Today, every large city has at least one major daily newspaper, and many have several papers, including specialized business news, senior citizen news, shoppers guides, advertising sheets, and so on. Some of these papers are published weekly and others may come out every other week, or every month. But in all these ways news and information, and lots of advertising, goes out to the public. Lead Newspapers
Rather than hurting local newspaper distribution, the Internet has actually enhanced and often increased it. I may live in Sacramento, California, for example, but I can jump on the Internet and catch some of the local news in Portland, Maine by way of the local newspapers. I can even subscribe over the Net in just a few minutes. Such public presence makes every newspaper available to the entire world. The result of such exposure is a much wider audience, and more subscriptions.
The Need in Your Area
More than likely, your area already has at least one daily paper based in a nearby city, as well as other publications, such as The Wall Street Journal and USA Today. I'm sure there are also real estate guides, shoppers, business news, free papers that target farm or city readers, and other local or regional publications. You may wonder if there is really room, or a need for yet another newspaper.
Are Local Businesses & Readers Being Served?
You need to know the answer to the above question before you go very far in trying to develop a newspaper or other local publication. You need to have an accurate understanding of who you will serve, how you will serve them (what can you offer that no one else is offering), and why. You should be fully aware of other publications in your market area and what they are doing.
Take the time to do a little research. Drive around and collect one each of every newspaper, shopping guide or trading post, real estate guide, and free magazine publication you can find. Spend a couple of days looking them over. Go through each publication more than once. Take note of the advertising, the news offered, the features (comics, puzzles, tidbits) offered. Ask yourself how well the people you know are being represented by these publications. How well are the small and medium sized businesses in your area publicized?
The second step in your research is to go out and visit with local business people. Visit briefly with barbershops, pet stores, cafes, repair shops, appliance stores, tax services, attorneys, clothing stores -- all kinds of businesses. Stop in and ask business owners and managers about their advertising methods, their needs for new sales and new customers. Ask them how a publication might better serve the community and marketplace.
Next, go through the phone book's Yellow Pages for your area. Take a look at every business category in the book. Pay special attention to the businesses that do not advertise in the phone book. Go back through your collection of newspapers and guides and see if you can find ads for these businesses. Make a list of the business for which you can find no ads at all. Give them a call, and ask them how they promote their businesses and why.
You're Looking for two things:
1. Are the existing local publications truly serving your area? Is there a workable and effective way for most small and medium-sized businesses in your area to get the word out about their products and services?
2. Are most of the small and medium-sized business owners in your area really aware of the opportunities open to them for advertising? Do they understand the importance of consistent and effective advertising? Do they have realistic expectations?
As you develop a clearer picture of your area and how well the local people and the businesses that serve them are being represented by the local printed media.
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