FACTS ABOUT ADVERTISING IN MAGAZINES
Successful mail order dealers realise that there are two very distinct groups of publications in which to place advertising for maximum results. The first group includes newspapers and magazines designed to fill the needs, wants and interests of the 'General Public'. These 'National' publications can be found on news stands across the Nation. The second group is what is called 'Trade' publications. This consists of dozens of mail order magazines, ad sheets etc. Contrary to what some publishers of these 'Trades' claim, very few copies ever get into the hands of the General Public. Over 90% of the readers are mail order dealers or those thinking of entering mail order.
Whilst an advert placed in one of the 'Nationals' may bring in astronomical results, the identical advert may fall flat when inserted ina 'Trade' publication. Likewise, an advert that has sensational pulling power in one of the 'Trades', may get little or no response when it appears in a 'National'. As with any other profession, most mail order dealers are interested in what is happening in their own field plus they may also read 'Nationals'. However, the general public reads 'Nationals' but about 99% have very little interest in the 'internal' affairs of mail order. They couldn't care less. This is very important to remember when placing ANY advert.
Readers of mail order publications are interested in two basic needs. Firstly, how they can build up their business and increase profits. Secondly, ways of saving money. Unless what you have to offer falls into either of these two categories, adverts placed in 'Trades' are a waste of money. With so many 'Trades' to choose from, the logicalquestion is,'Where will an advert get the best results?' There is no 100% accurate answer. It is a matter of 'testing'. When selecting a publication to place an advert in for the first time, check the names of the advertisers appearing in each publication. If some of the better known names in mail order are represented, then you can be assured that it is a good publication to try. Most of these veterans know what they are doing and make certain that their advertising budget is wisely spent. So, follow the leaders.
Next, check the amount of 'filer' copy that appears in the publication. If more space is devoted to articles than to advertising, it is very possible that the publication is floundering. Remember, it is the adverts and NOT the articles that support any publication. Lack of adverts means that the publication does not have many advertisers. Lack of advertisers generally signifies that others have tried advertising in the publication and were disappointed with the results. They would then naturally stop advertising. However if you enjoy the articles and find them informative, it is much wiser to pay a small fee for a subscription and forget about advertising in them.
A second warning signal of where NOT to advertise is by the amount of space a publisher devotes to his own offers. Obviously, any publisher would rather fill their publications with adverts of cash-paying customers but if dealers are reluctant to buy space due to poor response from previous adverts, the publisher has no alternative but to fill up the pages with his own offers. Otherwise many of the pages would be blank.
