After word of mouth, print advertising is as old and traditional as it gets. For centuries, people have been advertising their products in pamphlets, newsletters, newsletters, and newspapers. With the advent of magazines, companies got a bigger avenue to reach their audience. Radio, television and online advertising have taken a toll on print ad revenue, but have not made newspaper and magazine ads redundant. And despite what some people may think, the effect of newspapers and magazines is unlikely to be negative anytime soon.
Newspaper advertising obviously has some important differences compared to magazine advertising. These differences should be carefully considered before deciding which media to purchase. For example:
Because newspapers are read every day, they are a good medium for sales announcements and coupons. Magazines come out weekly or monthly and people tend to spend more time reading them, as a result they are good for brand awareness and image building.
Magazine ads are more expensive than newspaper ads, so if you’re on a tight budget, newspapers are your best bet. On the other hand, magazine ads are more expensive because they are of higher quality, especially image-wise. Newspaper ads tend to be grainy, image resolution is low, and people spend less time looking at them. So you have to ask yourself what you want to achieve with your ads.
If all you want to do is let people know that you have a sale on homemade wood furniture or sinks, then a newspaper ad will suffice. Depending on whether or not your store is national, you can save costs by sticking to local newspapers. If you have a little more money on your hands and want to sell your business idea rather than a product, then you should invest in a magazine ad. Magazine ads provide more possibilities for creativity. They are more striking and rich and you can use them to create an impression. If you specialize in extreme sports, you can use exciting action imagery in your ads, leaving people in no doubt about the fun you’re offering. If you’re a wedding planner, romantic (but not cheesy or cliché) images will give the impression of professional elegance.
Newspaper ads are immediate. They run every day, so you can expect an immediate response. And because their format is simple, it’s easy to change them on the fly. Magazine ads may have more visual impact and duration, but they are less flexible, and since they only appear weekly or monthly, the response rate is not as immediate.
There is a very important difference between advertising in magazines and newspapers. Newspaper ads can provide a broader reach or, geographically speaking, when advertising in local newspapers, a more targeted reach. But advertising in trade magazines will allow you to directly target your demographic. Magazines tend to have a particular focus—fashion, cars, horses, and pets—so you can reach the people who are likely to be interested in your particular product or service.
When considering which print medium to advertise in, you should ask yourself:
What are your goals?
What is your budget?
Who is your audience?
Where is your audience most likely to be?
Answer those questions, and you’ll know if newspaper or magazine advertising is right for you.