How to place advertisements where your audience is likely to see them

Think of a customer

The most important principle to grasp in advertising is placing the advertisement where most of your target audience is likely to see it. That sounds a woefully obvious statement, but I have lost track of the number of times that I have seen small firms forget that basic principle. Advertising is expensive and you cannot afford the luxury of the blanket coverage indulged in by cigarette or beer manufacturers. Every pound must earn its keep. Forget about large-circulation papers and concentrate on where the most people of your segment can be reached.

The Radio Times has about 4 million readers, but if your product is of interest only to DIY houseowners you would be better off running an ad in Practical Householder. Its circulation is around 50,000 and possibly 30 per cent of them take the Radio Times as well. Target your ad to those publications that have most of your prospects as readers. There is too much wastage and the cost is prodigious. The simplest ad need be no more than pushing a handbill through the doors of houses with dirty windows. That simple exercise pinpoints those with a need and cuts out wastage on those who already clean their own windows. Advertising can be as simple as that.

Positioning

Your perceived position in the marketplace will determine where your message appears. This is a very important point to grasp. If you've an up-market product, then not only must you promote in the right glossy magazines but the style of typeface, layout and presentation must convey an air of grandeur and graciousness.

Newsagents' windows are fine for handymen and French lessons, but an ad selling your daughter's pony is probably better placed in Horse and Hound or some such specialised magazine. If you are targeting directors for a champagne day at the races, that deserves a personalised letter on quality paper with stamped return envelopes. Any ad you design must reflect the right tone to appeal to your target audience. Charity adverts mustn't be too slick, otherwise people may think the money is going on Mayfair agencies rather than needy orphans. In fact, charity fund raising demands a very professional approach and is one of the more difficult tasks for an advertiser.

Where to advertise

At this stage it may be illuminating to think of all the places where you can pay to display your message. The choice is vast. The problem is deciding how best to reach your prospect. The criteria for selection in newsprint are frequency, size of circulation, coverage, readership profile and cost. The printed word - newspapers and magazines - will probably take most of your budget. It is the accepted medium to reach the bulk of your audience as there are magazines to cater for every imaginable interest from the lowly but not to be despised parish magazine to the Sunday supplements. Your first decision is to decide what journal to go for.

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