We receive a few common questions here at DREAMS Magazine. Does magazine advertising still work? How much do magazine ads cost? How do I get results from the advertising?
This article answers all of those questions and provides helpful advertising tips that will get your results and grow your business.
Benefits of Magazine Advertising
Throughout the course of time, magazine advertising has been one of the most popular and effective ways for brands, businesses and people alike to promote and get out their message. There are many benefits to magazine advertising, and a few include:
- Instant Credibility
Recognized print publications hold a certain prestige and credibility in the reader’s mind. When they pick up a copy of the magazine, their mind’s thoughts are associating the information within to be legitimate and trustworthy. As an advertiser, this means there is a big opportunity to get your company and product/service firmly implanted into the reader’s mind.
- Company Association Elevates Your Brand
There’s a saying that you’re a reflection of the five people you spend the most time with. When it comes to advertising, the companies that readers see your brand with are who they will associate you with. If you’re in a quality magazine with other reputable companies, readers will instantly elevate your company to that level in their minds.
- Direct Response Calling and Visitors to Your Website
Not only are magazines great for building your brand, but they deliver direct response leads too. Ads or feature articles can have a phone number in them and should always have a website address. According to a study done by the National Retail Federation, shoppers are most likely to start an online search after viewing a magazine ad.
- Engaged Audience
The world we live in today is full of multitaskers who have short attention spans. The benefit of magazines is that when readers pick them up, their full attention is on the magazine. They don’t have the option to hold a 148-page magazine with one hand while checking their Instagram with the other. When someone picks up a magazine, they focus and engage with the text and ads.
How Much Do Magazine Ads Cost?
There are several factors that go into the cost of magazine advertising. The type and quality of magazine, its circulation and distribution, the size of your ad and its page placement are a few of the common variables that influence cost.
In many local magazines you can purchase ads between $1,000 to $3,000 per page. Stepping up into regional publications with a larger circulation, expect to pay between $5,000 to $20,000 per page. If you want to go big, some national magazines will charge upwards of $100,000+ just for a single page advertisement.
Something to keep in mind is that you can try negotiating for better placement and rates. You won’t always receive a better deal, but some publications are more than happy to work with you on prices, placement and even payment plans.
How to Get Results from Magazine Advertising
Print is a long way from dead, and the best marketers understand the powerful impact magazines have on your business both by way of branding and lead generation.
The first step to getting results from magazine advertising is to select the right publications for your business. If you’re a luxury brand, it’s probably not wise to select the local newspaper of a community that can’t afford your product/service. Be sure to ask the right questions to get a feel for the reach and potential impact your ad or feature article can have.
Questions to Ask:
- Who are the demographics of the readers?
- Where and how is the magazine distributed?
- How many copies are circulated?
- Are paid features/advertorials allowed?
- Is the magazine ad supported with digital promotion?
When it comes to designing an effective ad, keep a few things in mind:
- Clean and simple will always beat busy and cluttered
- Be sure your logo is clearly visible
- Pick a value proposition and point-of-difference and focus your ad copy solely on that singular point
- Have a call-to-action and provide a phone number and website address
- If you don’t have a designer, the magazine will often design the ad for you (we can do it for you at DREAMS!)
Paid feature articles or “advertorials” are also a great way to get the message out without it coming off like an advertisement. These are perfect for people selling products or services that require giving the buyer information, so they can make an informed decision on their purchase.
Our top tips for effective advertorials:
- Catch the reader’s attention at the very beginning of the article with your headline and introduction
- Focus on a singular point-of-difference and value proposition throughout the story
- Don’t sell throughout the article; instead, aim to inform the reader!
- Use good, professional photos in your story
- Have a clear call-to-action at the end of the article and provide your contact information (phone number, email, website, etc.)
You see that our last question has to do with digital marketing promoting the print ad. Why is this? Because in today’s landscape, you get the best results from an integrated marketing approach. Digital may not have the same credibility and engagement as print advertising, but it’s a great, cost-effective way to increase the reach of the magazine ad.
“The magazine is the core asset that readers pick up, read, believe and engage with,” explains DREAMS Magazine Associate Publisher, Ty Fischer, “However, to compete in today’s business world you need to dominate your space. The digital promotion we do via email marketing and social media posts helps reinforce your brand with these same readers, and then reaches thousands more who might not read the magazine but subscribe online. You essentially surround the audience and plant in their minds that you’re the only brand available.”
Lastly, remember that marketing and advertising is an investment back into your business; so be patient and consistent in your efforts. When done correctly, advertising will grow your business and yield incredible returns on the money you put in!
Summary
- Choose the right magazine for your businesses’ product/service
- Ask the right questions and don’t be afraid to negotiate!
- Design an effective ad that triggers a call-to-action
- Consider a feature article (advertorial) to inform the reader and motivate them to contact you
- Choose a magazine that combines digital marketing promotion when you place an ad
- Remember that advertising is an investment that pays dividends back to your business when patient and consistent!
Straight from the Source: Hear from Real Magazine Advertisers
Here’s what a couple of our advertisers in DREAMS Magazine had to say:
“We place advertisements in DREAMS Magazine because it reaches our luxury markets and is a high-quality magazine. That, combined with great, targeted readership and value-added digital promotion is why we choose DREAMS to advertise our luxury brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Rolls-Royce.” – Paul Rusnak, Founder & Chairman of Rusnak Auto Group
“As the top-producing real estate broker in La Canada Flintridge, I advertise in high-quality magazines such as DREAMS because buyers and sellers recognize and remember us from print. Plus, I utilize the magazine and it’s digital marketing to advertise my high-end, multi-million-dollar listings and monthly car show, which has yielded great results.” – Mike Kobeissi, Founder Kobeissi Properties
The New Print Media Option that WORKS
As we discussed above, magazine advertising is still a great way to promote and reach new customers. There are many benefits to magazine advertising and when done correctly, it’s one of the most effective ways to grow your business. Remember that the best marketers today are combining print advertising with digital marketing to form an integrated campaign that gets huge results.
Here are DREAMS, we love providing you with a comprehensive solution to grow your business. For a limited time, we are offering our most popular media package at rock-bottom price. This package includes:
- 1-Page Advertisement or Story (Advertorial)
- Email Blast to 100,000+ Subscribers
- Social Media Post to 25,000+ Followers
- Website Feature
- 10-Hard Copies
Click here to receive this special offer.
If you have any questions regarding magazine advertising, feel free to reach out to us direct! As advertising and marketing experts, we’re here to help.
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Email: [email protected]
Phone: (626) 529-5945
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