Brochure insert in local newspaper to draw seniors?

[Outlaw]

I missed my chance for this year, but the local paper (for whom I also work) does a yearly graduation tab the week after all three county school districts hold their ceremonies for seniors.

I have an ad on the back of this pull-out, of course, but what do y'all think of the possible effectiveness of doing an insert of brochures in with the same week's paper as that graduation tab? I figure it's the one issue out of the year that is most likely to draw the eyes of seniors and/or their parents.

I know that it's best to start pulling on seniors' ears near the close of their junior year, but this would just be a last-chance effort to get the stragglers before they head off to college.

Cost of printing 2,500 full-color, tri-fold brochures from VistaPrint would run about $423 shipped, and the insert with the paper would run me about $125 for a rough $550 total. Two average sessions would pay for the advertising to get them.

Any thoughts on A) the efficacy of a campaign like this, and B) the quality of VistaPrint's brochures? Any other ideas along these lines or on senior marketing in general are very welcome! I think I've found my favorite niche.

[Kathi]

James, just now seeing your post. How did this work out for you? Did you get some positive results?

[Outlaw]

Hey Kathi, haven't taken a shot at the brochure insert yet. Going with a mix of in-paper advertising and a two-week spread of radio ads come early August. Going to see how those pan out before trying anything more expensive. Word of mouth is keeping us booked for now, but complacency leads to quiet phones!

[Kathi]

Originally Posted by Outlaw

Word of mouth is keeping us booked for now, but complacency leads to quiet phones!

Couldn't agree more! Keep us posted on how the radio ads turn out...

[bondarnes]

Sorry, I missed your original post. We have not found newspaper advertising to be very effective in the senior market. Even the school newspaper doesn't work unless it gets home for the mom to see it. I would suggest giving free wallets to each senior you photograph for sending in their friends for a session. We also promote "two for the price of one". Pay one session fee and we photograph two of you.

[CobyPhoto]

Agree with Don again...Local newspapers are very poor on generating results, for me as well. I need to get the material in the hands of the Mom/Pop. I minimized my newspaper advertisments this year and same with the yellow pages...nothing but minimal listing with contact info.

Cj

[DeLeon]

Radio has worked well for me, and thats not even paid advertising really. I did some photos for one of the more popular DJ's here in town. He mentions me from time to time when it comes up, and put the photos on his Myspace page with a link to my web site.

As far as news paper ads go, the marketing manager (I don't know what his title really is, hes just in charge of selling ad space)at the local paper here gave me some interesting numbers a while back. I don't have the exact numbers off hand, but it basically came down to the fact that people only read the ads in the news paper when they are looking for sales or big bargains. just a regular ad doesn't do much for anyone but the advertising dept. at the paper.

[Outlaw]

Interesting! I had mentioned in a past post that I have landed two big clients through the newspaper, but they were businesses needing web site design responding to my photography ad.

I am presently doing minimal newspaper advertising, just a couple of cheap listings in the business directory. There is another local photographer who has been around for eons who does I believe one small ad every two weeks. At less than $30 a month, I figure it's worth seeing if I get any response from it.

Cj, what kind of ads have you run in the past with the paper? What kind of expense were you looking at, if I may ask?

Chris, that is very cool! I've been blown away by how many bookings we do through MySpace.

What are y'alls thoughts on the value of branding your business through multi-media advertising, even when a specific ad does not lead to a specific sale? To the end of being the "first person" people think of in your community when they think "photography."