Print Ad Buying and Placement

Achieve marketing success through print ad placement
By Nate Waymire, Freelance Writer Print advertising campaigns are an ideal way to promote the goods or services your company offers. Ad placement in magazines allows your business to target specific demographics.
 

According to one source, it's estimated that there are around 160,000 magazines published around the world. That's an astounding number of publications in which your company can buy print ads.

When you are ready to look into print ad buying and placement, there are a few factors to keep in mind:

1. You must define the demographic you wish to reach with your print advertising campaign.

2. You can find companies to help with your print ad buying needs.

3. Create a budget, and verify that the print ad prices fit within that budget.

4. Make sure the magazines you are advertising in will be published at the right time for your marketing campaign.

Identify which magazine will work best for your print advertising placement

Magazines yield excellent market segmentation, not only geographically, but by special interest, since many products appeal to some groups and not others. Each magazine has a unique circulation and target audience. It's vital to understand which magazines will be most useful for your print ad placement.
Try: The Columbia Journalism Review website maintains a list of magazines in the United States. The magazines are listed by type: Entertainment, Women's, News, etc. Each magazine listed includes a link to that magazines' website. Browse MediaFinder, which also maintains a list of magazines. This site allows you to search for magazines based on Editorial Descriptions, Circulation, Ad Rates and more.

Understand the cost of print advertising

Advertising rates will vary depending on each magazine's popularity. A magazine with a huge circulation charges more than a start-up publication. You can download Rate Cards from many magazines' websites. The Rate Card lists information on the cost of print advertising, circulation and more. Most magazines charge by the inch--however you would need to know the exact column sizes for each magazine to get the sizing correct. This can be overwhelming, and you may decide to work with a company that specializes in print advertising placement.
Try: Print advertising agencies such as Working Media Group or MediaBids.com will help you understand the cost of print ads, and assist in your print ad buying and placement. These companies will design your ads, define the print advertising costs and place your advertisements in the best magazines for your business.

Call the reader to action with your print advertising campaign

The reason to buy print ads is to increase awareness of your company, and therefore increase business. You must catch the attention of the reader, and build in a call to action. Include a coupon in your ad, or a special offer which is only available for a limited time. This helps achieve the desired result--new business and revenue.
Try: The amount of revenue you generate must always be higher than the cost of print ads you place. This is your Return On Investment (ROI), and it's a measurement of how well your advertisement and Call To Action has worked. Companies such as The Hudson River Group track results of your print advertising campaign to ensure your print advertisement prices are less than the revenue the ads generate. Ipsos ASI provides a variety of advertising solutions to monitor and improve your print advertising campaign.

• Most print advertising buying is available online. Magazines and print advertising agencies accept ad requests via email, and will submit proofs before running your ad.
• Be aware of deadlines for any magazine you intend to place advertisements in. An ad agency will keep track of these deadlines, or you can find this information on the rate cards for individual publications.