Magazine Advertisements

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Why Magazine Advertising?

Magazine advertising's major benefit to businesses is its ability to display higher quality images than either direct mail or newspaper. Higher quality images, represented with full colour and gloss, allow a clearer picture of your product, giving the public a better idea of your company. In addition, many magazines target a specific demographic, such as people who belong to a certain trade or of a certain age group. By advertising in magazines within your industry, you are almost guaranteed to reach your intended audience.

Geography

Even if you are a small business, you can advertise in the most widely read and distributed national magazines. National magazines often have regional versions of their magazines and/or sections dedicated to small businesses and specific locales. Small hobbyist stores often advertise in national magazines because people are sometimes willing to venture outside of their community to find a new supplier for specialty services.

Time Frame

Magazines are typically kept for a longer period of time than newspapers because of their higher printing quality. Medical offices, for example, usually save magazines because they give people something to read while waiting for their appointment. A reader of a magazine may keep an issue if it contains particularly interesting information. If you put an ad in a magazine, it is likely that someone will, through some circumstance, pick up the magazine several months from its print date and see your ad.

Considerations

Magazine ads are expensive no matter what publication you go with because printing on glossy paper is expensive. Small and mid-size businesses can reduce magazine ad costs by purchasing less than a full page ad. Keep in mind that you must negotiate your rate and turn in your ad far in advance of the publication date, usually 1 to 6 months beforehand. Publishers may give you a discount if you purchase ad space within several issues. D Dot Design recommends researching any magazine with which you plan to advertise, especially if you want to advertise in a niche magazine. A good place to start is basics about publications, such as a magazine's readership and distribution stats.