The greatest benefit to online advertising is that it’s 100% measurable, and immediate. Advertising online is in reach of every person and business — it’s just as simple as advertising anywhere else.
Why advertise with newspapers?
Community newspapers command a special place in Canadian households. The role they play is vital, often being the only choice for local news and information relevant to readers in the community. On average, one-quarter of Canadians read only their community newspaper, and most readers read every issue, cover to cover.
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Desirable audience: 74% of readers are university educated and 79% earn more than $75,000 annually in household income. |
Time with the paper: Community newspaper readers are committed to their papers with two-thirds reading all or most of the publication. |
Readers want the ads: Almost half of readers indicate there are days when they read the community newspaper as much for the ads as for the news. |
Fig A: Source: ComBase 2008/2009 Cumulative readership (read any of the last four issues)
Fig B: Source: ComBase 2008/2009 Population 5,540,571 Sample 39,761 Cumulative readership – read any of the last four community newspaper issues
Why advertise online?
The Columbia Valley Pioneer website is hyper-local. We effectively represent the Columbia Valley region, and are able to target a specific audience for your business to bring you the customers you need. With the click of a mouse, the readers you want can be viewing your ad.
18% |
Of our readers (circulation of 8,000 print copies) get their newspaper from our read-online section, or download the issue every week. |
22,000 |
Page views per month. Tap into this local resource to get your business noticed, up to 22,000 times per month! (That’s up to 733 times per day!) |
The solution you’ve been looking for!
Advertising online is the future, and The Pioneer is the premiere place to advertise your business online — here’s why:
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Our target audience:
The Columbia Valley Pioneer serves from Spillimacheen to Canal Flats, and into Calgary, Alberta. Our readership is primarily local residents, but also includes second- homeowners and tourists. You can trust that The Pioneer brings in viewers that are relevant to your business, because as a newspaper serving the community, nearly 100% of our readers are in some way connected to this area. |
You know what you’re buying:
The Columbia Valley Pioneer is a trusted local newspaper. We take pride in offering the best advertising solutions for our clients, and we use our expertise in both print and web advertising to benefit you. We’ve also taken the time to research and offer you a comprehensive guide to web advertising, in an honest and to-the-point manual. |
In-house expertise:
The Columbia Valley Pioneer has in-house experts who can answer all your questions, and point you in the right direction. Included in the cost of advertising are the expert design skills of our staff, who will help you build the ad of your dreams. Our sales, design and news staff are some of the best in the area, and they’re always willing to help. |
Where to start:
Take the time to plan ahead and understand how your business can advertise most effectively online. With a little legwork, you can greatly increase the success of your online ad campaign. Go through each of the following steps to learn more about advertising with The Pioneer online.
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Decide on a budget:
It is very important to budget your advertising on a yearly basis. Now is a good time to set aside money in your next annual budget specifically for advertising purposes. By doing so, you’ll allow yourself some freedom to develop an effective campaign without burdening yourself in the slower months, when it is often most crucial to advertise. Remember: you have to spend a little to make a lot!
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Develop objectives:
Clearly define what you want to accomplish with your online advertising. Write down a few specific goals you would like your ads to achieve.
Your objective may be to increase sales or brand awareness, perhaps you want to increase web traffic, or to get your new brochure downloaded by prospective clients. Whatever it may be, make sure you’re consistent in achieving that goal, and do everything you can to make it as easy as possible for an online user to access.
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Install analytics:
If you are advertising online, you are most likely going to want to track how effective your own website is, too. This will help you understand who is using your website when, which is information you can then use to design an effective advertising campaign with The Pioneer.
Install Google Analytics onto your website (or have your local web designer do it for you). Analytics will give you very vital information on your website as a whole, and will help you with search engine optimization, traffic, and keywords. Absolutely anyone who has a website should have Analytics installed. It is an invaluable tool for your business.
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Track your ad:
In conjunction with Analytics, you should be using a custom URL with a tagged link. This means you will need a specially-modified URL which contains data that ties your ad into Analytics, and helps you track your goals from Step 2. You can find this resource here:
http://www.google.com/analytics/apps/about?app_id=187001
It will also help you track things like impressions and clicks yourself. If you need help setting something like this up, see a local web developer.
The Pioneer will of course provide you with updates on the general performance of your ad on a regular basis, but having access to the finer details yourself is a great way to plan and react to things that are working well, or not so well.
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Creating your ad:
Should you wish, the graphics design team at The Pioneer will help you build and design your ad.
There are a lot of considerations for creating your ad, but most important is to think deeply about how you are going to get the user to complete the goal(s) you set out in Step 2. Your ad copy, graphics and design should all work together to get clicks, to make sure you get what you’re looking for.
Please consider that there are two very general ‘types’ of ads, and the strengths and weaknesses of either must fit well with your goals.
Branding: branding ads are typically very general, and are employed to build brand awareness. They don’t often call users to action, or offer any special promotions; the goal of a branding ad is to reinforce its brand. Think of companies like Coca-cola, Nike or Telus.
Marketing: Marketing ads are often very targeted, offering a sale, promotion or special offer. These sorts of ads rely very heavily on calls to action, and often their goals are getting clicks, and completing the ‘Landing Page’. Think of companies like: Sobeys, Essentials, etc.
The great thing about online advertising is that a user can respond to your ad immediately. For most web advertisers, your ads should prompt the user to action — to click — on your ad. If your ad is loosely conceived and there is no action or incentive for a user, you risk running an ultimately unsuccessful campaign. Remember, we are providing the audience, but your ad has to accomplish your goals!
Your ad, just like print advertising, has design specifications, such as width and height (in pixels), file size, and file type. Please see more about what is available to you on page 8-9.
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Create a landing page:
Your online ad should bring users to a page that allows them to complete the action they were expecting, but never use your home-page as your landing page. This is the most critical step for the success of your campaign, and it’s the #1 way to complete the goals you have set out.
For example, if you are selling shoes, and your ad is a 2-for-1 shoe sale, your landing page should allow them to make that purchase immediately. If a user just lands on your home-page instead, you risk the chance of losing that sale as the user may grow disinterested and leave. Get a good landing page right away! If you need help setting something like this up, see a local web developer.
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Start sending Newsletters:
Newsletters are a great way to keep people informed about what your business is up to. They can generate leads, help you stay in touch with your clients, or send out updates to things like schedules, rates or sales. A good tip is to have your Landing Page prompt users to sign up for your newsletter!
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Diversify:
While advertising online is robust and effective, it’s important to remember that it’s not the end of the line. A business must always be active when it comes to marketing itself. Try purchasing ads in the Pioneer newspaper, or one of our many magazines.