Keeping track of the latest advertising industry demographics can make the difference between a successful advertising campaign or money down the tubes. While few things are more valuable than a skilled marketing consultant, you can use the ad demographics information you find online as a starting point to define your marketing strategy before you bring in a consultant.

You'll find that information about advertising demographics is readily available online. Publications of all kinds regularly use demographics information as a telling tool to leverage their own advertising sales. Some of the best sources for economics and demographics for advertising news and trends include:

1. Use online websites and marketing blogs as sources for your Internet advertising, economics and demographics information.
2. Read ad demographics information out of the top print publications.
3. Get raw data for your ad demographics from government census and research bureaus.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get your economics and demographics for advertising online straight from the horse's mouth

Internet marketing is profitable if you know what you're doing. Tap directly into the brains of Internet marketing specialists and consultants by reading their blogs. You'll find economics and demographics information useful for advertising to the Internet generation, alongside other useful marketing advice.

I recommend: Marcus P. Zillman pulls together a variety of Internet-based demographics of use to advertisers at Internet Demographics. David Erickson's eStrategy Internet Marketing Blog offers insight--both via the Internet and relating to the Internet--into online and social networking demographics.

Turn to magazine publishers for print ad demographics and reader information

There are two main sources of information for advertising demographics in print magazines: magazine publishing associations and the magazines themselves. Most print publications offer extensive economics and demographics information about their readers as part of a free advertising or editorial kit.

I recommend: Magazine Publishers of America offers profiles of select segments of the print marketing demographic. AARP offers detailed demographic information on their readers for prospective advertisers.

Source your demographics in advertising information from government agencies

Your most direct source of raw economics and the best ad demographic breakdown is from the government agencies responsible for collecting said data. Use government demographics information to help narrow down your target audience, or as raw data to get your advertising consultant started.

I recommend: The U.S. Census Bureau is your source for economic and demographic information throughout the nation. Filter through the demographics information sorted by a variety of topics including location, age, income and occupation. St. Mary's University offers a list of links to government databases of economics and advertising demographics.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you're looking to advertise in a specific publication, but can't find economic, advertising or reader and viewer information online, contact the business directly. You can rest assured that they have the information--any publication that sells advertising uses demographics information as a marketing tool.

Advertising demographics help determine your market as well as the best channels to invest your marketing dollars. Not knowing your target audience or how to reach them effectively will render those marketing dollars null, and you can't afford to waste money. You need to suss out your audience not just by age, gender or geography, but also by income, shopping habits and even, at times, religious or political beliefs. This ad demographic breakdown is at the core of advertising economics, which lets you measure the demand of any specific aggregate as well as the channels that will most likely reach that market.

Get a competitive marketing edge with information on economics and demographics for advertising. Consider the following:

1. There are consultancy services that specialize in gathering ad demographics. Find expert advice to determine your target market.

2. Keeping on top of trends in ad economics is vital to knowing where and how to spend your marketing money and how certain expenditures will increase your profit margin. Find sources that inform you about the economic impact of advertising.

3. Optimize your economic advertising by finding the best marketing channels to reach your target audience.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find a consultancy service expert that can provide demographics in advertising

Explore services that have the technology to accurately predict demographics based on specific characteristics. Don't let your demographics go stale. Get updated data to keep your customer database fresh and accurate.

I recommend: Specific Media circumvents the basic audience measurement services by offering advanced proprietary demographic technology that precisely targets potential markets through its network that reaches 140 million consumers a month. Currently, it targets by age and gender but is expanding to reach segments by income and education level. The Nielsen Company's proprietary software Claritas features demographic data from the U.S. Census, local governments, the U.S. Postal Service, as well as the National Association of Realtors. Its Update Demographic provides current year estimates on characteristics such as population, household and income.

Keep informed about the economic effects of advertising and how it impacts your market and profit

Growth and downturns mean fluctuation in the advertising industry. The industry provides reports, white papers and other resources to that analyze trends and other market information. Subscribe to resources that keep you informed about the industry and its economic effects.

I recommend: Goliath provides reports and other resources by industry segments, including online advertising. Subscribe to receive industry trend information and statistical marketing reports. The subscriptions are annual and monthly, or you can purchase a particular report online. Sign up with MarketResearch.com to track the latest marketing and advertising research.

Find the marketing platforms that will optimize your economic advertising

Advertising economics vary depending on your marketing channel, whether Internet marketing, direct mail or radio/television advertising. You want to maximize the return on your marketing dollars, especially in an economic downturn. With the decreasing popularity of print advertising, online advertising is one economic advertising channel to reach multiple targets at minimal investment. To broaden your audience, also consider an integrated, multichannel marketing strategy.

I recommend: Increase your marketing audience and brand awareness with Direct Agents, which specializes in interactive, online marketing performance. It provides dynamic online media solutions for the ever-changing Internet market. Main Street Commerce offers software that supports all channels of marketing, including e-commerce, phone sales and a B2B sales engine, to give you cost-effective marketing results.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Education is a vital component to understanding marketing. Bone up by purchasing books or guides on economics and demographics for advertising.