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Magazine Ads

by steveeakin
6 replies
Has anyone every had any success with magazine ads in a small, niche magazine? If so, do you have any tips to share? I'm about to place my first magazine ads in a quarterly micro-niche magazine and I'm affraid I'll waste my money with an ineffective ad or LP.
#ads #magazine
  • Profile picture of the author BH_Winchester
    What size of ad are you designing? This greatly changes layout techniques. The basics are to include a grabber and a point of sale which so many people forget (but that's the point of the ad) how you work them in and what you do with the rest of the space is highly dependent
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    • Profile picture of the author steveeakin
      Originally Posted by BH_Winchester View Post

      What size of ad are you designing? This greatly changes layout techniques. The basics are to include a grabber and a point of sale which so many people forget (but that's the point of the ad) how you work them in and what you do with the rest of the space is highly dependent
      Either 1/2 or full page full bleed, haven't decided yet. I was gunna put a domain-lp as the point of sale as opposed to my main site w/ a .html lp.

      What would you consider the grabber? the headline or the main image?
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      • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
        Originally Posted by steveeakin View Post


        What would you consider the grabber? the headline or the main image?
        Your question tells me you are about to burn your money.

        Because asking someone who has no idea of the market you are entering, who isn't a proven professional copywriter, is about as much use as tits on a bull!

        It's imperative you have the right message and offer to your market.

        Have you got that nailed yet?

        Have you been collecting hard numbers of your previous advertising methods?

        If you are starting out, run small ads first to find out what appeals get the highest response.

        Classified ads in your industry journal and Adwords can be a more cost effective way to test and measure different approaches while starting out.

        Once you see the one giving you the highest response, you can then put the same appeal and offer in display ads in your industry journals. Pick the smallest first then move up in size and placement.

        The highest response comes having your display ad in the top half of the mag. Also in the front pages and often back page. Ad rates reflect this.

        Best,
        Ewen
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        • Profile picture of the author steveeakin
          I'm actually getting a rate that is cheaper then a classified for my first run with no obligation to run additional. The magazine is such a micro-niche that I'd be a fool not to take this... it is a quarterly that is costing me less then 1 month of adwords testing (and I actually sold them a website upgrade, so ... we can call it free for the first run)

          I DONT have the message and offer nailed down yet. I have been working non-stop at it, testing different LP styles, different headlines, etc etc. I have some text-ads with a 10% CTR and some with a .02% so I'm starting to get the picture of what people are looking for, but getting those clicks to convert is proving tricky.

          My main problem is that I can't find any ads for anything remotely similar to what I'm selling and there is no industry journal to run classifieds in. I think I want to play off of the fact that the magazine is doing a review of my product in the same issue that I'm advertising in, but again... that is an untested method.

          I guess what I'm finding out is that each niche has it's own unique success / failure ads and conversions, and nothing but solid testing is going to fix that.

          Anyone on the board that you guys can recommend for managing an ad campaign across a few platforms to get it successful? It's hard getting it all set up and worrying about production and promotion of a physical product while working full time. It was much easier on my digital products...

          Originally Posted by ewenmack View Post

          Your question tells me you are about to burn your money.

          Because asking someone who has no idea of the market you are entering, who isn't a proven professional copywriter, is about as much use as tits on a bull!

          It's imperative you have the right message and offer to your market.

          Have you got that nailed yet?

          Have you been collecting hard numbers of your previous advertising methods?

          If you are starting out, run small ads first to find out what appeals get the highest response.

          Classified ads in your industry journal and Adwords can be a more cost effective way to test and measure different approaches while starting out.

          Once you see the one giving you the highest response, you can then put the same appeal and offer in display ads in your industry journals. Pick the smallest first then move up in size and placement.

          The highest response comes having your display ad in the top half of the mag. Also in the front pages and often back page. Ad rates reflect this.

          Best,
          Ewen
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  • Profile picture of the author danielkanuck
    Before you run your 1st ad, obtain 4 month's worth of the most recent back-issues from the magazine. This way, you can look and see who's continuing to run their ads month after month. You will also get to see if there is any direct response ads in the magazine.

    If you don't see any direct response ads, this means that the readers in the publication are untrained to respond to your type of ad - so i suggest that you don't advertise in magazines like this.

    On the other hand, if you see lots of direct response ads in a magazine, this means that the publication is responsive, and that they're already trained to pick up a phone and call or to visit a website. In magazines like this, see who's running their ads over and over again. After you have located these winning ads, structure your ad in a way that resembles the successful ads.

    I think you should check the magazines out first before you fork out any money.
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    • Profile picture of the author steveeakin
      I sifted through almost 2 years of back issues and spotted 2 ads in every issue. one is direct response and almost always on the inside cover.

      Originally Posted by danielkanuck View Post

      Before you run your 1st ad, obtain 4 month's worth of the most recent back-issues from the magazine. This way, you can look and see who's continuing to run their ads month after month. You will also get to see if there is any direct response ads in the magazine.

      If you don't see any direct response ads, this means that the readers in the publication are untrained to respond to your type of ad - so i suggest that you don't advertise in magazines like this.

      On the other hand, if you see lots of direct response ads in a magazine, this means that the publication is responsive, and that they're already trained to pick up a phone and call or to visit a website. In magazines like this, see who's running their ads over and over again. After you have located these winning ads, structure your ad in a way that resembles the successful ads.

      I think you should check the magazines out first before you fork out any money.
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