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Factors That Influence the Release Schedule of a Newspaper Advertisement

by | Oct 19, 2021 | Newspaper Advertising

Caucasian woman reading the newspaper

For an advertisement in a newspaper or magazine to be effective enough to draw your audience’s attention and result in action on their part, it needs to have the right timing. To time an ad well, you must be aware of the various factors that could influence the visibility of your ad depending on the publication’s release schedule.

Here is what you need to know about the factors that determine the schedule of magazine and newspaper ads, and how you can get the most views for your ad.

Advertising Objective

The objective of your ad determines many crucial aspects of your campaign. Based on three major objectives of print advertising, the release schedule is determined. Here are the three main objectives of a print ad campaign.

  • Branding: For a brand to establish a personality and recognizable look, branding comes into play. Branding is what makes your target audience notice you and remember you with the symbolism you use to represent yourself. For example, the bright yellow and red colors in the McDonald’s logo are so specific to their brand, that seeing those colours together any other place can make a consumer think about McDonald’s.
  • Sales: If your main goal is to get customers to act upon your call to action and make a purchase, you may want to take advantage of the peak seasons and holidays where most consumers tend to spend the most money. You can also drive sales in off-peak times by offering limited-time discounts and extras to entice your audience to buy more often and more quantity than they normally would.
  • Notifications: Ads that are intended to make public announcements, rebranding, change of name, business tender adverts, etc. only need to be announced once in a campaign as a formal message to your existing and potential customers. If there is a discount period or event, these ads would only need to be released once before or during that time.

What Is Best Day of the Week to Advertise in a Newspaper?

Although there is no perfect day to publish your newspaper ad, you can run it on the right day for your goals. The best day to run your ad in a newspaper or magazine depends on the type of products or services you offer, as well as your campaign goals. Newspapers are great for covering heavier topics such as business and finance during the first part of the week. Lighter topics such as local events and goodwill stories are great for the end of the week. Understanding which day is best to advertise will help you optimize and segment your audience. Here is a breakdown of the best days for newspaper advertising based on the types of ads.

  • Monday & Tuesday: There are fewer ads posted in newspapers during these days, so your ads may get more attention earlier in the week. However, circulation (the number of people receiving the paper) is usually lower because these are serious news days. Most readers tend to read newspapers on these days in search for information about important recent events and updates.
  • Wednesday & Thursday: These are the most popular days for grocery stores to advertise. Mid-week is typically the time when most people begin planning their shopping trips ahead of the weekend.
  • Friday & Saturday: If you are in the restaurant or entertainment business, these are your hottest days for attention from your audience. Everyone will be searching the papers for information about events happening over the weekend or new movies hitting theatres. They will be checking for coupons at local restaurants and discounts at their favorite stores. Since everyone is looking for something fun to do over the weekend, Friday and Saturday are your days to promote your products and services.
  • Sunday: If anyone were to suggest the best day to get eye traffic to your ad, it would be Sunday. This is the day with the highest circulation and the highest number of ads. There are coupons and discounts on nearly every page, making it a great place for retailers to post their ads. However, the higher number of ads and circulation make this the most expensive day to post your ad in a newspaper. It also means you are competing with everyone else.

Other Factors That Influence Release of an Advertisement

Seasonality

Some ads are more influenced by different seasons in a year. In other words, their releases need to be scheduled based on the audience requirements that are inspired by each season. Companies that sell winter sports gear, swimsuits, or back-to-school items will notice higher sales at the times of year where the weather permits the use of their goods. This is important to keep in mind as you transition your ad campaign throughout the year. You always want to be sure that you are taking advantage of these peak times for profit.

Throughout the Year

Recruitment can happen in an organization any time of year and can be published as an ad when vacancies are available. If you are not trying to recruit but are posting matrimonial ads or business and real estate ads instead, you can do this all throughout the year.

Festivals

There are seasons that are heavily associated with festivals and celebrations. This is a great opportunity for most retail advertisers. You can choose to advertise during festive seasons like Easter, the 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Especially during Christmas and New Year’s, you should be sharing new offers, collections, discounts, and more.

How North American Media Can Help with Your Newspaper Ad Campaign

If you are looking for a way to reach your customers using newspaper advertisements and want to time it right, we can help. At North American Media, our specialty is helping our clients create newspaper, magazine, and direct mail ads that grab readers’ attention and encourage them to follow through.

We offer a variety of services to our clients including print media advertising in newspapers & magazines, direct mail marketing, digital marketing, alternative media/inserts, radio & TV advertising, list brokerage, data solutions, list fulfillment, and list management, and we can create a customized solution to suit your goals. For more information about how we can help you post newspaper ads and grow your business, contact us at (475) 256-0303.

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