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Local Community Newspapers

by AboutTown
10 replies
I've had some success advertising url's in local community newspapers. For a particular site and niche I can get a good number of visits with high interaction times and conversions.

I have run into some difficulty with News Ltd publications here in Australia. New Ltd publications do not allow advertisers to include a url in a newspaper classified. Unfortunately they have a near monopoly for community papers in Australia.

I am left with only a small number of community papers nationwide that will print a url. One workaround I have tried is to include a mobile phone number in the print ad. The phone number simply plays a voicemail message which directs callers to visit the website. This method does work but must reduce the traffic inflow to a small percentage of the potential traffic generated if the url was in the ad.

Another technique is to spell out the words in a domain name then place this in bold at the bottom of the print ad ie:

Classified Title
Body Copy Line 1
Body Copy Line 2
domain name

This assumes that the reader will make the connection, the site is ranked for its domain name, and the user wont accidentally click the wrong link on the SERP.

Would be interested in thoughts and suggestions.
#community #local #newspapers
  • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
    Never heard of them not allowing a url ? but they usually have a minimum number of chars before you can add a url ? maybe things have changed. probably not missing much any way, the local paper is just one thing that gets picked up from the drive and added to the recycle bin these days for many people.
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    • Profile picture of the author AboutTown
      It may be different depending on the ad format. I have been buying simple text classifieds. No longer than a few lines. Was never given the option to go to a larger ad format when enquiring about adding a url. I have found that people do read those classifieds and respond to the ads for some niches. In this case I am talking about adult classifieds.
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      • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
        Originally Posted by AboutTown View Post

        It may be different depending on the ad format. I have been buying simple text classifieds. No longer than a few lines. Was never given the option to go to a larger ad format when enquiring about adding a url. I have found that people do read those classifieds and respond to the ads for some niches. In this case I am talking about adult classifieds.
        Ok well I have run ads in these papers along your lines and a min char count was needed before a url was allowed so ask that question, ? it was not in adult though so it may differ, I am sure the adult section would be read in those papers, probably the only thing left people would read in it.
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        | > Choosing to go off the grid for a while to focus on family, work and life in general. Have a great 2020 < |
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        • Profile picture of the author AboutTown
          Originally Posted by tryinhere View Post

          Ok well I have run ads in these papers along your lines and a min char count was needed before a url was allowed so ask that question, ? it was not in adult though so it may differ, I am sure the adult section would be read in those papers, probably the only thing left people would read in it.
          These classifieds do get a lot of attention. This is why i'm going to the trouble. I will bring up the character limit with a rep.
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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    Does News Limited own Leader newspapers? Because they are the local paper company covering Melbourne anyway, not sure about other States.
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    • Profile picture of the author AboutTown
      Originally Posted by laurencewins View Post

      Does News Limited own Leader newspapers? Because they are the local paper company covering Melbourne anyway, not sure about other States.
      They own the Melbourne Leader community papers. But they do not own the Sydney leader papers. Sydney leader papers are owned by Fairfax. Sydney community papers are just about the only ones News Ltd. doesn't own. Sydney leader papers will let you print a url in your ad.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tom Addams
    What silly pillocks (News Ltd Publications.)

    Try This

    Rank very unique (and thus, very easy) domains and simply ask readers to find you in Google. Local SEO is super easy if all you're doing is literally trying to rank for a unique, non-competitive term. All your readers then have to do is type that term into Google, which is really no different than typing it into the URL bar, perhaps even easier for some.

    - Tom
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    I Coach: Learn More | My Latest WF Thread: Dead Domains/ Passive Traffic

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    • Profile picture of the author AboutTown
      Originally Posted by Tom Addams View Post

      What silly pillocks (News Ltd Publications.)

      Try This

      Rank very unique (and thus, very easy) domains and simply ask readers to find you in Google. Local SEO is super easy if all you're doing is literally trying to rank for a unique, non-competitive term. All your readers then have to do is type that term into Google, which is really no different than typing it into the URL bar, perhaps even easier for some.

      - Tom
      Great tip. This would be very clear to the readers.
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      • Profile picture of the author Tom Addams
        Originally Posted by AboutTown View Post

        Great tip. This would be very clear to the readers.
        It looks like your only way to go. I have an idea of the market (well, a guess!) and if so the domain keywords in use would lend themselves to easy search ranking. Best of luck anyway. I'm quite amazed a newspaper would make it so difficult - nowadays of all times. Bonkers.

        - Tom
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        I Coach: Learn More | My Latest WF Thread: Dead Domains/ Passive Traffic

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        • Profile picture of the author AboutTown
          Originally Posted by Tom Addams View Post

          It looks like your only way to go. I have an idea of the market (well, a guess!) and if so the domain keywords in use would lend themselves to easy search ranking. Best of luck anyway. I'm quite amazed a newspaper would make it so difficult - nowadays of all times. Bonkers.

          - Tom
          I'm not sure what their motivation for blocking urls is. Maybe they want to keep the readers in the paper and see the url's as competition.
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