Ad reps must know the community and the paper

Chip Hutcheson

Sep 1, 2024

Everyone likes a good idea that generates income, as evidenced by the popularity of the Great Idea Exchange that Williams has moderated for years at NNA’s Annual Convention.
Hutcheson

A conversation on “Everything Advertising” should include expanding the conversation to include below-the-surface elements instrumental in growing advertising revenue.

Pub Aux offers a superb monthly article by Robert Williams that is a treasure trove of ideas. Everyone likes a good idea that generates income, as evidenced by the popularity of the Great Idea Exchange that Williams has moderated for years at NNA’s Annual Convention. Great ideas are paramount for success, but this month’s focus allows us to broaden the scope related to advertising growth.

The first consideration must involve who represents your newspaper in the market. Having the right person in that position is crucial for success.

SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK

  • Is your ad rep completely sold on the value of newspaper advertising? It’s a recipe for failure to have an ad rep who doesn’t think the newspaper can meet an advertiser’s needs.
  • Does your ad rep read every issue? One of the most awkward situations an ad rep can face is having an advertiser ask about a story and the rep not know what the story said. Not knowing the contents of the newspaper can destroy credibility.
  • Is your ad rep involved and interested in what is happening in the community? Not only does that knowledge breed good ideas, but it sends a positive signal to advertisers that the rep cares not just for the newspaper, but for the community in general.
  • Does your ad salesperson look at other newspapers in hopes of garnering ideas for future projects? Also, understand that sometimes the ad salesman can be too close to the forest to see the trees. That means consult with friends and family about potential ad campaigns. Just being a good listener can reap a harvest of good ideas. As you listen to people talk, always be asking, “Could this be an advertising opportunity?”
  • Does the ad rep have more than a passing interest and knowledge of every advertiser’s strengths and weaknesses? Having that knowledge means the ad salesperson can provide insight that not only shows interest in the advertiser, but also yields ideas to help that particular business prosper.
  • Does the ad salesperson value everyone who works at that business? It’s the right thing to do to acknowledge the employees of businesses you solicit because they may become your strongest allies with the decision maker. A simple “How are you today?” is not only courteous but builds good will.

The next consideration in establishing the newspaper as the most credible advertising source is the news product itself.

  • Is the paper viewed as essential reading in your community? If so, the ad rep has instant credibility and will see some significant barriers eliminated if people respect the effort to educate, entertain and inform readers.
  • Another facet leading to success is extensive use of pictures in ads. Decades ago, I heard Peter Wagner of the N’West Iowa Review explain how his photographers were key players on the advertising side. Compelling photos can bring a mundane ad to life!

Consider how pictures can improve ad sales. How many times do you hear someone make a comment: “I saw you on TV last night.” Or, “I heard you on the radio.” The corollary for newspapers is to include pictures in ads. A reader might not say, “I saw your ad in the newspaper,” but the person is more likely to say, “I saw your picture in the paper.” That means the reader noticed your ad and validated that ad in the mind of the advertiser.

You don’t have to be a great photographer or own an expensive camera to meet this need. Cell–phone cameras have evolved to the point that those photos can reproduce well in the newspaper. And because you can rapid fire with the phone’s camera, you can have plenty of photos to choose from.

• Look for ways to celebrate your community. Robert’s monthly articles feature plenty of ideas on many opportunities. Ads that promote community success are easy to sell and bring in revenue from non-traditional entities such as doctors, lawyers, accountants, local industries and in some cases big-box stores where the local manager has a budget to promote the community.

In the August Pub Aux, Robert highlighted a newspaper that published a salute to the local first responders. In the July 31 issue of The Times-Argus in Central City, Kentucky, publisher Mark Stone had a 20-page broadsheet special that saluted first responders. He got the idea at the Great Idea Exchange at the 2016 NNA convention. The three sections featured individual photos of law enforcement, firemen and emergency personnel, along with a brief description of their job, how long they have been in that role and names of their family members, along with a quote from each one.

There are a multitude of similar projects. If you have a local school athletic team that has a great season, advertisers are quick to salute those teams with congratulatory ads. At the start of each football and basketball season, run a special preview section. Seek advertisements from parents and churches where those athletes attend. Don’t forget to ask the local school system to purchase an ad wishing the players a great season.

One of the easiest special sections we ever sold came when a local golfer won the U.S. Women’s Amateur. We sold ads on Monday, designed them by close of business Tuesday and had a remarkably profitable special section in Wednesday’s paper. In situations like that, it’s hard to contact every potential advertiser. In our Saturday paper, we had additional ads congratulating the golfer — advertisers were calling us wanting to place ads!

Our Industry Appreciation Special was very popular. Content was easy — go into local industries and take plenty of photos. Print a history of the industry, as well as a synopsis of what it does. Include statistical information if it is accessible from state economic development officials. The ad pool is great for these types of specials — banks, insurance agencies, health care professionals, school systems, area colleges and churches are usually prime candidates.

When a new school or hospital is built and a grand opening scheduled, solicit ads from all the contractors who played a part in that project. Typically, those firms might feel compelled to advertise because of the role they played in seeing the project come to fruition.

Anything patriotic is typically appealing to advertisers. It’s hard to say “no” to patriotic themes that celebrate this wonderful country.

Bottom line: Look for happenings in your community that will make advertisers want to show their support.

• Finally, when you publish one of these special sections, promote it on social media — thank the advertisers for their community support, and encourage people to buy that week’s issue so they can join in celebrating whatever occasion it is.

Perhaps a good quote to paste on your office computer would be this one from Chris Grosser: “Opportunities don’t happen; you create them.” Make that your mindset, and you’re on your way to growing ad revenue.

Chip Hutcheson is the retired publisher of The Times Leader in Princeton, Kentucky. He was NNA president in 2015. He currently serves as a content strategist for Kentucky Today, the online news website of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. chiphutcheson@yahoo.com