Case In Point: Get A Full-Page Magazine Ad Free

By:Karon Thackston

by Karon Thackston

http://www.ktamarketing.com

As you know, I am continually on the look out for innovative marketing ideas that bring a high return on investment. This one is truly creative! Thanks to Roosevelt Best of UK-based Naturally First and Astrology First for sharing his ingenuity – and his results – with us.

KARON: Hello Roosevelt. Thank you for taking the time to give us some details about this unusual (and highly effective) marketing idea.

ROOSEVELT: Good afternoon, Karon. Certainly – always a pleasure.

KARON: Tell me about what you’re doing, and how this “package” works.

ROOSEVELT: Oh yes. It began approximately four years back. I was approached by “Woman’s Own” [a British magazine]. They inquired as to whether I would be willing to make a free offer to their readers. It sounded like an idea with potential so I devised a way to make it worth my while! The layout was to be a full-page, editorial style reader offer. After a little negotiation, it was agreed that the magazine would use the first 1/4 of the ad space to promote the free offer, and I would use the remaining 3/4 for up selling items.

KARON: So, the magazine would give you a full page of advertising space free if you would provide something free to their readers. And you received 3/4 of the spread to offer paid, up sell items as well, right?

ROOSEVELT: Yes, exactly.

KARON: Did it work?

ROOSEVELT: Yes, it did. The response was excellent. However, I had some tweaking to do to make the up sell offer more appealing.

KARON: What was the free offer? Was it an expensive item?

ROOSEVELT: The free offer was a one-week’s supply of a natural energy vitamin supplement I sold on one of my sites at http://www.naturallyfirst.com. It was valued at around Ł6.95 (approximately $10.50US.)

KARON: Ahhh! So as long as the free offer holds value to the reader, it need not be extremely expensive? That’s good to know. Now, how did you tweak the offer to perform better for you?

ROOSEVELT: I decided to change two aspects of the offer. I added several up sell items, and I narrowed the gap between the free offer and the first product offer. So, for example, the week’s supply of vitamins was free, the first product up sell was just a few pounds more, the second product was just a few pounds above that, and the last offer was a “bundle” with a substantial discount off the cost of all products.

KARON: So rather like what the mobile phone companies do, right? They always tell you “You can add voicemail for only $1.00 more, and you can add caller ID for just $2.50 more” and so on?

ROOSEVELT: Quite right!

KARON: Now you are using this method and approaching other publications, aren’t you? How do you get your offer to the right people?

ROOSEVELT: Yes, I do approach others with the offer and it works well. I generally contact the magazine or newspaper’s Promotions Manager with a free offer. (Normally, they simply love the word free so it gets their attention.) I suggest that the publication could have the first quarter of the ad to talk about the free offer. The rest of the copy and space will be taken up with my images and up sell copy. To expedite the process and make sure that the offer and information will sell well, I provide the publication with my own copy and images. (Obviously, the copy is the critical element.) I also insist on seeing a proof before publication.

I suggest they include a “splash” on the cover announcing the free reader offer, and include it in the table of contents along with the page number. Keep in mind that the offer should appear to be an editorial, not an advertisement.

KARON: Sounds wonderful! Can you give us some data on the results you’ve achieved?

ROOSEVELT: Certainly. On a fairly recent offer I included in New Woman [British magazine with a circulation between 370,000-400,000] I used a free report from my Astrology First site at http://www.astrology-first.com. The free profile was valued at Ł5.95 (approx. $9.50US). The free offers returned totaled around 9,500, and the up sells totaled about 5,200. You can view a sample offer (which Karon wrote the copy for, by the way) by clicking this link: http://www.ktamarketing.com/images/NewWomanPDF.pdf

KARON: How fantastic! That is over a 50% return. How wonderful for you! (And thank you for the mention wink.)

ROOSEVELT: Yes, quite! And this return is typical. Most offers – whether for Naturally First products or Astrology First products – pull equally well.

KARON: So with the investment of some time to prepare an offer and contact newspapers or magazines, and a little creative work to develop strong copy that presents your offer well, you can receive a free, full-page advertisement in major publications.

Very innovative, Roosevelt! I thank you so much for sharing this technique with us.

ROOSEVELT: You are most welcome, Karon. All the best! Goodbye from rainy London : )

Most buying decisions are emotional. Your ad copy should be, too! Let Karon write targeted copy and ezine articles for you. Visit her site at http://www.ktamarketing.com, or learn to write your own copy at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to Karon’s free ezine!

join-businessessentials@lyris1.listenvoy.com

Digg del.icio.us Blink Stumble Spurl Reddit Netscape Furl

Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

Top Marketing Articles
1). "Blogging" For Fun & Profits" By : Jim Edwards Unless you've been under a rock for the last year, you'veheard the term "blog" once or twice. To most people, a "blog" simply represents a
2). Are you an Internet Marketing Failure By : Michael E Williams No one wants to admit it, but the sad truth is only 5% of the people are making any kind of money on the internet. Sure you see programs after pro
3). "Simple Messages in Advertising" By : Kevin Nunley It is better to advertise with simple messages and have everyoneunderstand you, than to advertise with complex messages and haveonly 20% of vi
4). Banners Vs Text Ads By : Robin Forbes ( The Debate Continues... ) Banner ads or text ads which are the most effective? The simple reality is BOTH are effective. It’s how you use yo
5). Advertainment is sneaking into music, movies, TV and more. By : Scott G (The G-Man) Barcodes in commercials, wristwatch credit cards, and bathroom broadcasts are just some of the changes we're going to see as advertising keeps on blen
6). 10 Things You Can Do TODAY to Boost Traffic to Your Website By : Michael Hopkins Are you twiddling your thumbs and wondering what you might do today to bring more visitors to your website? If so, then twiddle no more! Here'
7). 3 HOT WAYS TO CRANK UP YOUR SALES! By : Larry Dotson 1) QUICK FOLLOW-UPSWhen you make your first sale, follow-up with thecustomer. You could follow-up with a "thank you"email and include
8). 40 Essential Communications Pieces For Your Sales Arsenal By : Kris Mills I often get asked what sorts of sales pieces does a business needto maximise their sales conversions and repeat sales. Well - every business I
9). Consumer Styles: Research Review By : Darrin F. Coe According to research done by Elizabeth Sproles and George Sproles (1990) in the Journal of Consumer Affairs, there is a significant link betwee
10). Give Your Web Site a Big Company Look By : Alexandria Brown If you want to attract high quality clients and customers, and convey that you're a legitimate, credible, and sought-after business, these five po

New Marketing Articles
1). Reap More Profits by Opening Your Kimono By : Chris Ellington Dramatically grow your business by sharing some information you never thought you should.
2). The Benefits Of Multilevel Marketing By : Obinna Heche Multilevel marketing is picking up a lot of steam. This is due to the large amount of people online that are hyping multilevel marketing and all of the profits that go along with it. And if you are interested in this business, you should not have any problem finding information online to help you get started.
3). Marketing Your Work At Home Business Idea By : Obinna Heche You have a great home business idea and you have decided to jump in with both feet. You have already set up your computer, signed up with a reseller or the company who will provide you some leads and you have even come up with an innovative plan to get the kids and the rest of the family involved.
4). How To Reduce Your Competition at Trade Shows and Expos By : Stephanie Gibbs You can reduce your competition at Trade Shows and Expos. You will be able to get new customers and make more money. Just like in Baseball, you have three bases to cover. If you are willing to step up to the plate and do it right, you can hit a Home Run.
5). Blogs - A Powerful Home Business Marketing Tool By : Obinna Heche One of the best home business marketing ideas is a business blog. What makes a business blog one of the top notch marketing tool for a home business is that its easy to create, its inexpensive to build and run and its so casual and conversational that the owner can draw consumers in a non threatening way.
6). Sales Tips - "How Do I Combat Price Objections?" By : Ray Turnbull The cheapest price in the marketplace, as most people are now aware, does not guarantee you value for money.
7). Custom Packaging and Shrink Wrappings: An Important Role In Selling Your Product By : Gordon Petten When manufacturers first consider a product, they often discount the issue of packaging. They seem to think such decisions can wait until the product is ready for production.
8). How to Think Like a Journalist By : Penny Sansevieri If your media campaign is on the rails, you may not be thinking like a journalist!
9). All About Fulfillment Marketing Firms By : Scott White Today, most marketing companies specialize in these specific roles. While the complexity of marketing communications today requires technical and creative expertise, these often small agencies can’t quite put together an integrated marketing campaign.
10). It’s All About Marketing and Perceived Value By : Jaci Rae It’s all about marketing and perceived value. How do you add value to your product and market it to success?