Community newspapers are enjoying solid readership even in a time when there are many ways to get news.
Television, radio and the Internet are popular sources where people can get national and community news. Community newspapers, however, are still a major source where residents get their local news. According to Community Newspaper Research, 86 percent of citizens read their community newspapers each week. This makes community newspapers an excellent medium in which local businesses can place advertisements and reach perspective customers.
Instructions
1. Match local businesses to local events. Take advantage of upcoming happenings in the community, such as 4-H fairs, high school football games and civic organization events. Consider the types of businesses that have products that are related to these events. A pet shop or a feed supply store are good matches for 4-H fairs. Get a community calendar with the year's events schedule so you will have time to approach advertisers.
2. Use holidays and seasons as special reasons to advertise. When winter is coming, approach auto repair shops with ad ideas ("Is your car ready for cold weather?") and fireplace shops ("Don't be cold this winter when the electricity goes out!"). Landscapers typically line up their summer lawn mowing customers in the spring. Spring and fall are traditionally the time when community newspapers publish bridal-themed supplements and a wide variety of businesses can be approached to advertise in these special issues, including hair dressers, massage centers and day spas, civic hall rentals, caterers, florists, bridal and tuxedo shops, limousine services and musicians and DJs. Other periodic supplements that can give you a specific reason to sell ads are home improvement, pets, health and fitness, and women in business.
3. Build a relationship with the owners of businesses you want to get as advertisers. Persistence is needed in selling community newspaper advertising and consider your first few contacts as planting seeds, not expecting to come away with an ad. Relationship marketing takes time and lets you build an interest in the owner and his business so you can better understand what his advertising needs may be. Drop off a copy of each issue to the owner and exchange a few brief words, which doesn't have to be about advertising. Eventually, the business owner will become comfortable with you and more knowledgeable about your product.
4. Put yourself in the shoes of the business owner. She wants to know, "What's in it for me?" Know how and why your community newspaper is a good match for her particular business. For example, if your paper's demographics indicate you have a high female readership, use this as a selling point for beauty salons and retail stores selling women's apparel.
5. Memorize the prices of ads and statistics about the paper. Know your product. Be ready to answer questions an advertiser may ask, such as how many copies do you print and where is your newspaper distributed. Show him the current issue and write down the cost of the ad sizes he is interested in next to each ad. Explain the value of your newspaper compared to other local papers, but don't disparage other publications; simply give positive reasons why your paper is a great value.
