10 Tips for Advertising in City/Regional Magazines

Promoting your local business can be tricky, especially if you’re small- to medium-sized with a limited marketing budget. You’ve likely tried a variety of media to find the right formula. And that’s good. The most successful programs feature an integrated approach.

But have you considered city/regional print magazines? Today, many are quick to dismiss print advertising as ‘old school.’ Yet results show that the opposite is true with print magazine advertising often outperforming online and other media alternatives.

Like anything, you need a certain amount of knowledge to get the most out of your print advertising. That’s why we wrote “10 Ad Tips for City/Regional Magazines.” Our goal is to help your business reach new heights of customer loyalty and profitability.

Things to Know About City/Regional Magazines

City/Regional magazines are a large and highly active group. The Index to City and Regional Magazines of the United States lists 920 general-interest consumer magazines with a geographic focus. Within this genre are city magazines (i.e., Chicago, Austin Monthly; regional magazines (What’s Up? Eastern Shore, New Hampshire); city specialty magazines that specialize both geographically and by subject matter (Hartford Woman, Pittsburgh Magazine Visitors Guide); and regional specialty magazines (Texas Highways, Mountain Gazette).

The City and Regional Magazine Association (CRMA) serves as the industry’s voice. It provides professional development and training to member publishers as well as opportunities to exchange information and ideas. Check it out to learn more about this segment.

Providing a Slow, Luxurious Reading Experience

Many city/regional magazines are high-end publications featuring great design, photography and print quality along with expertly written, long-form journalism. Readers often regard these magazines as luxury items, and they tend to stay in the home until the next cherished issue arrives.

This strong bond with readers also produces good results for advertisers. The print-centric nature of city/regional magazines fits well into 2022 YouGov data reported in Fast Company (Magazines aren’t dying–just ask these indie publishers), showing that consumers have a different relationship with digital magazine experiences. A significant 47% of American readers prefer to consume magazines in print rather than online.

That supports earlier research by SFG (6 surprising stats about magazine media consumption) indicating that” 91% of all adults read magazines. And those aged 35 and younger are even more likely to read magazines (93-94%). In addition, 73% of adults agreed that reading a magazine or book in print format is more enjoyable than reading on a device.”

City/Regional print magazines occupy a lofty position. They offer readers the ultimate sensory experience with content that is thoughtful to read and lovely to view. Readers spend time with these magazines—lean back and relax. Advertisers reap the benefits.

10 Tips for City/Regional Magazine Advertisers

Not everything is unique about creating ad campaigns for city/regional magazines. Yet there are some differences in how you might approach these specialty print magazines for maximum success. Here are 10 tips to help you succeed:

1. Know the Mailing List and Your Target Audience. If you accept the premise that advertising success is dependent 40% on list, 40% on offer and 20% on creative, it’s essential to ensure that the magazine reaches your target audience. You start with a built-in advantage of the magazine’s recipients being local, but there’s more to learn. Here are some questions to ask:
   • Are recipients paid subscribers or is the magazine mailed free to mailing lists (or some combination of the two)? Many city and regional magazines will have an almost exclusively paid print readership. This carries a higher cost per thousand (CPM) rate because readers tend to spend more time with magazines that they pay to receive. But that doesn’t mean a free version won’t work for your business.
   • Is the circulation independently audited? Again, this may not be a deal breaker, but an independent audit does assure that you’re getting what the auditor’s report says you’re getting.
   • What other vital demographic information can the publisher provide about the readership base? You can often find important demographic information such as average household income, education level, gender, largest median age group and which products and services readers tend to spend their money on.
   • What other special-interest publications does the magazine offer? For example, Pittsburgh Magazine has four seasonal, home-focused publications and a visitors’ guide as well as wedding and give (philanthropy) issues. These single-focus publications might be perfect for your business.
2. Execute Ad Fundamentals Exceedingly Well. Especially in high-end city/regional magazines, you need to make sure that your ad is visually appealing and will capture the reader’s attention. Use bright colors and interesting imagery to draw readers into your ad. Be concise and clear, remembering that you have limited space. Tailor your message directly to your target audience using short, punchy copy that readers will remember.
3. Spend time creating a great offer. Certainly, there is a worthy case for pure brand building, but most smaller businesses need more tangible results from their advertising. So, decide what would mean success to you, and it can take many forms. Increased sales during the ad period. Higher online engagements. A certain number of offer redemptions. Try to be as specific as possible about what success looks like and how you’ll measure it. We’ll talk more about campaign-effectiveness measurement.
4. Create a “Bring a Friend” Ad. There’s nothing like one customer bringing another into the fold. But there’s no rule that either one has to be an existing customer. If you own a boutique clothing store, for instance, why not offer a reader 10% off their next purchase or 15% off for both them and a friend? It’s the best type of “friends” offer. Both get rewards, to say nothing of a shopping spree together.
5. Add a Measurement Tool. Measuring helps you better understand your audience so you can focus on the most effective media and offers. Here are several ways to measure the effectiveness of your city/regional magazine ad:
   • Just ask. Instruct your salespeople to inquire about how the customer heard about your business. Or you can send a text message or email asking them to complete a brief questionnaire after they make a purchase. Consider offering a future discount for providing the information.
   • Include a unique email address or phone number. You’ll instantly know if the person is responding to your print ad.
   • Include a promo code. This can be a code the customer types into a website or landing page or gives verbally at the store or over the phone. Make it simple and easy to remember.
   • Include a QR code. A simple smartphone scan takes the reader directly to an app or specific landing page.
   • Include vanity URLs and UTM tracking codes. The former is a short, easily remembered URL that takes the person directly to a landing site created for the ad. The addition of UTM tracking codes (brief text added to the end of your URL) lets you quickly identify the specific source of traffic through your web analytics tool. The downside of URLs and UTMs versus a QR code is that the inquirer must type something into their browser.
6. Advertise With a Partner. You can spread the costs and perhaps heighten interest in your ad by partnering with another business. For example, a theatre and a restaurant make a good combination. Or a wedding venue and a limousine service. Or a boutique dress shop with a nearby shoe store. The possibilities are endless.
7. Create a Testimonial Ad. Testimonials work because your ad now speaks from the voice of satisfied local customers. And people tend to believe other customers, especially in areas like healthcare and service businesses. Even big brands can profit from gaining stronger local legitimacy. A few simple rules include keeping the testimonial genuine (people tend to doubt over-the-top reviews), including an image of the person and getting their permission. You can also link readers to a written or video testimonial by using a QR code or URL.
8. Write an Advertorial. This is an advertisement that looks and reads like journalistic content. A well-executed advertorial can effectively promote products, build brands and drive sales. You can often engage your target market while making the sales side less obvious than a traditional ad. This is also a type of ad where the magazine’s writing staff may be able to help in its development.
9. Create a Community Support Ad. Each month has a substantial number of observances and awareness causes that you can build into an ad. Depending on the theme, you’ll get an opportunity to add a bit of generosity, joyfulness and fun to your marketing program. From Financial Literacy Month to National Mutt Day, there are countless special days to build community through a support ad.
10. Advertise in a Ballot Issue. City/Regional magazines are well known for their popular “Readers’ Choice” and “Best of” issues. The magazine invites readers to vote for their favorite businesses in a wide range of categories. Ballot issues generate a lot of reader engagement for both the magazine and its advertisers.

These tips are just a sampling of the many ways your business can succeed with print advertising in city/regional magazines. We hope it encourages you to dig deeper into these great publications and develop an ad strategy that works for your business.

About Walsworth

We live and breathe special-interest publications and promote them at every opportunity. Our multiple publication facilities currently print and distribute more than 225 monthly and quarterly titles. We have a special enthusiasm for the unique role played by city/regional magazines.

That’s not just idle talk. We constantly invest in the equipment, services and solutions to meet the demands of this dynamic publishing segment. Our ability to handle quick turnarounds with ease is supported by advanced premedia capabilities, multiple print platforms and deep mailing and distribution know-how.

Getting in touch is simple. Just contact us today and a friendly Walsworth associate will be in touch within 24 hours.