Do Print Ads Still Work?

Filed in Aftermarket After Hours

That’s a question we’ve been asked on numerous occasions, and the answer depends on a number of factors. These include the product you’re selling, your ad message/design, the publication you’re placing it in, the frequency and size of the ad, and other considerations.
We’ve heard many in the aftermarket complain that print advertising isn’t as effective as it used to be, and to a large extent, that’s true. Consider that, back in the “golden age” of the aftermarket, print advertising was pretty much the only vehicle you could use to promote your product, and there were only a handful of magazines in which to do it. Today, there are dozens, if not hundreds of performance magazines world wide, which gives readers more choices than ever before. There are magazines for every genre of the hobby—Mustang, Corvette, Pontiac, Chevy, Street Rod, Import, Kit Car, Diesel Truck and many more. So now, instead of a few general interest magazines with huge readerships, you’ve got lots of magazines with smaller ones.
The other part of the equation is the Internet. Where enthusiasts used to turn to magazines to find the latest product or trend, that information is now a just a few keystrokes away on their home computer. While some ad sales reps might debate this, just use yourself as an example. If you’re thinking of making a purchase, what’s the first thing you do? You search the Internet, and see what comes up. Then you look for forums or blogs where you can read reviews and/or opinions of the product you’re considering. From there, you can compare prices and make a purchase. The Internet puts instant information in your hands—why look elsewhere?
But unlike some who claim that print advertising is the “old way” to do it, we still believe that it has its place. In the aftermarket especially, there is no “magic bullet” to promote your products—you have to take advantage of many different options, and print ads are still one of them. Keep in mind, however, that the success or failure of your ad campaign has a lot to do with you.
First, you’ve got to do some research to find the best magazines to advertise in, based on the number of readers for advertising dollars spent. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the magazine with the most readers will be the best one; for example, one of the smaller specialty magazines may work better than a larger, more expensive one if your product appeals to a narrow audience (owners of late-model Mustangs, for example). A media kit will break down the cost per ad, depending on the frequency (one time a year, three times a year, etc.) but don’t fall for the publisher’s stated readership or bogus claims like “pass around” readership that artificially inflate the number of people that will actually see your ad. Consider only magazines that have an audited readership so you know what you’re really getting.
The design, message and placement of the ad are also important factors, and make no mistake, the magazine usually won’t help you with these decisions. Every day, we open magazines with truly awful ads—bad grammar, even spelling errors—and think, “Couldn’t someone have told them this is a terrible ad?” But they don’t. And really, it’s not their job. They take your money and place the ad—it’s up to you to put your best foot forward.
Here, in our opinion, is one of the best reasons to advertise: It opens the door to editorial coverage. Advertising regularly, even with small ads, greatly increases the likelihood you’ll be mentioned in the magazine either through a “buyers guide” of some kind, an install article or something else. Why is that important? Because editorial is far more powerful and meaningful to the reader than an ad is, because it comes from a qualified, trusted source. Editorial mention, combined with effective advertising, will almost certainly deliver results.
Which brings me to my final point: You won’t know what kind of results you’re getting unless you track your ads. This can be as simple as asking the caller where they heard about you, to putting different codes in different ads, using different telephone extensions, etc. Without some means to find out which magazine is generating the most phone calls, you won’t know where best to spend your money when it’s time to establish your next print ad budget.

Comments