it certainly makes more sense to focus on the community or local papers that your customers are more likely to read.

Running ads in major metropolitan newspapers can be effective if your product or service offering is strong enough or unique enough to pull in customers from throughout the readership or circulation area.

Chances are that your competitors will be spending money on newspaper advertising, too. Remember that this will reduce the effectiveness of your newspaper advertising campaign, because you will be competing for your customer's attention and "mind share."

Newspaper advertising is sold by the column inch. Different advertising classifications may have different rates. For instance, a service directory advertisement may be less expensive per column inch than a small ad placed on a regular editorial page. Virtually all newspapers offer discounts for contract advertisers, depending upon the volume of space they commit to over the course of a contract year.

*Source Streetwise Small Business Start-Up