If you could get free magazine ads what would you promote?

[plessard]

When we run a marketing campaign in hard copy its expensive.

If it costs more for the hard copy ads than you make in commissions it makes no sense to continue.

What I am looking for is the near succeses. Campaigns that were close to being profitable.

So if your best buddy owned a chain of locally focused magazines and you won a bet and he said hey here is all the free advertising you want, what would you promote or what would be a good resource for finding out what you should promote.

The simple logic here is if I find something close to being profitable and remove the cost of the hard copy ads, voila, rolling in the green!

*******************FURTHER IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION

Here's the deal.
I know if someone out there is paying for hard copy advertising
and they have found a winning formula for promoting some cpa or other offer
they would NOT tell me what it is :-) Unless I paid them?

BUT I find myself in the unique circumstance of having someone owe me a butt load
of hard copy advertising in local publications.

SO what would be a losing campaign for someone else due to print costs
could be a winfall for me
so I am asking for someone to share their "near" successes
something that would have been great if not for the darn print/advertising costs
or
if you want to share a real winner and want something in return
I am not opposed to offering bribes :-)

[twistedpixel]

I would promote a "freebie" offer to build my list first.

[Rezbi]

Gigolo services.

[rapidscc]

Dating service..Tiff just mentioned that according to stats it's hot right now..

[triosolutions]

promote my website to get more visitors

[plessard]

thanks rapidscc, dating services could be a good one indeed.
resbi, you are trying to get me arrested lol

[kf]

Salut Pierre.

First, I'd check out some other locally based publications - see if you can get more than just the current month - and see who is continuing to advertise. If it's biz opp, diet, travel --- it gives you a snapshot of what the market is interested in.

Of course, I'm assuming the magazine is general interest - if it's targetted to a specific market, then you take another direction.

You didn't say if you want off-line or online offers to convert. Either way, find out what is already selling to those readers and just improve on it.

Probably a low-ticket or free item just to grab their contact info to start and then put find a good offer and do direct response.

A friend in Ontario used to do locally based magazines. So with that model you could promote off-line businesses by having a restaurant post a coupon special and for every person they bring in with that special, they pay you a comission. Just for an example. Same with bars, liquor stores, wine shops, etc.

If it's a food and gourmet magazine --- then gift baskets, wine accessories, high-end kitchen gadgets.

As for getting free advertising, I used to do this with print magazines by doing contra for online directory space. It's pretty easy to do if you can get to the decision-maker - and with small locally based magazines, getting to the decision maker shouldn't be a problem.

Just as you're looking to cut your print ad expenses, they are looking to cut some of their expenses too. Help them out and you could find yourself with a full back page ad (I held that spot for almost 2 years in one pub).

[peter gibson]

Would depend on the magazine yes? What's the market? Who is reading? Once we know this, selling them the shiznit gets a crap load easier, yes?

If I don't know what the topic is, then I would go for health and fitness and not expect to see any returns. I mean, how can I sell a "heart smart" diet to a "cheeseburger" magazine?

[plessard]

Hey Peter, Good point. I am lucky to have a variety of sources but my first will likely be a marketplace styled newsletter. Upper income families, read by 35+ moms and pops.

[howlinghawk]

Offer to setup websites. You could make loads from that.

-Howlinghawk

[Rezbi]

Originally Posted by plessard

Hey Peter, Good point. I am lucky to have a variety of sources but my first will likely be a marketplace styled newsletter. Upper income families, read by 35+ moms and pops.

High priced gigolo?

[Michael Oksa]

You are all missing the obvious, IMHO.

If I got high-priced magazine advertising for free, and I could choose what to promote...

I would promote...

HALF PRICE MAGAZINE ADVERTISING!!!!



All the best,
Michael

[plessard]

Hi Michael, sadly I am not able to do that. :-(
It has to be something I am promoting for myself.