You'll hear a lot about 'cost per thousand.' It's a measure of how many people will see your advert for every £ you spend. But it's not the most important issue.
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| Look carefully at the deal you're offered |
The first issue to consider is whether the publication is right for your consumers - does it match the age profile?; does the distribution align with your plans?; and does the publication match your aspirations in terms of quality? Let's look at each of these issues in detail
Age profile - If you're selling holidays to young singles, ads in the local 'county' magazine can't help you. Around 75% of local newspaper buyers are, typically, over 35, and 30% over 55. It's important you know this kind of detail, so ask the person selling the advertising for a reader profile.
Distribution - Clearly a regional publication will attract only regional customers. A national publication's advertising reach may be tempting but the results are notoriously difficult to analyse. Even if you're after a national market, consider a regional sales drive; the cost will be lower and you can more easily identify the results, giving you an opportunity to modify the campaign or duplicate it elsewhere if it worked. And some free magazines have a postcode-based targeting, aiming for the upper end of the market - the socio-economic group As and Bs.
Quality - Premium products will only sell through premium publications, for obvious reasons. That's not to say you should never offer a premium product heavily discounted through down-market publications; that's a great way to increase product sampling. Just be sure that your advertising design is appropriate to the market you're shooting at.
Where your advertisement appears in the publication is highly relevant. Advertising sales people will tell you much about 'premium' positions, but rarely know your product well enough to offer advice. If your ad sells direct, there's nothing better than the centre spread or outside back page. On a right-hand page, always choose an upper right-hand position if you can. On a left, upper left position.
Publications often run 'special features' about your sphere of business; travel supplements, for example. If you're offered space within them, push hard to be included in the editorial as a condition of taking the space, then get your PR to produce the editorial copy.
Finally, don't forget that the money you spend helps the publication build its editorial proposition. If you're offered a special deal, especially for late space availability, by all means take it. But don't take the space because it's cheap. Take the space because it might work for you. And if it does, book space at the regular 'best deal' price.
