A wise man once defined insanity as "doing the same thing over and over, yet expecting a different result". Unfortunately, this describes the approach many shooting sports retailers take to creating and running newspaper ads. They do them with minimal effort and run them in the same places, and when its' all said and done, they're really getting out of it.
Hometown newspaper advertising is, and will continue to be, very important for shooting sports retailers. For one thing, it reaches your local audience-those people close to your business who are most likely to be your customers. For another, many consumers have become accustomed to perusing their favorite part of the local newspaper ( say the Sports or Outdoors Section) when there's something they want or need.
Just like any other form of advertising, you generally get out of it what you put into it. A carefully crafted, well-written newspaper advertisement can be a powerful and affordable way to bring customers in your door. A shoot-from-the-hip ad that's done just for the sake of having an ad in the paper each week is likely to, in the long run, be a waste of your money.
Contact the newspaper ad sales people to see if there are any special positions in the paper that you could take advantage of over the year-they may cost more but will actually increase your visibility-and you won't necessarily be competing against everyone else in the industry.
Think of options that will make your ad pop: Consider using the reverse for backgrounds and copy to make your ad stand out against all the other ads on the page. Go to the yellow pages for a quick comparison exercise and see which ones catch your eye and which ones don't!
If your ads feature some vehicle for measuring response (an extra five percent discount of small free item for mentioning the ad) this can help you determine which newspapers and which types of ads are generating the best interest. This information can be useful when planning future advertising strategies and creating ad materials.
Remember: Stay focused on your products, be mindful of the season and avoid trying to cram in too much information into one ad-to advoid diluting your message- and you should soon be able to reap the benefits of the power of local advertising.
We'll see you in the papers!
Here are some guidelines dealers can follow to help get the most "bang for their buck" when creating and placing newspaper ads:
1. CONTROL YOUR OWN CREATIVE. Some small business often take the easy route and allow the newspaper advertising department to create their materials. While this service is often provided free (to get your ad in the paper), you can expect to get what you pay for. You must take control of your own creative, whether you prepare the ad yourself or work with an ad agency or graphic artist. Start the process by deciding what you want your ad to achieve (blow out old inventory, get 25 new customers in the door). Then you'll be prepared to create an effective ad (or direct somebody who is doing it for you).
2. GREAT HEADLINES MAKE GREAT ADS. Many retail newspaper ads just show a bunch of product photos with prices and leave it at that. The best ads, however, grab the reader's attention and stop "browsers" in their tracks. Your headline should be like a stop sign for readers, demanding their attention-try to keep it short and sweet. If it would fit on a T-shirt or bumper sticker, it's the right length for a good headline. The more you put in a given ad space, the smaller and more cluttered everything is going to be. By doing less and doing it well, you'll create an effective, attractive ad that gets its point across.
3. THE WRITE STUFF. Once your headline grabs the customers' attention, your ad copy must hold that attention. There are many kinds of effective ads, but the best are brief, clear and to the point. Focus on customer benefits, not technical jargon. Tell the customer why he or she needs this product and why they should buy it from you. "We buy a lot of closeouts, so for items we advertise, we make sure customers recognize that we offer a really good price"-never advertise something if you don't have a good price on it! It sounds simple, yet it doesn't make sense to advertise something for $1.99 if Wal-Mart has it for $1.50- it creates a negative image", said Wayne Petrus, president and owner of the two family run T-P Outdoors in Monroe and West Monroe, Louisiana. "Independents tend to have a reputation for higher prices, and one thing that we accomplish with advertising is to help change that image." Sell to your company's strong suit whether that's variety of available product, superior service, great pricing, etc. Time your ads around key buying times of the year, such as the holidays and the start of the deer, turkey or duck hunting season.
4. CALL TO ACTION. The best newspaper ads feature some sort of call to action-a reason to call, come in and take advantage of a special deal now. Ads with limited time offers and discounts can greatly improve customer response. People hate to miss out on a deal, so offer deep discounts on a select few products to get them on the phone or in the door. They'll usually pick up other, higher margin items while there and can become regular customers. Time placement of ads around key selling times and create urgency to buy with Hot Holiday Deals, Father's Day specials, Season Opener Spectaculars, and the like.
5. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MANUFACTURER CO-OP FUNDS AND MATERIALS. Talk with you top manufacturers' sales reps regarding available co-op dollars to feature their products in local newspaper ads, as well as ad templates or artwork that can make designing an attractive ad easy. Many retailers leave dollars on the table and make their jobs harder by not taking advantage of what's offered.
By Bruce Bear
Bear Enthusiast Marketing Group is a leading marketing, advertising and public relations agency serving the shooting, hunting and outdoor industries. Visit www.bearemg.com
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