Page 182 - Duct Tape Marketing

166 Part III: Creating and Placing Ads

ߜ Leverage your budget. Work with your newspaper to arrive at a contract
rate based on the nature of your business and your advertising volume.
Ask about a contract addendum assuring that a certain percentage of
your ROP placements will be in a preferred placement.

Taking advantage of the classified section

The classified section is the bargain basement of the newspaper. It’s where
you’ll find great ad prices and readers who are intent on taking action.

Classified ads come in two types:

ߜ Small-print classified ads: These ads are typeset by the newspaper and
arranged into interest categories.

ߜ Classified display ads: These ads feature headlines, illustrations, special
type styles, and advertiser logos. They’re available in sizes smaller than
those accepted in the rest of the paper, and they stand out on the other-
wise all-type pages.

Classified ads follow the same guidelines as all other print ads:

ߜ Use a short headline to draw readers in. Small-print classified ads are all
set in the same typeface. The only way to gain attention is with a head-
line set in boldface capital letters.

ߜ Write your ad to talk directly and personally to a single target prospect.
ߜ Avoid abbreviations unless you’re certain that most people will under-

stand them.
ߜ Place your ad in a number of classified categories if it appeals to more

than one interest area.
ߜ Tell how to contact you and give the reader a reason to call — to request

an estimate, learn the price, view the product, schedule an appointment,
or take some other action.

Placing Magazine Ads

When a full-page, color ad in Time magazine costs hundreds of thousands of
dollars, you may wonder why small businesses should even bother consider-
ing magazine advertising. The reason is that thousands of small circulation
(and vastly more affordable) magazines exist — plus, many of the best-known
magazines print regional or even city editions in which you can place an ad
for a fraction of the full-edition price.