Newspapers are an excellent medium for:

Strengths

Limitations

daily delivery – frequency opportunity
geographic selectivity
some special interest selectivity
intensive coverage of specific geographic market
reach well-educated audience
wide range of editorial material aimed at a broad audience
great flexibility in ad size
complex information can be communicated
second shortest lead time
pass-along audience in household
credibility of print in general
can read at leisure
portable
can provide “keepers”

short life
low quality colour reproduction
not demographically selective
cannot deliver sound and motion
messages compete with one another

Strengths

Limitations

audience selectivity/specific audience targeting
durability – long life
excellent editorial climate – loyal readers – transfer of credibility
artistic variety – bleeds, gatefolds, inserts, pop-ups, spreads
good secondary readership (pass along audience) inside and outside home
high quality color reproduction
complex information can be communicated
credibility of print in general
generally attracts affluent and influential readers
read at leisure
portable
can be read inside and outside the home
can provide “keepers”
urban and rural
interested readers
influential readers

long lead time required
cannot deliver sound and motion
low frequency and low penetration levels
messages compete with one another
comparatively expensive

Strengths	Limitations
allows for active demonstration of product large national audience reach (network) large local audience reach messages stand alone some audience targeting prime source of news high impact spectacular medium – sound, animation, motion, colour etc. obtrusive medium	messages have short life plus time shifting long lead time cannot provide details not portable high production costs most stations urban

Strengths	Limitations
low CPM good supplementary medium selective audiences great flexibility universal coverage short lead time production can be free inside and outside home loyalty/credibility urban and rural reaches motorists messages are personal messages stand alone – obtrusive medium portable prime source of local information	short life no visuals can not provide details no motion

Strengths	Limitations
excellent reach (mass audience) high frequency geographic flexibility high impact message quality reproduction works well with other media good for product awareness/recognition fairly cost effective – low CPM message has a fairly long life reaches audience 24 hours a day small merchandising aids are available can be used for co-op advertising	creative limitations – instant visual impact must be made lack of target market selectivity production costs are high lack of prestige no editorial support environmental clutter (many displays in one place) weather can restrict communication of the message urban markets only cannot deliver sound and motion cannot provide details

Strengths	Limitations
continuous exposure high reach and frequency with geographic selectivity fairly flexible for message changes covers all sectors of an urban/suburban community relatively cost effective – low CPM good colour reproduction	lack of target market selectivity lack status cluttered environment some weather problems creative limitations – copy area limited no editorial support urban markets only cannot provide sound and motion cannot provide details

Strengths	Limitations
audience selectivity – can reach precisely defined targets high reach geographic flexibility creative flexibility advertiser control over circulation and quality of message consistent quality of reproduction no competition with other ads or editorial content good response rate fast evaluation can provide details durable	high CPM absence of environmental support (editorial content) not a prestigious advertising medium (“junk mail”) short life potential delivery delays

Strengths	Limitations
can be demographically selective inexpensive wide range of editorial material aimed at a broad audience complex information can be communicated pass-along audience can read at leisure	short life credibility in question due to abuse of medium not geographic selective

Search listing using sponsored results on major search engines.

Inhaltsverzeichnis Show

The Benefits of Newspaper Advertising
Proactive Audience
Targeted Audience
Trustworthy
Impact and Effectiveness
The Benefits of Magazine Advertising
Display Higher Quality Images
Target a Specific Demographic
Target a Specific Industry
Targeted Geography
Newspaper or Magazine: How Do You Choose?

Strengths	Limitations
Deploy adverting program quickly Specifically target customers searching for your products Target region and demographics easily Work easily within any budget Drive customers directly to targeted landing pages on corporate website Ability to easily measure which campaigns are effective and which ones are not	Competition among advertisers can be fierce for certain keywords Click fraud by competitors or ad farm websites Ease of entry means that competitors can mimic advertising programs easily Quality of some content sites included in content network can be poor Generally text only

Banner Ads

Graphic or text based ads placed on specific websites.

Strengths	Limitations
Target specific demographics of internet users Able to use graphical ads rather than just text Click fraud is less prominent as with Search & Content Listings Ability to easily measure which campaigns are effective and which ones are not	Generally more expensive that advertising on search engines Getting listings online takes longer due to limited space available Generally require longer term commitm

Both magazine and newspaper ads are still highly regarded as effective mediums for print advertising. They each have their strengths when it comes to getting a message out to a specific audience, and both are still utilized by businesses both small and large as part of a cohesive marketing strategy.

That being said, newspapers and magazines are two different mediums. So although they do share the commonality of being print media, each are distinct in how they are utilized in targeting and engaging consumers. We’ll discuss some of the benefits of both newspaper advertising and magazine advertising, and explain how each can be effective.

The Benefits of Newspaper Advertising

One of the immediate benefits of placing a newspaper ad is the short lead time. Newspapers are released daily or weekly for the most part, which means whatever messaging you’ve created in your copy can be much timelier when compared to magazine ads.

Cost is also another benefit. Local newspaper costs tend to be relatively low, and focus your ad on a specific geographic market. Advertising costs do increase with national newspapers, but the audience is so much wider that the value offsets the extra investment. Something else to keep in mind is that print newspapers hold high esteem with their readers. They care about the content between those pages and give value themselves in what is included.

Newspapers also tend to have a broader reach than magazines. The general nature of the information inside of newspapers means a wider audience can appreciate the content of your newspaper ad. The more eyes that see your content, the more opportunities for conversions.

Here are a few more benefits of newspaper advertising:

Proactive Audience

The great part about newspaper and magazine advertising is that readers are actively looking to search for deals and coupons. Placing your ad in a newspaper provides you the advantage of knowing that your audience is much more likely to notice it because they habitually read that paper or magazine. They may take the time to read your ad and possibly act on a sale or offer.

Targeted Audience

Newspaper advertising allows you to place your content wherever you want. You can send out geographically-targeted prints, which allow your ad to be seen by people who have a higher likelihood of wanting your product or service. Working with a newspaper also allows you to have a better chance of speaking with someone who can distribute the print real estate better, rather than leaving it up to an algorithm (as is used for online advertising). You can make your specific needs for ad positioning known when you work with a print marketing agency.

Affordable

Local newspaper advertising may sound expensive considering that it requires ink, printing and distribution, however, it actually costs less per thousand readers than when you advertise on television, through direct mail, or online. Additionally, newspaper campaigns do not require any expensive costs for creative materials. They can be customized to any budget, and you can choose from a variety of ad sizes to fit your goals. This is the ideal medium to create brand awareness and start off connecting with your prospects.

Trustworthy

Print media agencies work very hard to help you create positive relationships with members of your community, and build a loyal customer base. As your reputation grows through the use of newspaper and magazine advertising, members of the community can trust you to provide timely and accurate information about your products and services, and your content can be complemented by the trustworthiness of the rest of the content in that medium.

Engaging

Companies have studied the way consumers respond to ads on different media. Print newspapers scored the highest on media engagement, when compared to radio, Internet, and billboards. Consumers are less likely to get annoyed when they see advertisements in newspapers and magazines, than they are when they see them online. If your primary method of connecting with prospects is through the use of advertising, print media will be your most successful option.

Impact and Effectiveness

Newspaper advertising is very effective because readers frequently look for advertisements in this medium. They rely heavily on newspapers to find out about shopping information, so by beautifully creating your ad with text and images you can engage them both emotionally and intellectually. It is also a more trusted medium than other forms of advertising, and it is assumed that print media requires more fact-checking and professionalism than online ads.

The Benefits of Magazine Advertising

We’ve already mentioned that the reach of newspaper ads to a broader audience is a positive; however, the fact that magazines typically have niche audiences is actually one of this medium’s biggest strengths. Marketers can take a more targeted approach with magazine ads because the readers are very specific. This can potentially increase the influence your ad has on the readers, even though the spectrum is limited.

Design is another benefit for magazines ads. Magazines are more colorful, creatively laid out, and readers tend to hold on to magazines for much longer periods of time than they would a newspaper. And because the content in magazines extend over a period a month, or sometimes three or four months, readers can pick up the magazine several times before getting through all of the content.

Here are a few more benefits of magazine advertising:

Display Higher Quality Images

One of the most attractive aspects of magazine advertising is that you can use high-quality images that are printed onto glossy pages that attract readers and get them to observe the product or service you are selling. For example, if your company sells makeup, you can display beautiful images of models’ faces, alongside your product. There are endless ads in magazines, that are cleverly disguised as gorgeous photography, and your ad can be one of them.

Target a Specific Demographic

If you want to target a specific demographic, all you have to do is choose an agency that can help you get your ad in appropriate magazines. For example, if you are trying to sell your products to parents, consider posting your ad in a parenting or kids’ magazine. Or, if you want to market your products to gym lovers, you can advertise in fitness and health-related magazines.

Target a Specific Industry

Magazine advertising not only allows you to target a specific demographic—it also allows you to target a specific industry. If you are selling sports equipment, you can advertise in magazines that cater towards athletes and fitness fans. Or, if you are selling tools and safety equipment, you can post your ads in magazines within the construction or home hardware industries.

Targeted Geography

Another great use of magazine advertising is to target a specific group of people within an area. If you are advertising your new restaurant in a particular city, you can post your ad in community and tourism magazines.

Long Life

Online ads are very easy to miss because most people are looking for a specific thing when they go online, and will scroll past and close ads that pop up. Magazines, however, are usually kept for a longer period of time. People are less likely to quickly toss a magazine in the garbage than they are to close a pop-up ad online. Also, places like medical offices and waiting rooms typically save magazines because they give visitors and patients something to do while they are waiting for their appointment. Also, readers may keep an issue of a magazine if it contains interesting and relevant information to them. If you post your ad in a magazine it is very likely that in one way or another a prospective customer will see your ad and try to connect with you.

Newspaper or Magazine: How Do You Choose?

If you are looking to print media for advertising, unsure if you should use a newspaper or magazine, consider the points above. You can ask yourself questions such as, who am I trying to connect with? Does my audience care more about visual product representations, or detailed information? If you are still having a hard time with deciding which medium to use, you should get connected with an agent at Macromark. We can provide all the information, advice, and assistance you need to get your direct mail marketing campaign up and running. Our services also include print media, list brokerage, data solutions, list fulfillment, and list management. For more information about how we can help grow your business, contact us at 1-(845) 230-6300.