Have you run newspapers and magazines ads? Are there any articles that have been written about you, about your business, or about your products and services?
People may be impressed and respond when these articles and ads run the first time, but how many of them are ever seen again by the public?
Running an ad can be very expensive, so you may not be able to run an ad for an extended period of time.
Articles written about your business that get printed in the media have a short shelf life. When the current issue of a publication that contains the article about you or your business is taken off the shelf, people won’t be reading your positive press anymore.
But you can re-use and re-purpose these items in other marketing efforts of your own.
When ads for your business (or positive articles about your business) are printed in a newspaper or magazine, have them copied or reprinted at a local “quick print” shop. You now have the ability to use these reprints in a lot of marketing projects. Here are some inexpensive ways to distribute your reprints:
- Scan and e-mail your ads to clients and prospects.
- Post your scans on your web site.
- Mail reprinted materials along with statements and invoices.
- Include reprints with your next direct mail effort.
- Have some high school students put reprints on parked cars or on the “community posting boards” at the local library or college.
As you are making your reprints, be sure to add the caption, “as seen in (Publication Name),” under the actual ad or article. This caption will give your new marketing effort added credibility.
“The future is here. It’s just not widely distributed yet.” – William Gibson
Your advertisements can also be enlarged and displayed at your place of business. This will remind patrons about the offers in your print ads. Your advertisements may only run once in print, but they can live forever. You can reuse them for years.
The same technique can be used to extend the life of any positive articles that are written about your busi¬ness in newspapers, journals, and magazines. Another great idea is to take these reprinted articles and distribute them to any of your clients and/or prospects who you feel might have missed seeing them in the original publication.
“This is like deja vu all over again.”
– Yogi Berra
If you want to re-use or re-print an article, you may have to get permission from the author or original publisher and pay a small fee. Remember that it’s priceless when someone who isn’t connected with your business, writes positive comments about you or your business in the media. You can use these comments forever.
It is wise to collect all the advertisements that you run, all the positive articles that are written, and all the testimonials that you receive from satisfied customers.
Put these materials into a binder, and use it as a brag book. Use the material regularly in your marketing efforts, to build credibility and help people feel more confident about making a decision to do business with you.
Do you have old advertisements or positive press articles lying around that could be reprinted and used in your future marketing efforts?