By: Kate Schlentz
Submitted: 2010-06-07 13:48:09 | Word Count: 659
Newspaper advertising works. In fact, newspaper advertising is producing better success currently, than it has in years because of a major decline in advertisers (which means less competition for you!) There has never been a better time to take advantage of this prosperous environment for advertisers.
Declining ad revenue has left newspapers far more willing to negotiate on the price of advertisements. Designing offers to newspapers for stand-by space is a great way to place ads for as much as 75% off newspapers’ open rates. Stand-by space is ad space that is still vacant very close to the newspapers’ closing deadline. Commonly the newspaper will fill these spots with in-house (or non-paid) ads. Obviously some profit is superior than none, so accommodating stand-by offers is a way for the newspaper to obtain some profit from these left-over spots, while you reap the benefits of significantly discounted advertising rates.
[ advertisement ]
Every stand-by offer ought to outline at least four main parameters; the period of time in which you would like your advertisement to run, the amount you are prepared to allocate on this campaign, the locations and dates your advertisements can run, and finally, the advertising artwork.
The window of time in which you are allowing the advertisement to run can be anywhere from one week to several weeks. A period of 2 to three weeks is usually a safe place to start. This allows the newspaper(s) to drop your ad in the paper anytime within your chosen window (based on the other provisions of the offer).
Openly stating your budget for your stand-by space offer enables you to monitor the amount of money that you will be spending over the course of your campaign. Many advertisers choose to set a cap on the number of ads that they are willing to place within their designated time period. For example, if your offer states that you are prepared to pay two hundred dollars for a 1/4 page advertisement and your budget is one thousand dollars, you can let the paper know that you are only authorizing the use of up to five ads for a maximum charge of $1,000.
Other parameters that should be outlined are where and when you would like these advertisements to run. The more open you are the more likely your ad is to be placed. However, if your ad is intended to only run in the business section, you have to make sure that the newspaper is aware of that. If you are open to any section in the newspaper, you will have a better chance of getting placed. As far as the days of the week, you can request that a newspaper only use your advertisements on the weekends (Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday) or you can allow the usage of your ads any day that ad space becomes available.
Lastly, the ad art must be submitted to the newspaper(s). You can design a specific size and the newspaper can only utilize that size, or you can submit a variety of sizes so that the newspaper has more opportunities to get your ads placed. Either way, make sure the paper understands if your offer is for a black and white ad or a color ad.
Stand-by space offers can be a powerful tool for advertisers. However, you must realize that placement via stand-by offers is not guaranteed. If space does not become available, your ad will not be placed and you will not be charged. Stand-by space offers can be tricky and time consuming, so employing the help of an advertising agency with expertise in newspaper advertising may be a good idea.
Author Resource:-
US Newspapers is a newspaper advertising agency with the expertise to execute any newspaper advertising campaign. From mass classified advertising to large stand-by space offers, US Newspapers makes print advertising easy. For more information, visit www.usnewspapers.com.
