There are so many ways of getting the word out about your business; it is difficult to know what to do for the best.  The internet has made us all aware of the options available to us and every day we are bombarded with emails asking us to sign up for this offer and that offer.  Newspaper advertising is just one way of promoting your business and can be very cost effective, especially for local tradespersons. Large multinationals also choose this method of advertising as they often have big budgets and can afford to spend thousands of pounds.  The local press, though, has undergone somewhat of a transformation over the years and now often has digital versions of their publications as well as the traditional hard copies.  To have a press advertising campaign in the local paper raises the profile of new businesses and helps more established organisations by advertising new product launches.

The key to having a successful campaign is to have strong branding.  The development of a brand, which immediately identifies your company as a good organisation to deal with, is essential.   The branding should be synonymous with the ethos of the company and used in all of your press advertising campaigns as well as on line.  When potential clients see your branding, they should immediately think “quality” and “good customer service”.  These are the keystones of the building blocks for your company.

Newspaper advertising, magazine advertising and other print options should be studied carefully before committing your hard earned cash.  Study circulation figures, geographical reach and target audience.  Set yourself an advertising budget and stick to it.  If you decide that the best route for promoting your business is newspaper advertising, make sure you get a good deal and a contract.  Ask for testimonials of satisfied customers.  If you do not stick to your budget, you can soon find yourself overspending.  Ensure that you get feedback.  When potential clients contact you, ask where they heard about you.  It will help identify how cost effective your advertising really is.  It will also help you decide where to spend your funds in the future.

When designing your press advertising campaign, take advice from the experts.  They can often negotiate deals you will not be able to make yourself.  Of course, you will need to take into account the cost of their services and decide whether you can do it in house, or whether you prefer to contract a company in.   If it is a purely monetary decision, you may decide to create your own campaign in the short term.  However, this could be a false economy and it may be cheaper in the long term to get expert assistance.  Much will, of course, depend on your cash flow situation.  If you have the technical skills and the contacts, you may of course be able to negotiate your own deals.  Most newspapers will tell you that it takes three months for a campaign to take effect.  They will often give a discount if you take advertisements for three months or more.