Magazine advertising sales has always been a critical area for any publication. Often, with the smaller paginated titles, it is the remit of the multi-tasking publisher to initiate and generate sales revenue and create those valuable relationships with advertisers.  Here, Dean Cook offers ten top tips to help you gain advertising for your publication.

1. Identify the market: Look at businesses that would want to appeal to your readership.
2. Identify your unique selling points (USPs): Why someone should advertise in your magazine?
3. It’s a numbers game: The more phone calls, the more people you speak to, creates a greater chance of filling the publication.
4. Prepare yourself for rejection: Don’t take it personally — some companies have stringent advertising budgets. You might have just called at the wrong time of year.
5. Make a point to call again: Remember, to make another call is one step closer to someone who will say yes.
6. Don’t sell immediately: Listen and establish what the potential customer wants to achieve with their marketing budget, then tailor the conversation to meet their needs and wants.
7. Invest time to build relationships: Although they may not be ready to advertise now, you will likely be top of the list to call if you have a friendly business relationship.
8. Reputation is everything: don’t make promises you can’t keep. It might get you the deal today, but not fulfilling what they are expecting will lead to the customer not using you again and likely to spread the word, among others.
9. Do not undervalue your product: If a client asks for a discount, always ask for something in return, for example, customer referrals, block/series bookings, prompt payment.
10. Offer annual marketing packages: Niche businesses often don’t have a marketing department. As such, you could help broadcast their products/services with a mix of adverts and editorial in your magazine and actively involve their business in your social media activity. It could secure ongoing business and attract other advertisers wishing to receive similar services. It can be made affordable by breaking down the cost over 12-monthly direct debits.

Outsourcing advertising sales services: a problem for independent publishers?

Spending time selling can divert a lot of energy away from writing quality editorial content, servicing social media, or dealing with the business’s general day-to-day running, which can, in turn, impede financial growth. 

This relationship you have built with advertisers is so very important to your business. Time must be allocated to service those who invest money in your publication. However, access to advertising sales professionals remains extremely difficult to source without suitable financial investment.

To find a sales representative who fully understands your business, marketplace, and readership, they would need to initially invest considerable time to find, establish, and build future relationships. It will always be a tough nut to crack for the independent publisher who wishes to remain resourceful and pay for services only on results. However, as every magazine is different, please do give us a call on 01273 911730 or contact us via our contact page. We can then see where you’re at, identify your goals and hopefully provide you with the answer of how to best get there.