Local Print Publications: Which One Is Right For My Business?

The first blog in our three-part series on local print advertising focused on the critical steps a local business must take before investing in advertising. If you’ve read the first blog of the series and are comfortable moving forward with local print advertising, you should next consider the following factors, each of which will be crucial in determining exactly which publication option is right for your business.

Local Print Publications: Which One Is Right for My Business?

In an effort to get you moving in the right direction, we have listed out the four fundamental elements of any local print publication that require examination before an investment or decision is made for your business. The four areas to explore are:   

1. Content: Readers don’t pick up magazines to look at the ads, they pick them up to read them. Make sure the print source you are looking to advertise in has good, unbiased content that speaks to your customer base.
2. Reader Demographic: Prior to analyzing a print publication’s reader demographic, you must first know your own buyer personas. This is not the exceptional customer, but the norm—the client who shops with you regularly. Knowing this persona will help you quickly eliminate many ill-fitting advertising options. Once you’ve established your buyer persona, find out if the publication's readership is aligned with your personas. Publiations tend to offer up a very general demographic such as “female, college educated, aged 25-54”, but I encourage you to ask for a more detailed breakdown.
3. Circulation: How many publications are printed per print run? Knowing this number will allow you to break down their rates by Cost Per Thousand (CPM). I highly suggest that you base their “reach” on actual printed publications rather than their pass-along rate. While the industry standard for pass-along rate is close to 2.7, many publications skew this number in favor of a larger circulation. If you’re comparing two publications, be sure to stick with actual printed publications for an apples-to-apples comparison.
4. Distribution: How and where are their publications distributed? You’ll want to verify that their circulation is accurate. The best way to verify their distribution & circulation numbers is through their audit service. If the local magazine is not audited, the best way to authenticate their numbers is by requesting a letter from their printing press. Other ways to analyze their distribution include locating their distribution sites. Are they free, paid, or subscription-only distribution? This can make a huge impact on your reach and could influence the effectiveness of your advertisement.

You'll notice I've said nothing about price. Price, in my opinion, should be the last detail you review. Too many times we get caught up in how affordable something is, and jump at a "deal". Something affordable isn't always the best option, especially if the aforementioned areas don't align with the publication offering a low price. At the same time, if your goals align with the publication and it's more than you expected, you can look for an alternative, or you may just need to hold off until you are able to afford multiple insertions. 

Print can be a very effective medium for building your brand. While it is tempting to advertise your business as soon as possible, it is more important to do the marketing research and planning necessary to ensure the investment made in magazine advertising is a smart one. Knowing where each one of the magazine publications in your market fall in the four categories above will equip you with the knowledge to make the best decision for your business.