How Do You Set About Advertising?

Having drafted an advertisement, how do you set about advertising in the press?

• Decide which publications you want to use. If you have any ideas, contact the advertisement manager or director of each title and request a media pack, rate card and a copy of the most recent issue. Make your selection, then approach the advertisement manager or director.
  
  
• Study the information about the publication. Check its price, regular columns, features, supplements, the sexes, ages, occupations, activities, interests and habits of the readership, and their opinions of the title.
  
  
• Read the rate card, which is a sheet or pamphlet, which lists more specific details about advertising in the publication. What are the circulation and readership figures, display advertising rates, classified advertising rates, names, telephone and extension numbers of key personnel, copy deadlines, conditions of acceptance of advertisements and on-sales dates?
  
  
• Examine your copy of the latest issue of the publication - past copies too, if you can obtain them - to gain a better understanding of editorial copy, build a fuller image of advertising copy to date and to satisfy yourself that this publication really is the right choice in your circumstances.
  
  
• Decide whether or not you should advertise in this publication. Does it reach the right type of audience in the right numbers? Can you advertise when you want to and as often and for as long as you wish? Can you have the type and style of advertisement that you want, in the right position? All at an acceptable price?
  
  
• Submit your advertisement to the advertisement director or manager. Be prepared to listen to his or her advice - he or she may be able to improve the advertisement by editing the contents to achieve the same message for a lower price, or by suggesting a different typeface for greater impact. He or she may also offer a better position for the same price, if one is available. Always listen to what he or she has to say.
  
  
• Monitor the responses. Who and how many responded and how many of these registered, per advertisement and per publication? You can measure these easily if you place a `key' - or identifying mark - into each advertisement. For example, in one advertisement, readers are asked to telephone you or they may be asked to write to Department A for one advertisement and to B for the next. You can then work out which advertisement represents value for money on the basis of price of advertisement divided by number of enquiries, which equals the cost per enquiry. Dividing this by the number of registrations gives you the cost per registration. Have you learned anything for next time?