Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Determine what the most read section is for your target market and put it on that page or opposite that page.

Inside front cover; pg. 2-3, inside back cover, depending on the binding--if stapled in the center where the natural split would be. Other than that, I alway try for top right-hand placement on a right side page. Always avoid the gutter if you can.

If there is a bind in card, on the opposing page...you're asking for a lot there though...unless you're a big account.

Also, away from all other ads, if possible.

The gutter is the area along the inside center binding. If your ad is not on the far left of the left hand page, or the far right of the right hand page, it's in the gutter.

A bind in card is basically a post-card like reply device that is bound into the magazine and usually accompanies a large ad. It is torn out and mailed in to the company.

Special placement in a magazine usually runs about 10% more of your ad cost. I've seen it 20%. And sometimes it's not offered at all. Like in newspapers, unless you have a friend there. Then they go "ROP" Run Of Press, it could end up anywhere.

If you are creating your own ads, I highly recommend this book. https://www.nmoa.org/catalog/fisher.htm

For an overall understanding of many different advertising/marketing tactics, I shamelessly recommend my book: https://www.nmoa.org/DirectMarketingToolkit/

Hi Juliet,

What an opportunity you have gained to have a stand alone advert on a half a page.

I'd be more concerned about the ad being on the same page as the most important news that they will be pitching for the month. So find out if your ad can go opposite of the most important piece of information being shared or on the back page Since that would be the other best place to be when you know you can't have access to the front page.

Does your ad have images on it?

Because if you by chance you have an ad with words and image it really may not matter which side your ad goes. But in a society like yours where you all choose to drive on the opposite side of the road I'd put the ad on the left side of the paper if the above is not possible.

EXPERIMENTATION BRINGS REVELATION...
Oh I nearly forgot to say that finally if you have no previous experience advertising with their journal EXPERIMENT?

Here's what I'd like you to do...over the next 9 months put the advert an equidistance of 7, 8 or 9 pages from the front page for several months then try it 7, 8, or 9 pages from the back page for an equal amount of time (be sure you don't change the ad).

This is like an experiment where all things must remain the same for a continous amount of time. Changing too many variables will make it nearly impossible to determine what is or isn't working. Be very meticulous in your recording of what kinds of articles or stories your advert is placed next to.

MEASURE how many calls you get or if you don't get any at all. Keep track of these calls. Next make several calls to nearly a dozen of the schools who receive this magazine each month. Be sure to speak to Head Teachers or regular teachers and ask them questions about your advert. Ask them if they could please be so kind to tell you what they liked or didn't like about the advert. Listen carefully and take good notes of the role the individual plays in the school and even what areas of the UK they are located in. The more details you can gain the better knowledge you will have for future campaigns. Be sure to send me an email and let me know what kind of results you have been getting from doing this. Again Experimentation brings Revelation. REMEMBER... our only real problem in life is our failure to be "MORE Creative" than we’ve ever been. If you “Invent” your opportunity YOU WILL most definitely create your future. I'm only an email away from you if you need further guidance, direction or you'd just like to talk more about it. You see I love it when my customers are happy. Are you happy yet? Is this information helping you? Is there anything else I can do for you?

Your Servant,

Lovingly Deremiah *CPE (Customer Passion Executive)

Hello Juliet,

With a print ad, ALWAYS request "right-hand read" on your order, which means a right-hand page placement.

Although I enjoyed the idea above related to driving on the left, in this case, effective placement has to do with the way the eye works on a 2-page spread. Any time you have a 2-page spread (catalog, magazine, newspaper, etc.), the eye goes naturally to the right-hand side first. Then, for Westerners, since we read from left to right, the viewer typically goes to the left page to start scanning, and returns to the right page. So right-hand ads tend to be more effective, because they essentially get viewed twice.

In addition to right-hand read, you always want to try to negotiate for a "far forward position", which most magazines will accommodate if you agree to a particular number of insertions during the calendar year.

It's also important to know that the effectiveness of your ad on a page is in direct proportion to the size of your headline, any arresting visual used (and its size), and any color used in the ad. You can create a highly effective ad of any size, when the headline and/or arresting visual are of significant size.

Right hand page, above the fold (top half) is ALWAYS the premium spot. First three pages or last three pages, or absolute center are always the best placments for any ad.

If you can nail any of those pages, you are well positioned.

Hope you grab it.