Guide to Advertising in Newspapers

Define your objective

There are many types of ads for different objectives: A business card ad says who you are and how to find you; a sale ad informs the public about special deals and discounts; an advertorial is an ad that looks like a news article and highlights your business’ expertise in a certain subject area; and a spotlight ad calls attention to a particular product or service.

I recommend: An especially effective type of newspaper is a coupon ad; placing a coupon in your ad will attract customers and give you a means for measuring ad response. CouponInfoNow offers a wealth of information on designing and distributing coupons that work.

Choose a newspaper

There are numerous options for companies that want to make their mark in newsprint. Your city’s daily newspaper is just one of them. Others include local weeklies as well as regional and alternative papers. Consider high school and college newspapers, too, as well as trade newspapers and weekly shoppers.

I recommend: Use NewsVoyager to locate newspapers of all types in your area.

Choose an ad size, rate

Newspaper ads are generally sold by column and inch. They come in many shapes and sizes, and there are typically many options for any sized budget.

I recommend: Every newspaper has a sales representative—who will help you navigate advertising options and rates—that it will assign to your account. About.com’s “How to Calculate Rates for Print Ads” will help you understand the rate cards that sales rep will give you while the Newspaper Association of America's Retail Advertising Planning and Budgeting Calculator will help you decide how much you should be willing to spend in the first place.

Select position, schedule

Where your ad is on the page is key; outside positions are ideal because readers will see them as they’re turning pages. Also important is in what section of the paper your ad runs; advertising in special sections, such as food or business, presents a unique opportunity for target marketing. Finally, before you publish your ad, you’ll need to decide when to run it and for how long; buying for frequency will save money and boost exposure.

I recommend: Consider enlisting an ad agency or media buyer—such as Nationwide Newspapers or Newspaper National Network—to help you achieve maximal exposure for your ad investment.

Write good ad copy

The best newspaper ads are short and descriptive. You’ll need words compelling enough to grab readers’ attention and persuasive enough to make a sale.

I recommend: Consider hiring a freelance copywriter to help you with your ad. Get quotes at Guru.com or place an add in the Writing/Editing category on Craigslist.

Design an attractive ad

There are several things to consider in designing your ad. You must decide, for instance, whether your ad will be full color—which costs more—or black and white. Keep in mind that clean, uncluttered ads are most effective, and that ads in which product images are placed near the inside of the page are strongest.

I recommend: Hire a freelance graphic designer to lay out your ad, or do it yourself by downloading print ad templates from StockLayouts.

Measure ROI

An ad is worthless if you can’t prove that it works. Make sure you have a means for measuring your ad’s effectiveness.

I recommend: The Newspaper Association of America offers a series of sales sheets by product category to help you determine how your ad should perform. Its “Ten Tips for Improving Your Return On Investment of Your Newspaper Advertising” can help you make sure it performs well.