An advertisement needs to be timed well in order to be effective enough to draw sufficient attention and consequentially result in an urged action. In order to time an advertisement well, an advertiser needs to be aware of the factors that govern the release schedule of it.
Multiple elements affect the timing of launching an advertisement campaign in a newspaper. Some ads need to be published multiple times while in case of other ads just one formal announcement is sufficient.
So let’s find out what and how the factors determine the release schedule of a newspaper advertisement.
By Objective
By now it is quite clear that advertising objectives hold a significant place in determining crucial matters associated with the ad campaign. Rather objectives are the primary factor which pilot any and every newspaper advertisement campaign. Therefore based on the 3 main objectives of newspaper advertising, the release schedule is determined, which is different in case of every objective as mentioned below:
Branding– For a brand to create awareness for itself, it needs to remind the target audience of its constant presence and to ensure that multiple ads with a consistent gap between each advertisement should be published in multiple newspapers.
Sales-If the objective is to drive footfalls, increase sales during discount periods or other events, then it is advised that the ad be scheduled for release during the event or discount period
Notifications-Notifications such as public announcements, change of name ads, business tender adverts etc need to be announced just once as a formal communique as and when the requirement arises.
Day of the Week
The day of the week may not appear to be as significant for the readers but it is highly essential for the advertiser. This is because subconsciously, the readers read or access certain specific newspapers of supplements on specific days as they are purposely released on a weekly basis.
Many supplements associated with recruitment, entertainment, education, real estate and even matrimonial ads are published on different days of the week.
For instance, most matrimonial special pages are published on Sundays while Wednesdays are a suitable day for Recruitment Pullouts. Saturdays are a preferred day for real estate supplements.
So depending on the focus days dedicated to each supplement, an advertiser can publish the ad ensuring maximum visibility for it on that specific day of the week.
Seasonality
Certain advertisements are influenced by the different seasons in a year, that is, their releases need to be scheduled based on the audience requirements which are inspired by seasonality. Let’s evaluate some ad categories which are driven by seasonality.
Throughout the Year-Recruitment can take place in an organisation any time of the year and are therefore published as and when vacancies available. Apart from recruitment notifications, matrimonial ads, businesses and even real estate ads are published all throughout the year.
Festive- Most Retail advertisers choose to advertise during the festive seasons like Navaratri, Diwali, Christmas etc. New offers, new collections, discounts and more are offered during festive seasons by a number of retailers, FMCG industries, electronics and even automobiles.
Admission Period- As the name suggests, admission notices are carried out by Education institutes like schools, colleges and Universities are subject to a specific time period which starts from the month of June and continues till the end of August.
So prior to choosing and confirming the dates for release, you must be sure of the objective you intend to fulfil along with categorising the advertisement as Business, Matrimonial, Recruitment, Retail, Notification or Education.
