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Your book, audience, and budget should all play a role in determining the type of advertising you use. Taking a close and careful look at all of these components will ensure your campaign is the best it can be. It's easy to overspend on advertising that is not effective. But when you do your research and take care to plan its design and placement carefully, advertising can be very cost-effective.
It's important to know what types of advertising media are available to you and the strengths of each medium. Remember to consider how well each medium can showcase your book so that you get the most of your "face time" with your potential consumers.
Newspaper
Newspaper advertising gives you the opportunity to segment by location. Many local newspapers exist that can act as a great way to get the word out about your book to a small audience. They're an excellent place to launch your advertising campaign, starting in your hometown or a location mentioned in your book.
Placement in a specific newspaper is another thing to consider. Most newspapers have arts sections where your advertisement could reach the right audience. Another option is to feature a book launch or upcoming book signing in the paper's events section. If your budget is small, you may consider taking out a classified advertisement. This is a great way to reach niche markets, such as car enthusiasts, dog lovers, and so on.
It's important to consider that artwork possibilities will be limited in the newspaper. If you'd love to show off your book's wonderful illustrations in an advertisement, this medium may not be the best place to do it.
Magazines & Trade Journals
Magazines and journals are an excellent way to target niche audiences. These publications are designed to appeal to readers with specific interests. If you'd like to start with just a regional campaign, many magazines and journals have regional editions that allow you to segment your audience and target the right individuals.
You have more options with design in a magazine advertisement, so this may be the medium for you if you wish to showcase artwork in your ad or if you want your advertisement to have lots of visual interest.
In print media, you should consider co-op advertising (sharing an ad with other advertisers) to save money and be able to purchase more space.
Radio & Television
Radio and TV are less well-suited for book advertising than print media. It may be best to use radio or television advertising to showcase your appearance at events or to advertise a book signing.
Local and public access stations are the most cost-effective option, but take care to weigh the cost and benefits of advertising on TV and radio before spending too much. Public access broadcasts often run simple advertisements surrounding announcements about events. These advertisements can be inexpensive and make your book stand out to local readers who may be at an event.
Testing and Watching Your Budget
Remember, if your goals are to bring your advertising campaign to a national level, be sure to test your ad's design and the response rate in smaller markets. That way, if the ad isn't successful, you won't take too much of a hit to your budget and goals. Make sure to track response rates to your advertising and plan your campaign based around the results that you see.
Finally, don't forget that your advertising campaign is a work in progress and can be amended for better results at any time.