How to Get Advertising Money for Your Writing Publication

If you are involved with the upper level management of a student or professional newspaper, magazine or publication, then you know how demanding the market can be when it comes to maintaining a certain level of profit in the news industry. Most newspapers or magazines are owned by a parent company which put even more stress on the editor in chief of a publication. The best way of getting money is through advertising.

If you haven't formed a business department for your publication, then now might be a good time to do just that. A business department is crucial for obtaining more money for your publication and for paying employees and covering expenses.

Plus, using the extra money obtained from more revenue through advertising, you can expand and better the quality of the publication. Most news outlets don't have the money to pay for extra staffers to cover a wide range of news stories. Using the extra money, you can also add more color pages to your publication or add more text pages to your publication.

So how do you create a business department? First you need to appoint a business manger. You will also need to try and recruit people to work for your business manager. The only real way and most successful way of obtaining advertising money are through persistence. If you aren't persistent then this business industry will eat you alive.

The first suggestion is to look through online yellow pages and start compiling a database of all local business and stores in your area. Once you have done that, compile a list of all businesses, restaurants, and stores in the surrounding neighborhoods. Once you have done that, start compiling a list of corporate businesses and sponsorships. By now, you should have a list of more than 1,000 prospective businesses who might decide to advertise with you. For each business listing, you should compile it into a spreadsheet and include the store's address, phone number and email contact if it is listed.

The next step is to get on a phone and start calling as many businesses as possible, starting with the businesses that are closest to your publication. Use notations such as "NH" for any business manager that's not home. Write comments in the margins if the business manager is interested or not interested in advertising with your publication. Cross off any business off your printed list not interested in advertising with you at all. For the businesses that were most interested in advertising with you, put those businesses on a new separate list.

The third step is to personally go to that store or business and speak to the business manager. Make sure you have a copy of your publication to show the business manager. You should also have an advertising rate sheet and special deals your publication offers. Have a sample handy of what advertisements in your publication look like or could look like. Another idea is to create a business card and give it to the business manager.

For any business owner who tells you that they "will think about it" and that they will call you back, make sure that you follow up with them so that they don't forget. You can usually do this in the form of a phone call or you can stop by in person once again. For any business that does advertise with you, put those names on a separate database for your records and to contact in the near future. Remember, businesses can advertise with you more than once. Ideally, you want the business relationship to be mutual in which advertising in your publication leads to more profits for that business.

Finally, for any business that you have an email listing for, you should definitely contact them via email. Email is quick and easy because you can copy and paste an email to as many businesses as you want. In the email you can also attach your advertising sheet as a PDF file.