Despite ever-increasing competition from digital and social media, magazines remain an extremely attractive option for advertisers looking to promote their services to an engaged target market. Whilst magazine ad spending is showing an undeniable trend for negative annual growth, among readers and consumers, print advertising remains the most trusted, most remembered, and most acted upon form of marketing.
As media planning and media buying specialists, our experts at The Bank are perfectly positioned to help make your magazine advertising campaign a success. From strategy to creative design, budgeting to full implementation, our team will develop a bespoke campaign, tailor-made for the specific needs and requirements of your business. Our network of industry contacts includes the biggest magazine and print media publishers, so we can secure you the most competitive rates and the best possible placement for your ads and marketing materials.
If you’re interested in hearing more about how we help brands like yours, contact us today. Alternatively, keep reading for our expert guide to magazine advertising.
The Benefits of a Magazine Advertising
Accurate Targeting
Perhaps more than any other marketing medium, magazine advertising lends itself to targeting a specific audience. There are publications for just about every conceivable demographic, interest group, and lifestyle, making it relatively easy to find those that align with your target market.
What’s more, magazine publications are found in a wide variety of locations, not just the local newsstand. In-flight magazines, matchday programmes, theatre programmes and the like provide further opportunities for businesses to reach a captive audience via a high-engagement medium.
Credibility
The tendency for magazines to focus on a specific niche also makes them more credible and trustworthy than other forms of media. Readers see their favourite magazines as a go-to source of credible information, which, in turn, makes them more receptive to the ads they contain.
The research appears to bear this out: a study by Mansi Media found that 82% of consumers trust print adverts more than those delivered via any other media, with 77% noting a higher level of recall for advertisements in printed publications.
Tactile Engagement
For many of us, there is nothing quite like the feeling of flipping through a glossy magazine. This tangible quality makes the experience of reading a magazine more engaging and enjoyable than that served by Google, Facebook, or other online media delivery channels.
Significantly—and, perhaps, surprisingly—this preference for print media appears to be cross-generational, with 92% of 18 to 23-year-olds stating a preference for print over digital media.
Long Life
Compared to other forms of print marketing—such as newspapers or flyers—magazines have a long shelf-life, meaning your ad will be seen by potential customers again and again. (For evidence, visit a dentist’s waiting room!)
With an average engagement time of 20 minutes and a high pass-on rate, magazine advertisements are the ideal option for businesses wishing looking for pages that talk to an audience over extended periods of time.
Digital Marketing
Magazine advertising—and print advertising in general—is extremely effective at boosting existing digital marketing efforts. Research indicates that digital marketing campaigns are 400% more effective when combined with print ads, as the two media can interact to generate brand awareness, direct users to a website, or encourage sales with a direct call to action.
Creating a magazine advertising campaign doesn’t have to be at the expense of digital marketing efforts; those companies who take a coupled course of action are most likely to see the greatest returns.
Things to Consider for Your Magazine Ad Campaign
Who?
First thing’s first: who are you trying to target with your magazine campaign?
Whilst there are publications for just about every conceivable demographic, generally speaking, the format itself skews towards a particular type of audience—just because you sell a men’s health product, doesn’t mean your brand will necessarily benefit from advertising in Men’s Health.
Age is an obvious example of this issue, as only 25% of magazine readers are under the age of 35. Despite how closely your product aligns with the interests of a readership, if it skews towards a younger audience, you may be better off considering another avenue.
Where?
With an understanding of to who it is you’re hoping to advertise, you can think about which localities are likely to generate the greatest revenue for your business.
If you’re looking to generate the greatest number of sales in the shortest space of time, you may feel it is cost-effective to publish your ads in national—or even international—magazines like TIME or The Economist. Alternatively, if your business has a more regional scope, local newspaper and magazine advertising is a fantastic way to promote your brand with significantly lower costs
What?
Across the marketing landscape—from print and online to TV and radio—we frequently encounter advertisers who have failed to take note of what precisely it is they want their ad to say. More often than not, this results in unfocussed and ineffective materials that cost far more money than they make.
Your messages, images, logos, and other materials should be consistent with the overarching theme of your other marketing efforts (both online and offline). Whether you want to generate website traffic or generate immediate sales, the ads you post should be on-brand, with a clear call to action.
When?
Timing is everything with magazine advertising, and a strategic approach must be taken to establish when your ads are likely to yield the greatest results. This decision will be based on several data points, including your budget, your target market, the price you’re willing to pay, and the specifics of your business’ product or service.
With a savvy approach to timing, it’s possible to secure some of the most expensive advertising real estate for a fraction of the usual cost. For instance, June, July, and August form the most profitable months for the magazine industry, with the price of advertising rising accordingly—by advertising in the less popular autumn months, you may get a cover spot for the same price as a banner ad a few weeks earlier.
How?
Last but by no means least: how will you get your message across?
Unlike website and online advertising, space in magazines is a premium, with ad rates typically charged by column inches—a big ad, cover feature, or multi-page spread will always cost more than a small banner advertisement near the rear of the publication.
As mentioned, your ad must carry a message which is bold and impactful. Nevertheless, you don’t want to jeopardise your business by overreaching in terms of ad space.
Working with an experienced designer can ensure your materials are effective and on-brand, making the most of the canvas you can afford.
What Is the Cost of Magazine Advertising?
The question we hear most often from new clients, and the one for which there is—frustratingly—no simple answer.
There are a huge number of variables which will affect the costs of advertising in a publication: from the size of the ad, the magazine’s circulation, and whether it’s a local or national publication; to the time of year, and even the day of the week that the magazine hits UK newsstands.
UK Magazine Advertising Costs: A Case Study
To give you a rough idea of what you might expect to pay, we’ve chosen to take a look at one of our favourite music publications: The Wire.
An established and highly respected source for music news, reviews, and interviews, The Wire has a loyal readership and a strong online presence, making them an excellent option for industry-relevant businesses to engage with multi-channel marketing.
This is what they charge to advertise in their print edition:
- Box Ads (69mm x 83.mm): £125
- Double Box Ads (69mm x 168.6mm): £195
- Triple Box Ads (69mm x 254mm): £255
- Quarter Page Box Ads (104.5mm x 126mm): £500 colour; £300 mono
- Quarter Page Strip Ads [V] (51.25mm x 254mm): £500 colour; £300 mono
- Quarter Page Strip Ads [H] (211mm x 62mm): £500 colour; £300 mono
- Half Page Ads [V] (104.5mm x 254mm): £850 colour; £525 mono
- Half Page Ads [H] (211mm x 126mm): £850 colour; £525 mono
- Full Page Ads (230mm x 280mm): £1,450 colour; £995 mono
The Bank: A Comprehensive Approach to Your Print Adverts Campaign
Your search for a magazine advertising agency is over—The Bank is here.
At The Bank, we take pride in offering a comprehensive service, ensuring that your adverts are not only beautifully designed but also placed in the most effective publications to reach your target market.
Strategy and Planning
A successful campaign starts with a clear understanding of your business, your objectives, and your target audience. Our team will work closely with you to get to know your company inside out, helping you to develop an advertising strategy that is optimised to generate the greatest return on your investment.
Design and Creative
Once we have a firm understanding of your company, we will help you to develop concepts for your adverts. Our network of experienced and talented designers will create visuals which not only look great but also carry a powerful message, ensuring that your adverts make a lasting impression on readers.
Media Buying
With your concepts in place, our team of media buyers will get to work sourcing the most appropriate publications for your adverts. We have longstanding relationships with media buyers at all the major publications, meaning we can secure the best placement for your adverts at the most competitive rates you will find.
What Are You Waiting For?
To take the first steps on your magazine advertising journey, give us a call today—we can’t wait to get to work!
