The Fundamentals of Ad Placement

Advertising and ad placement are probably the most fundamental parts of any marketing campaign. Companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars each day to place advertisements in magazines and newspapers. However, the science of ad placement is usually lost on the small and inexperienced business person. Fortunately, there is no black magic to placing an ad, but it does take some thought and some time to establish the most effective message to send to your customers.



Placing an ad begins not with the call to the marketing department of a newspaper, but instead starts with you sitting down and determining exactly who you are trying to sell to, what they are buying, why they are buying, and what media these people are typically exposed to. Write down the response you expect to see, the specific demographic of your customers, and where they would gain the most exposure to your advertisements. Also write down the message that you are trying to convey, and why this message will be of value to them.



Now that you have defined your market, write down the specific periodicals that these people read. Looking at the list that you have created, you may be surprised to find that most don’t read the newspaper, but may have interests in specific magazines. Contact the marketing departments of these periodicals and ask for the representative that serves your area. When speaking to the representative, the information that you will need to have them provide is: a standard rate card, submission deadlines, rates for creative design assistance, their current circulation, and the demographic that their periodical currently serves. Also ask for information regarding any special promotions that the magazine or newspaper may offer. Use the information provided to determine where your advertising dollars will be best spent.



Now that you have determined where to advertise, contact you’re the area representative and find out what type of support they will provide with respect to creative design. Most newspapers and many periodicals offer free graphic and creative design services as part of the ad placement. By using the resources of the periodical, you will not have to lay out extra funds to hire a graphic artist to make and eye-catching

advertisement. You will need to provide the text, and the general layout of the advertisement, but many times the magazine or newspaper will assist you in the final look of the ad. Also, get the specific periodical’s definition of “photo ready.” Most magazines and newspapers will require photo-ready advertisements, but the definition varies from the concept on a disk to three-color velum film.



Finally, it is time to develop your advertisement. Determine what colors, if any, you will use, and how they will be arranged to catch attention. Remember that red and yellow are the most eye-catching colors. Determine what catch words or phrases will be most prominent in the ad, Free, Sale, Reduced, Limited Time, and Act Now are always effective in gaining attention. Most importantly determine what you are going to say and how you are going to say it in a message that most people will spend less than two seconds reading. The intention is to get their attention, and make them want to read the entire ad. Use of effective phrases and colors establishes interest, but the final message and how it is presented will determine the effectiveness of the ad.



On a final note, make sure that your advertisement includes a method to track the response of your target demographic. Coupons and discount offers not only encourage customers to use your services, but also provide a method to track exactly how effective your advertisement was.



There is no black magic to placing advertisements, but planning and forethought are necessary to reach your target audience. Make sure that you are advertising in places where your customers will find you. Utilize the services of the magazines that you advertise in to save money and time, and create an ad that will claim more than two seconds of attention. Finally, provide a method to track the advertisements effectiveness, and create incentives for viewers of the advertisements to use your services.