Welcome Spring

Spring has sprung! And, by the time you are reading this, it’s supposed to feel like it. I love spring…Fall is my favorite season, but you can’t help but come alive in the spring. Every living things seems to be coming to life. (It’s a shame that includes the pollen.)

It’s so refreshing to look out on the sunny day, and practically feel the warmth through the windows. The birds are singing, insects are inching out of their winter hiding places, the earth just seems alive. It’s refreshing.

At the office, we find people are starting to have yard sales and other outdoor gatherings. (My daughter and I took our chances two weeks ago and went ahead with a yard sale) It was a bit cold, but o.k.

This week a church group wanted to put their yard sale in the church news section of the paper. That’s not where they will get the most response. A classified ad is probably the best way to promote a yard sale. And, we are a business. We like to promote what’s happening in town, but we must stay afloat ourselves, or there will be no newspaper to promote anything.

So, this church group will have to pay for an ad, just like a private citizen would Our train of thought generally is if your event is a money-maker, then you can pay to promote it. We promote church services and events, gladly, at no charge, just like we do lots of things. But, if you’re having a sale…you can advertise it!

See, the primary revenue source for the newspaper is advertising. Yes, we charge for subscriptions, and that money definitely helps, but the paper would not stay afloat without advertising. The advertising includes legal notices, classified ads, and display advertising.

Sometimes there’s a fine line between news and ads, and oftentimes it’s very clear. Often, items that are advertised are also promoted in the news columns. It offers double exposure, which is always best. An ad and a story gives you a double wallop!

The election this week is a good example of items being both advertised and promoted in the news columns. And it’s proof that no matter how much you promote something—through ads and news stories—you cannot make people react.

I’ve long said the key to advertising is to get people in the door. Once the customer enters the business, it is up to the business to close the sale. We get them in…you get them to buy!

It didn’t appear to work real well with the election. Despite weekly ads for the last four weeks, and weekly news reports, enumerating the early voters, few people have voted in this election. City of Monticello voters had two items to vote on, and countywide voters only had one issue. Maybe they didn’t feel strongly enough about the issue to vote.

So, we’re here to help…but we are not miracle workers. If only everyone considered it as important as some do!