The effectiveness of magazine advertising depends on your advertising and promotion objectives, as well as the budget you have for advertising. Magazine advertising has strengths and weaknesses relative to other ad media. In general, you want to use media that reach your target audience and allow you to present effective messages affordably.
A key advantage of magazines over newspapers as a print medium is the potential for high-impact messages. Full page magazine ads rich with color and visual imagery can attract attention and enhance the visual presentation of your products. Magazines commonly use glossy finish and allow for full color spreads. You can use "bleed" images or color backgrounds meaning have them extend all the way to the page edges, without a border to present a product image that really stands out.
When people think about newspaper and magazine advertising, images of the large, glossy, national publications often come to mind. For a small or medium-sized business, thinking about competing for ad space like that seems impossible. Thankfully, that is not the case. Like many other forms of advertising, many large publications have local sections that make way for smaller businesses. Even better, these sections are a bit larger than what smaller business may be used to, which gives them the opportunity to reach a larger geographical region that stretches beyond their local neighborhood.
Posting advertisements in magazines is a great tool for businesses that have smaller or niche stores that carry specialized products. People who love these hobby shops will travel the distance to find a new supplier or expert who can provide products and services for their hobbies, plus, they will spread the word about the business to their contacts with similar interests.
Magazine advertising differs in many ways. Aside from the ad size, there are different types, which include display ads, advertorials, classifieds, and special promotions. Special promotions may include products to be featured in an article or a series of articles on a particular subject.
Special Ad Promotions :
Special ad promotions is essentially a category with its own subcategories. For example, a special ad containing different online courses may be published alongside an article about learning options abroad. These online educational institutions would be told about the segment from an advertising sales rep and offered ad space in that issue. A multitude of schools with the same target audience could all be showcased, making the rates affordable and allowing each institution the chance to reach a huge consumer audience. Additionally, the author of an article can endorse specific products and the companies would not have to pay for the mention of their products.
Classifieds :
Often found at the back of magazines, classified ad space typically involves a few lines of text with contact information and a call to action. A logo or small photograph is included. Classifieds are much less expensive than full or partial page ads; however, readers may not turn to the classified ad section and the business opportunity may be risked.
Advertorials :
This type of ad usually requires an entire page in the main part of a magazine. Most advertorials are written in the form of a story with an eye-catching headline. Magazine readers tend to gravitate towards these ads as they can be confused with part of the content. Due to laws in many areas about this confusion, words like "advertisement" should be placed at the top of the ad.
Display Ads :
Display ads are the most easily recognizable of all magazine ads. They display products in a clear way along with some text. This type of ad is more expensive than the others, and mainly national brands are found on the pages of the most popular publications.
Posting ads in magazines is a major benefit to businesses—the higher quality images can have a bigger impact on potential customers than direct mail or newspaper ads. These full color images provide a clearer picture of the product, giving the public a better idea of your brand. Additionally, since magazines cater to a specific demographic, such as people who belong to a certain age group or industry, businesses and brands are almost guaranteed to reach their target audience. Advertising agencies for magazine ads can help businesses make ongoing communication with their target audiences, allowing you to engage with them early in the buying cycle. Ads in magazines stimulate reader interest, prompting them to take further action such as visiting the company's web site or calling in for more information.
