In order to obtain a position in the newspaper advertising industry you must first understand it as an advertising medium. As with any advertising mediums newspaper has its pro and cons. In newspaper advertising you must advertise on a regular basis being consistent is important in conveying the message being advertised.
Advantages to newspaper advertising includes almost everyone gets some sort of newspaper publication either through home delivery or by newsstand daily. In the newspaper industry it is easy to track demographics of the readers being targeted. For example with paid subscription advertising you know how many households are being delivered to and typically it’s an educated consumer you are reaching. If a consumer is paying for a newspaper you know they are reading it, and many times more than one person in the household are reading the newspaper therefore you are reaching more than one person. Often a newspaper will be held onto for multiple readings, creating exposure for an advertisement many times. Newspaper advertising is tangible something a consumer can cut out and hold onto, therefore it is ok to include details you wouldn’t be able to include in radio advertising such as address, phone number and prices. Another advantage is the large variety of ad sizes available in newspaper advertising from a small black and white ad to a large full color ad, depending on the advertising budget. Even though there may not be a lot of money in a budget, it is still possible to place a series of small ads, without making a sacrifice.
Disadvantages to newspaper advertising include the page size of a newspaper is fairly large and small ads can get lost on the pages. There are many advertisements on one page if a potential consumer isn’t paying close attention they may miss the intended ad completely. Many times consumers will scan the paper looking for what they are interested in and may miss your ad completely, or they may not even read the section of the newspaper you are in.
As with any area of the advertising industry study it closely the more you know the better decision you will make.
