When using the newspaper to market your business you have two basic choices. You can do a one-step or a two-step marketing campaign. A one-step marketing campaign gives the reader your entire sales message. A two-step marketing campaign entices the reader to go to a website or recorded message line for the complete sales message. You have to decide which one will work best for you. If you’re on a tight budget I suggest testing small classified ads that direct your prospects to a web site or free recorded message line for more information. If you’re NOT on a tight budget test an advertorial.

An Advertorial Will Out Pull A Display Ad 10 to 1.

If you haven’t tried an advertorial I suggest testing it in your market. An advertorial looks very similar to an editorial, but it’s an advertisement about your business. People read advertorials more often than regular display ads because they appear to be news stories. This will give you a better response. I love advertorials because they look more like an interview done by the editor. It lends credibility to your business even though it’s an ad you published yourself. An advertorial jumps off the page and stands out because an advertorial looks completely different from all other ads. People will read news worthy stories (advertorials) before they read advertisements. In today’s economy… little hinges swing big doors, and creating an effective advertorial will certainly increase your sales and response.

The single biggest key to getting your ad read is your HEADLINE. Whether you’re running a classified ad, display ad, or advertorial, we all browse the newspaper by headlines and we only take time to read the ones that peak our curiosity. So make sure that your headline grabs the attention of your perfect prospect and makes them want to know more.

When using newspaper marketing be sure to run your ads in your local area newspapers. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you need to run your ad in a large city newspaper. You can have a better ROI (Return on Investment) by using a smaller targeted paper. Your local paper is cheaper allowing you to run a bigger ad more often. This keeps your name in front of your prospects consistently AND cost effectively.

When you’re testing your ads in your local newspaper be sure to allow enough time to test results. Leave your ad running for three months before you pull it. You cannot run an ad one week and pull it the next because you didn’t see significant results.

Let me clarify. I’m telling you to let your ads run only if you’re running small display ads or small two-step classified marketing campaigns. If you’re running full page advertisements and you’re NOT receiving a good response, then you need to “Fix It” or remove it immediately. You must run direct response advertisement strategies for the best response (strong headline, irresistible offer, call to action, and a deadline.)

Read through the rest of this site for more information on direct response advertising.

Nothing can be more detrimental to the success of your business than to copy your competitors’ marketing strategies. When setting up your newspaper marketing campaigns, look to see what your competitors are doing, and then do the opposite. Make yourself STAND OUT!

The key to your success is how well you differentiate your business from your competitors. This can be achieved by your creative offers, your creative marketing, or your services. Give your customers or clients an experience that they cannot get anywhere else.

Remember… newspaper marketing is only one way to market your business. Read through the rest of this site for more strategies, tips and secrets.

Please comment on this article below and tell me if you thought it was helpful or not.

To your marketing success,