Tips for Local Newspaper Advertising

If you have a small business, don't overlook the power of local advertising. Keeping the name of your business constantly in front of people will help generate much success.

Visibility is a vital key to the success of any business. Therefore, determine an advertising budget for local newspaper advertising. Don't blow that budget on placing a few big ads in one or two newspapers. Since keeping your name in front of potential customers is important, plan on stretching your ad budget by running smaller ads for a long period of time rather than running only a few big ads. A big ad may look impressive, but unless it is to promote a one day sale or some other one-time event, your money is better invested in smaller, longer-term ads.

Most communities have a variety of newspapers, some paid and some free weeklies. Many people have their newspaper favorites and only read a select few, so spread your advertising dollar among all of the community papers to ensure you reach the largest target audience possible.

When it comes to placing a newspaper ad, avoid the temptation to create the ad yourself on your home computer. Let the newspaper's production staff or a local advertising agency design your ad. They can often come up with a more creative idea, and they understand the proper format, size and technical specifications that are required by the printing press facility to ensure your ad will look its best in print media.

Many businesses believe that placing a coupon in their ad will help them determine if an ad is getting a response. However, just because a particular coupon run in an ad doesn't generate the response you had anticipated, don't feel that your ad money was wasted. People don't always respond to coupons, and many people will have seen your ad; even if they didn't use that particular coupon, the ad still kept your name visible in the community's eye. And, keeping your business name in the forefront of people's mind is one of keys to a successful business.