Have you ever been tempted to advertise in a magazine just because your competitors are doing it? Not every magazine is effective or worth your marketing spend, so here’s what you need to consider to answer the questions “Is magazine advertising effective?”
Is the distribution free or a paid subscription?
The thing about free distributed magazines is that even though they claim that they may be getting over 10,000 distributions in your local area, not all of those distribution points equate to quality readers and they may just end up in the bin at the end of the month.
Paid subscriptions are actually a bit more value for your money in terms of ensuring that your ad will be seen by an engaged audience that has opted in
Is the magazine saturated by competitors?
So often magazines are glorified directories that have way too many competitors advertising in the same space at the same time.
Magazines that focus on niche audiences can also be guilty of cramming in competing advertisers that focus on their audience. It can be very hard to stick out when you are right next to a competitor. It’s an extra consideration to make when deciding whether it’s worth it or not.
Do they have an engaged community of their own?
Do they have a Meta Facebook page and Instagram page? Are they engaging in any discussions in your local community? If they don’t have a community behind their name, it’s likely that they just offering advertising space for the sake of making a profit.
It’s always better to go for magazines that have an online presence, a local community presence, and are taking part in two-way discussions with their audience. That way you know that they have engaged readers that are going to see your ad.
What are your numbers saying?
If you have advertised with them in the past, don’t make do with the idea that “you know it’s working but just don’t have the proof”. The numbers don’t lie. If you have a field asking “where did your hear about us” that allows for open-ended responses and no one is listing the magazine, chances are that it is just not working and you need to look at allocating your marketing spend elsewhere.
What have you found successful in magazine advertising?
