WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MAGAZINE AND NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING

Demographics: Who is going to see your ad?

How many people in your county, for instance, will receive the publication? What is their average household income? Are they homeowners or renters? What is the primary age group that receives the publication? Very often a large portion of the magazines or newspapers will be sent to local businesses or sold at newsstands rather than being delivered specifically to your target market. Be sure to ask the sales representative for the specific demographics of who the publication is going to.

Circulation and Distribution: How many copies of the publication are sold and what is the geographical area in which they are sold?

It is important to know how many copies of the publication in circulation are actually sold. When a sales representative gives you a circulation figure, be sure to ask if they have any way to verify this.
A reputable company will have audit figures that will show you the actual number of magazines or newspapers sold rather than how many are printed. Additionally, it is critical to know how many copies of the publication are sold in a specific region. Ask the sales representative exactly how many copies are delivered to your target market in your county. You need to know how many copies are going to reach consumers that actually live close enough to use your products or services.

Readership: How many people are actually going to see your ad?

This is an area where potential advertisers are very often misled. Many magazines inaccurately base readership figures on the ridiculous assumption that 5.5 people will read each issue printed. How many magazines do you have at home that 4.5 other people have read? For a more realistic figure divide the number they give you by five. Perhaps even more misleading is the fact that some magazines base their readership numbers on more than one issue. Newspapers generally base readership figures on the assumption that 2.2 people will read each issue printed. It is important to note here that these figures are based on the number printed and not the number actually sold.

Number of ads: How many other advertisers are in the same publication?

It is very common for a magazine or newspaper to have over 300 advertisers in any given issue. How many ads will the average consumer actually read? How many of these advertisers are selling the same or similar products as you? Where is your ad going to be located in relation to the others? These are all very important questions. If there are hundreds of advertisers in the same publication, it significantly reduces the amount of times your ad will be seen. Additionally, if there are several other advertisers selling the same or similar products as you, it will often force you to lower your prices to complete a sale.