Newspapers have always been a traditional form of advertising.  Before television took hold, the newspaper was the way that people found out what was going on in the world.  Today, newspapers compete with television, radio, and the Internet.  Is it worth the money to advertise in a newspaper?

That is a good question.  The newspaper still offers a classified section, but is the price worth what you get in return?  It depends on your target market and how important the local market is to you.

If your target market reads the newspaper, then you are going to want to advertise there.  Even so, your ad will have to stand out from hundreds of others to be effective.  This means using larger font and a larger ad space to include all of the pertinent information you’ll need potential customers to know.

Pros:

• Seen by hundreds of people every day

• Can establish your brand in the local market

• Enhances other advertising methods for storefront businesses

• Is less expensive than magazine ads

• Will reach all those within your circle of influence

People cut things out of the newspaper and save them.  If you find an ad you want to pursue, you cut it out or circle it to find it later.  A newspaper can be taken with you anywhere as a reminder to visit that shop or that website.

On the other hand, those same ads are so small sometimes that your eyes barely skim them.  You will look at the one that catches your eye with larger font or color.  It is easy for your ad to be missed by people.  With newspaper ads, you are paying to reach a large group of people — the entire city.  Your target audience may be within that group but the campaign is not focused as much as you probably would like.  The same thing that you can say in a newspaper ad, you can say on a business card.

Cons:

• Not targeted to one specific group

• Small size of font and ad; can upgrade for a fee

• Better return on investment with other options

The newspapers sensed the move to more digital media and now, newspapers can be read online.  If you have Internet access on your telephone, the hottest lead stories are at your fingertips wherever you are.  Does this work for ads?  It all depends on your newspaper and how you choose to view it in other media outlets.

Whether to use newspaper ads is up to you.  Business benefits from advertising but it benefits more when the people you are trying to reach respond well to the advertising medium.  For some, the money spent on newspaper ads doesn’t bring what they need.  Local storefront businesses can typically get better response with this method.

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