This Black Inkling is a continuation of my mission to gather all the marketing material I can to illustrate that no local advertising medium beats community newspapers.
We all know it, but some of us need verbal and written ammunition when confronted by an advertiser who is being sold a bill of goods from radio, TV, direct mail or the Internet.
I plan to collect all the statements, slogans, testimonials, analogies, etc., that point out that community papers are indeed the No. 1 way for advertisers to reach their customers. Later, I'll put them all together in a
master document that will be available to all Black Inkling readers to use in their presentations and marketing kits.
So send your contribution along!
With kind regards,
Ken
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Bullets Target the Value of Print Ads
Thanks and a tip of the hat to Jean Flanagan, managing editor, The Moorefield (WV) Examiner.
I borrowed this from the Print Council of America. We used each of the bullets as a separate ad and then ran an ad with all five. We also include it in our media kit.
- Print is Credible - Having words and images you can hold in your hand and show others provides a degree of reassurance.
- Print is Portable - Print can be carried anywhere - from the bedroom to the beach. You don't need a battery to read a newspaper.There is nothing to boot up and no compatibility issues.
- Print is Beautiful - The combination of words and images send the message that you want your customers to see about your business. With graphic arts, print advertising can make your ad more compelling and appealing.
- Print puts the Customer in Control - Print advertising is always there, when the reader has time to look at it. Print advertising creates a positive flow of information from you to your customers, Customers seek print advertising when they are ready to buy.
- Print is Economical - Compared to other mediums, print advertising gives you more bang for your advertising buck. Print is Real. Print is Timeless.
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Black Inkling Readers Helping Readers
Print/Online Subscription Offer
Thanks and a tip of the hat to Jerry Bellune of The Lexington (SC) Chronicle!
- One thing that's working well for us is a half price offer -- a $42 subscription in print and online (ours is no longer a free online site) for only $21. Our publisher MacLeod Bellune) designed a business card we pass out at festivals, after hours and other events. Subscribers can take advantage of it, too. We tack the additional years on to the end of their current subscription. It picked up a lot of online subscribers we never had before.
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Easy Alternative to Photoshop
Thanks and a tip of the hat to Bill Nich, The Wakarusa (IN) Tribune
- Rather than purchasing/using "Photoshop" for picture editing, I found a free download program from Olympus Cameras that is far simpler, and free. (We don't do the exotic adjustments available in Photoshop.) The learning curve for new stringers and such is so much shorter that "newbies" to the software can be up and running in an hour, rather than seeming days with Photoshop.
(Ken's note - do readers know of other less expensive, less complex
alternatives to Photoshop?)
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Camera Recommendations
What cameras work best for newspapers? The following are recommendations from readers in response to a question from Margo Ashmore of the Northeaster, Minneapolis, MN.
Kodak Works Well
From Jean Flanagan, managing editor, The Moorefield (WV) Examiner
- I've got a Kodak Easy-Share camera that's as good, if not better than my Nikon D80 as far as picture quality is concerned. It's a little point-n-shoot that fits in my purse. I've also had very good results with Nikon CoolPix cameras. Not real expensive if a reporter drops and breaks it. They are especially good if you have to take notes and photos at the same time.
Canon is Versatile
From Mary Huber, The Archbold (OH) Buckeye
- I have a Canon 50D with a 24-70mm f2.8 lens. It takes great photos of everything from grip-and-grin shots to sports because it has a special setting for sports photos, which adjusts everything automatically.
My news editor has a Canon Rebel with two lenses; one is a 300 mm lens. My sports photographer (a stringer) has a Canon Rebel also.
I feel Canon is definitely the way to go. I'd be happy to e-mail her some sample photos if she wants to see some.
Loves His Nikons
From Scott McIntosh, editor, Kuna Melba (ID) News
- I've been using a Nikon D70 for the past three years and swear by it. We also bought a Nikon D40 as a secondary camera. It's not as good as the D70 but it's very light, so I can carry it with me everywhere I go. Once you add a couple of nice long lenses, you're shooting like the big boys. It's worth the expense to have nice, high-quality photos in your paper.
Thanks and a tip of the hat to Jean, Mary and Scott!
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1,000 Ways to Build Circulation!
I want to remind those at paid circulation weeklies, semiweeklies and smaller dailies that I offer an e-book with 700 pages and 1,000 ways to build their circulation.
Here's the scoop:
- A quarterly publication called Publisher's Circulation Reference (published between 1997-2004) was a superb source of ideas for increasing the paid circulation of paid community papers.
- I bought PCR, and put all the issues on a single CD - a great big bundle of practical techniques, including 30 issues and more than 700 pages. There are more than 1,000 ideas, including subscriptions sales promotions, management columns, in-paper ads, renowned circulation Expert Ron Anderson's "Circulation Ideas at a Glance" columns, tips for increasing single copy sales, and circulation marketing strategies.
- The e-book is done in a PDF format that will work on almost any computer. I've set it up so all you have to do is click on any topic in the table of contents, and it goes right to the page. Print it out if you like. Click on the upper right hand corner of any page and it takes you right back to the table of contents. It's simple as 1-2-3 to navigate through this
treasure of advice.
- Also included is a printed copy of the table of contents that you can peruse away from the computer.
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Circulation numbers are vital for any paid newspaper, and here is an invaluable resource for hometown newspaper publishers who are need
practical, workable ways to increase circulation.
Here's how to order:
- The cost is $129 (a subscription to PCR during that time period totaled nearly $500).
- Fax your credit card number and expiration date, name, newspaper, address and phone number to 330 682-3415.
- Or, E-mail your phone number, and I'll call you back for the address and credit card number.
- Or, E-mail your name, newspaper, address and phone number, and I will mail the e-book with a bill.
If you want to build circulation, this is the resource you've been waiting for!
My Advising Service:
I've worked with hundreds of hometown newspapers to help build revenue, profits and deal with any problem or opportunity specific to the paper and market. The process involves a 1.5-day visit to get to know you and your paper, a comprehensive report, and then I'm here for you at any time at no additional cost. A project is affordable for any paper and, if you prefer, we can use a payment plan that will allow plenty of time to recoup your investment many/many times over. For complete details including the cost, just drop me an e-mail to
blummer@aol.com.
From a Fan:
"Fun to work with, but he doesn't hold back . . ."
Brinn Clayton, publisher, The Courier=Times, Roxboro, NC - "I needed a new set of eyes to look at my business to help see how we could weather this economic storm. I have had consultants before, but none who knew anything about the newspaper business.
Mr. Blum was able to bring the knowledge he has gained in managing newspapers, plus the knowledge he has gained in consulting others.
"Mr. Blum is fun to work with, yet he does not hold back pointing out hard things a publisher needs to look into. Our time together was more like building a friendship than working with a stuffy consultant.
"Mr. Blum provided me with a 50 plus page report on my newspaper and ideas to make our operation better in producing a good newspaper while wringing out the profit.
"His visit was definitely worth the money."
Thanks and a tip of the hat to Brinn Clayton!
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Write at any time
2,700 community newspaper professionals receive Black Inklings. Feel free to send your comments and ideas to blummer@aol.com. If you know another person in the community newspaper field who may be interested in receiving this free newsletter, have them e-mail their name, job title, newspaper and e-mail address to blummer@aol.com.
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