What Are the Benefits of Magazine Advertising?

In the 21st century, advertising in print or in digital magazines may seem pointless. Television reaches millions more consumers. Advertising on your website costs less than on TV. And aren’t magazines folding left and right? In reality, the magazine industry, even in hard copy, is doing well. New magazines are constantly appearing, and a number of them succeed and thrive. Buying ad space may not be cheap, but it can be effective.

Narrow Focus

Cable TV has some niche channels, but magazines take specializing to the next level. Advertising in a magazine that caters to a niche audience of enthusiasts or professionals targets that audience very precisely.

Cigar Aficionado caters exclusively to cigar-smoking readers. Writer’s Digest readers are interested in anything that helps their writing careers. Crossties is the bible of the railroad crosstie industry. If a magazine serves your dream demographic, it could be a match made in heaven.

That said, magazines can’t target customers the way a direct mail or telemarketing campaign can. You’ll pay ad rates based on total readership, even if you’re only interested in some of the subscribers — the very wealthy, the very young, singles or gays, for instance. For a major magazine, that may not be worth the ad price.

Geographical Focus

The big guns of the magazine world are national: Cosmopolitan, People, Time, Reader’s Digest, Seventeen. Many other magazines cover a specific region, state or city. Durham Magazine. North Dakota Business. Nevada Magazine. If you’re targeting customers in a specific locale, you can advertise cheaper in an area magazine than a national one. People are often passionate about their local magazines, so you may gain credibility by hitching your wagon to their brand.

Safe and Comforting

The days when people could click on Internet advertising and not worry about viruses, phishing or other hacking attacks are long gone. This isn’t an issue with print ads. Just the fact you shelled out for an ad in an established publication gives you an aura of legitimacy. If your target market is a senior demographic, even better. They’re the consumers least likely to spend time online and the most comfortable with traditional media.

Shelf Life

An ad spot runs on TV, then it’s over. The same is true for radio. The daily paper gets thrown out. Magazines may sit on a coffee table for months, or in a doctor’s waiting room for months’ longer. After the buyer finishes reading the magazine, family members may read it, or they may give it to a friend or they may donate it to their local library. The ability to sell can continue long after you paid for the ad.