Whether you’re looking to advertise locally or to develop a marketing campaign on a national scale, few advertising mediums offer the reach, the versatility, and the value for money as that offered by newspaper advertising.
For more than two centuries, newspapers have been the go-to choice for businesses and individuals seeking to promote their products, services, and events. Today, with both print and digital editions widely available, newspaper advertising remains an extremely effective way to reach your target audience.
At The Bank, we are a media buying and planning agency, with a team of experienced newspaper advertising specialists. We work with all the major national newspapers as well as local and regional titles, so we can help you to plan and place your adverts in the publications that will generate the greatest return on investment.
What’s more, because we buy space in bulk, we are able to secure highly competitive rates for our clients. So, if you’re looking for a cost-effective way to reach a large number of potential customers, newspaper advertising could be the perfect solution.
To find out more about how we can help you to achieve your marketing objectives, call us today. Alternatively, keep reading for our comprehensive guide to newspaper advertising.
The Benefits of Newspaper Advertising
Speed
One of the most obvious benefits of newspaper advertising is the speed with which your advert can be published. Most newspapers are printed on a daily or weekly basis, which allows you to get your advertisement off the ground faster than any other form of print marketing.
This is ideal for companies wishing to capitalise on a short-term opportunity or those who want to respond swiftly to a change in the market.
Engagement
As anyone who’s ever picked up a copy of the Financial Times will tell you, reading a newspaper is a non-passive activity. Unlike radio or television ads—which can be easily ignored—newspaper ads usually require the reader to engage with them directly.
What’s more, with vouchers and coupons often found in both national and regional newspapers, many readers proactively seek out the marketing content in the hunt for a bargain.
Popularity
Newspaper and magazine ads score highly on advertisement popularity metrics, with 63% of readers claiming not to mind being presented with commercial content. Compared to the 25% annoyance factor of online advertising, it’s clear to see that print ads are far more palatable to consumers.
Trust
Regardless of political leanings or editorial content, traditional ad media (newspaper ads, magazine ads, tv ads, et al.) are subject to strict regulatory guidelines where advertising is concerned. As such, trust in newspaper advertising remains strong, with some 60% of people saying they have faith in the brand messaging they see.
Local papers are particularly beneficial in this regard, often serving as respected and informed elements of their communities.
Targeting
One of the most significant advantages of newspaper advertising is the ability to target your audience with pinpoint accuracy. Local and regional papers tend to have very defined demographics, so it’s easy to identify which ones will be most relevant to your business
What’s more, many national newspapers now offer supplementary publications targeting specific interest groups. The Guardian, for example, has both a main paper and a separate sports edition, each with its own distinct readership.
Impact
On their own, newspaper ads can be extremely effective—like billboard advertising put directly into the hands of your audience. However, when combined with other media formats, they can form the basis for a cohesive and highly impactful marketing strategy.
If your brand devotes most of its advertising cost to online and digital marketing, adding print or newspaper advertising can make your existing campaign 400% more effective.
Are Newspaper Ads Cost-Effective?
Despite their benefits, one of the questions we hear most often from new clients is whether newspaper advertising remains a viable marketing avenue in an increasingly digital age. Frustratingly, the most honest answer we can give is: it depends.
The are various factors which impact the ad rates you can expect to pay, the audience you should expect to target, and the return you might expect to see. Take a look below for some of the key factors to consider when conducting a cost-benefit analysis.
Who?
Who are you looking to target through your newspaper ad? The answer to this question will inform the publication you work with, as well as which section will be most appropriate for your advert.
B2C companies might focus their attention on local newspaper ads, targeting a small section of readers in a specific geographic area. B2B firms, on the other hand, may want to consider placing an advert in a trade publication with a more niche readership.
Where?
With a handle on who is your target customer, the question becomes where they are.
National newspapers often have as much—if not greater—penetration in regional areas as do their local compatriots; however, the cost to advertise in regional newspapers is often significantly lower and will vary depending on its circulation. A full-page ad in a national newspaper might cost you tens of thousands; that same ad in a local paper may be available for a few hundred.
What?
What is the nature of the product or service you wish to promote?
For instance, if you’re a progressive company with a liberal base of loyal customers, you may want to avoid aligning yourself with right-leaning publications such as the Daily Mail. Similarly, you might be able to purchase an ad for your upmarket fashion brand at a lower cost in the Daily Star, but do the readers of that paper have the money or the inclination to pay attention?
Why?
What are your goals for this newspaper advert campaign? Are you looking to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or drive sales? Depending on which of these is your key focus, the costs and benefits of newspaper advertising may differ.
How?
The last major factor in determining your newspaper ads cost is the format you choose for displaying your marketing materials. Newspaper ad space is typically charged per column inch, with small modular ads costing significantly less than full-page ads or editorials. Along with column inches, colour can play a role in the cost to advertise, with a black and white ad will cost less than a full-colour ad of the same size.
Where to Run Your Newspaper Adverts
When it comes to finding the right publication for your newspaper advertisements, it’s important to consider your target audience, your budget, and—significantly—the values of your business and its customers.
For a quick run-down of the major newspaper formats, take a look below:
Broadsheet Newspapers
Traditionally, broadsheet newspapers are the largest in terms of both page size and readership, making them ideal for companies with large advertising budgets. Available nationwide and commonly having an upmarket reputation, broadsheets tend to have an affluent, educated audience of loyal readers.
Some of the largest broadcast newspapers include:
- The Times
- The Sunday Times
- The Daily Telegraph
- The Sunday Telegraph
- The Guardian
- The Financial Times
Tabloid Newspapers
Tabloid newspapers are smaller in size than broadsheets and have a more casual, gossip-oriented tone. Tabloids are frequently the largest national papers, with circulation figures far exceeding those of their broadsheet counterparts. However, it’s worth noting that tabloids don’t always command the same level of respect as broadsheets; nor do their readers have the same disposable income.
Among the major tabloid newspapers are:
- The Sun
- The Daily Mail
- The Mail on Sunday
- The Daily Express
- The Daily Mirror
- The Daily Star
Local Newspapers
Local newspapers are those which focus on regional news and events. Sporting a hyper-local readership, these papers are ideal for businesses targeting consumers in a specific town, city, or region. Local is often preferable to national newspaper advertising, as it allows businesses to send highly targeted messages to their audience, often at much lower ad prices. What’s more, with many local papers owned by national publishers—such as Reach—it’s possible to build local newspaper ad campaigns which target new customers on a national basis.
Some of the most famous local newspaper names include:
- London Evening Standard
- Manchester Evening News
- Glasgow Evening Times
- Liverpool Echo
- Newcastle Chronicle
Freesheet Newspapers
Many local papers—such as the aforementioned Evening Standard—are distributed freely, with production costs subsidised by advertising revenues. Freesheet national newspapers are typically commuter-focused, being handed out at key transport hubs such as railway stations and bus stops. As a result, they tend to command an extremely broad audience, allowing businesses to advertise to commuters and city workers of a range of demographics.
A couple of the most widely-distributed national freesheets are:
- Metro
- City A.M.
Digital Newspapers
Starting with The Independent in 2016, a number of major newspapers have ceased print production in favour of digital-only formats; most of those that remain have committed to beefing up the digital side of their businesses. For advertisers, this provides an opportunity for highly targeted programmatic advertising, while still benefiting from the trust and loyal readership of a national paper.
Magazines
The line between national newspaper and magazine is becoming murkier all the time, as more and more publications release glossy, lifestyle-focussed suplements with their papers. When it comes to marketing, magazines, on the whole, have some distinct advantages (and disadvantages) over newspapers; visit our dedicated page to read more about our magazine advertising services.
Newspaper Adverts: Sizes and Specifications
As mentioned earlier, one of the most significant cost factors in newspaper advertising is the size of the advert itself—a larger advertisement is more noticeable, and those column inches don’t come cheap.
However, for a small business or one with a limited budget, there are plenty of creative solutions for making small print ads stand out. Take a look below for some information on some of the most common national newspaper advertising standards:
DPS (Double Page Spread)
A DPS is, quite simply, two facing pages of a newspaper which have been bought by an advertiser and used to display their advert. Often utilised by major brands with large budgets, a DPS provides unrivalled real estate for an advertisement and gives businesses the opportunity to make a truly impactful statement
Full-Page
A full-page advert is, as the name suggests, an advert which fills an entire page of a newspaper. This is one of the most popular sizes for print ads and provides plenty of space for a business to get its message across without breaking the bank.
Half-Page
Available in horizontal and vertical formats, a half-page ad provides a good amount of space for an advertisement while being more affordable than a full-page ad. Particularly popular with small business advertisers and startups.
1/3 Page and 1/4 Page
These smaller adverts are typically used by brands with more modest budgets, or those looking to target a specific section of a newspaper’s readership.
Advertorials
An advertorial is a type of advertisement which takes the form of an article or feature, designed to promote a product or service while still providing the reader with valuable content. Advertorials are a great way for a company to get its message across in a more subtle, informative way.
The Bank: A Newspaper Advertising Agency and So Much More
Regardless of the size of your business or its marketing budget, when it comes to investing in an advertising agency you want to work with a company that can offer a comprehensive solution. You don’t just want a media buyer—you want a strategic partner that can help you to navigate the often complex world of advertising and marketing.
At The Bank, we pride ourselves on our comprehensive services; your business is our business, and we’ll assist you at every step of the way.
Strategy and Planning
The first step in any successful advertising campaign is to develop a robust strategy. Our team of experienced marketing professionals will work with you to understand your business, your product, and your target customer.
We’ll develop a bespoke strategy designed to deliver real results, with clear metrics for measuring success or failure.
Creative Services
Once we have a solid understanding of your business, we’ll start to develop creative concepts for your campaign.
Our network of designers and copywriters will create ads that are not only eye-catching and impactful, but which deliver your company messaging in a clear and concise way
Media Buying
With your strategy and creative in place, we’ll turn our attention to the nitty-gritty of media buying.
Our team has years of experience in negotiating with publishers and media outlets, and we’ll make sure that you get the best possible rates for your ad space.
We’ll also provide expert guidance on choosing the right publications or media channels for your ads, to ensure that your ads are seen by the right people
Analytics and Reporting
Last but not least, we’ll provide you with regular reports and analyses of your campaign’s performance.
This feedback loop is essential for understanding what’s working and what isn’t, and for making necessary changes to ensure that your campaigns are as successful as possible going forward.
What Are You Waiting For?
Don’t settle for anything less than the best when it comes to your business’s advertising. Get in touch with The Bank today and let us show you what we can do.
