Smalltown Newspaper Advertising

[DT1970]

Smalltown newspapers, unlike metropolitan newspapers, are still being read...people like to read the local police reports, see what's happening at their high schools, who got married, local garage sales, etc.

In contemplating the creation of an advertisement, a key principal to the advertiser is to catch people's eye and get your ad read. An even more difficult, but desireable result, is that people actually remember your ad...or something about it.

Has anyone experimented with using visuals in their ad that catch a person's attention and seem to increase response rate? For example...the use of an open coffin for FE ads, the use of a cute baby in life insurance, the use of an adorable pet as a mascot of some sort, the use of a burglar/house/whatever...

Which begs a secondary question...should advertising be sterile and bluechip to present a business-like image or should it be folksy and homey if your market is small-town America? Let's say you have an adorable kitten Fluffy...would incorporating Fluffy in your ad to get the "awwww" factor make you look unprofessional and actually backfire on getting people to contact you?

Very interested in your opinions and experiences on this issue.

 

[insuranceexec]

I personally would only advertise in a professional setting. However, with that being said, try it and tell us how effective it is.

 

[DJM]

I've posted in newspapers before, but for me, advertising in something called coffee news has been alot more successful ROI wise. I put the exact same ad in both the paper and coffee news, and I got literally 5x as many calls in 1 month from coffee news, then I got from the newspaper. I had also made 2.5 times as many sales from coffee news, then the paper. This trend continued for 6 months untill I pulled the plug on the newspaper ad.

 

[jjjtrio]

One of the main things in newspaper adds is repetition. The add doesn't have to be big and extravagant. Come up with a few professional and to the point adds the size of a business card or one size up and test. Once you find the one pulls the best response run it in the same spot week after week.

Most people will run a add for a month or two, then stop and say newspaper adds don't work. Beat your name into their brains with repetition.

I know some are having success with running an add for Burial Insurance in the obituaries.

 

[insuranceexec]

What about advertising fixed rate annuities on the DJIA page. You pay a little more for that type of placement, but I have found it is well worth the money.

I ran the ad for 6 months straight. After a while you become a permanent fixture.

 

[jjjtrio]

What about advertising fixed rate annuities on the DJIA page. You pay a little more for that type of placement, but I have found it is well worth the money.

I ran the ad for 6 months straight. After a while you become a permanent fixture.

A permanent fixture is what you want.

 

[Freddie]

What about advertising fixed rate annuities on the DJIA page. You pay a little more for that type of placement, but I have found it is well worth the money.

I ran the ad for 6 months straight. After a while you become a permanent fixture.

Is it okay to publish the rate on the annuity? Right now 4% on a 5 year annuity verus 2.2% on a money mkt? CD's are what 2.5% if you are luck. I am still starting up my practice.

The guys on the radio quote returns.

The whole thing about newspapers is the big papers are dying because the content is too far left. Most of them reprint AP content which is left. The average person does not want propagnada. Small town papers usually do local news and events. Newspapers that are more balanced are holding up a bit better against the Internet. The other thing is most papers are about 80% union.

People were shocked that the NY Times, which bought the Boston Globe, provided lifetime employment to the writers at the paper. Tenured jobs like college profs.

Sorry for digressing.

 

[insuranceexec]

Is it okay to publish the rate on the annuity? Right now 4% on a 5 year annuity verus 2.2% on a money mkt? CD's are what 2.5% if you are luck. I am still starting up my practice.

The guys on the radio quote returns.

The whole thing about newspapers is the big papers are dying because the content is too far left. Most of them reprint AP content which is left. The average person does not want propagnada. Small town papers usually do local news and events. Newspapers that are more balanced are holding up a bit better against the Internet. The other thing is most papers are about 80% union.

People were shocked that the NY Times, which bought the Boston Globe, provided lifetime employment to the writers at the paper. Tenured jobs like college profs.

Sorry for digressing.

No problem. You can publish the rate providing that it is pre-approved, by the carrier, and has a specified time limit, as to how long that rate is available.

Good question.