Should you spend money on advertising to attract customers or clients? If you’re selling a product or providing a service to consumers, advertising can help you reach your target market.

If you’re marketing your product or service to other businesses, networking and targeted direct mailings usually achieve better results. You can combine these marketing methods with targeted ads placed in the right business-to-business newspapers and trade publications.

Let’s assume you’ve decided on a small 1/6-page, black-and-white ad to promote your product or service. There’s a rule of thumb — prospects will need to see your ad seven times before you’ll start getting real response.

The cost of a small display ad in a weekly community newspaper is often quite reasonable — as little as $100 in some cases. If you’re considering advertising in a monthly national trade publication, be prepared to spend a lot of money. A one-time 1/6-page insertion can cost between $1,000 and $1,500. Adding color increases your cost. While rates decline for 3-time and 6-time contracts, you’re wasting money if your ad doesn’t generate business.

There’s another, very effective way to promote your business — with an advertorial, or advertising feature, as it’s sometimes called. Many community newspapers welcome advertorials, and often have entire advertising feature sections every week. Even large dailies run advertising feature sections in weekend editions. Trade publications may or may not accept advertorials. Check with the publication.

An advertorial combines a marketing message with journalistic-style editorial content. The content has value for the reader, but allows you to promote your business at the same time. If you’re a dentist, for example, your advertorial could focus on the latest technologies that are making a trip to the dentist a painless experience. At the same time, you let readers know what services you’re providing, how you’re using those new technologies in your practice, and why this makes you the dentist people should choose.

A community newspaper may offer advertorial space when you buy an ad. The advertorial usually runs right next to your ad, or at least on the same page. An ad alone may or may not generate business. But the combination of a display ad and an advertising feature can be very effective.

So who should write your advertorial? Don’t try to write it yourself. Writing advertorials is a real challenge. They’re a unique form of writing that requires professional expertise.

Sometimes, the paper will write your advertorial for you. They may have an advertising features coordinator on staff who will interview you, take a photo and write the article, or assign a freelancer. Before the article is printed, you’ll be shown a copy for approval, and can make changes.

A well-written advertising feature tells a story that gets your message across in an interesting way. A bad advertising feature is, well ... just not a very good read, and certainly won’t help promote your business. If you choose to let the newspaper write your advertorial, remember that the quality of it depends on the talents of their staff. There’s a lot of good writing in community newspapers. There’s also some bad writing and editing that readers notice.

You may be wiser to contract a freelance writer who specializes in advertising features and other marketing communications. Be prepared to pay $75 to $150 per hour or $1 to $3 per word. But you’ll have a well-crafted advertorial that promotes your business effectively — and that’s what you want for your investment, isn’t it?

by Dean Askin