Local Print Publications: Which One Is Right For My Business?
Rikki Broussard • November 2, 2016
The first blog in our three-part series on local print advertising focused on the critical steps a local business must take before investing in advertising. If you’ve read the first blog of the series and are comfortable moving forward with local print advertising, you should next consider the following factors, each of which will be crucial in determining exactly which publication option is right for your business.
Local Print Publications: Which One Is Right for My Business?
In an effort to get you moving in the right direction, we have listed out the four fundamental elements of any local print publication that require examination before an investment or decision is made for your business. The four areas to explore are:
- Content: Readers don’t pick up magazines to look at the ads, they pick them up to read them. Make sure the print source you are looking to advertise in has good, unbiased content that speaks to your customer base.
- Reader Demographic: Prior to analyzing a print publication’s reader demographic, you must first know your own buyer personas. This is not the exceptional customer, but the norm—the client who shops with you regularly. Knowing this persona will help you quickly eliminate many ill-fitting advertising options. Once you’ve established your buyer persona, find out if the publication's readership is aligned with your personas. Publiations tend to offer up a very general demographic such as “female, college educated, aged 25-54”, but I encourage you to ask for a more detailed breakdown.
- Circulation: How many publications are printed per print run? Knowing this number will allow you to break down their rates by Cost Per Thousand (CPM). I highly suggest that you base their “reach” on actual printed publications rather than their pass-along rate. While the industry standard for pass-along rate is close to 2.7, many publications skew this number in favor of a larger circulation. If you’re comparing two publications, be sure to stick with actual printed publications for an apples-to-apples comparison.
- Distribution: How and where are their publications distributed? You’ll want to verify that their circulation is accurate. The best way to verify their distribution & circulation numbers is through their audit service. If the local magazine is not audited, the best way to authenticate their numbers is by requesting a letter from their printing press. Other ways to analyze their distribution include locating their distribution sites. Are they free, paid, or subscription-only distribution? This can make a huge impact on your reach and could influence the effectiveness of your advertisement.
You'll notice I've said nothing about price. Price, in my opinion, should be the last detail you review. Too many times we get caught up in how affordable something is, and jump at a "deal". Something affordable isn't always the best option, especially if the aforementioned areas don't align with the publication offering a low price. At the same time, if your goals align with the publication and it's more than you expected, you can look for an alternative, or you may just need to hold off until you are able to afford multiple insertions.
Print can be a very effective medium for building your brand. While it is tempting to advertise your business as soon as possible, it is more important to do the marketing research and planning necessary to ensure the investment made in magazine advertising is a smart one. Knowing where each one of the magazine publications in your market fall in the four categories above will equip you with the knowledge to make the best decision for your business.
Your customers are still searching. They are just no longer searching in one place. They may start with Google, ask ChatGPT to compare their options, watch a YouTube video, look for examples on Instagram, read reviews, or open a map to find a nearby business. This does not mean your company needs to chase every new platform. It also does not mean SEO is dead. The best response to fragmented search is to strengthen the foundation you already have. Build a clear, credible website, answer the questions your customers ask, share real expertise, and ensure your business appears consistently on the platforms that matter to your audience. AEO, or Answer Engine Optimization, is part of that approach. It helps search engines and AI tools find and understand your answers, but it works best when it is built on strong SEO . Why Are Customers Searching in So Many Different Places? Customers are searching in more places because they now have more ways to find the type of information they want. Every Monday during our BlinkJar staff meeting, each person brings an industry update to discuss. One recent conversation about artificial intelligence and its impact on search reminded me of what happened to television. Jared, my husband and BlinkJar’s founder , spent years working in television. At one time, a few broadcast networks held most of the audience. Then cable created more choices. Streaming services, YouTube, social video, and on-demand programming divided attention even further. Television did not disappear. People gained more ways to watch. Search is moving in the same direction. A prospective customer may search Google for a service, ask an AI assistant to explain the differences between providers, watch a video to see how something works, and read reviews before visiting a company’s website. The challenge is not that Google has stopped working. It is that businesses can no longer assume every customer will begin there. Does My Business Still Need SEO? Yes, your business absolutely needs SEO as it remains the foundation of being discovered online. Google continues to drive valuable, high-intent traffic for businesses. A strong website also gives AI tools, maps, social platforms, and prospective customers a reliable place to learn who you are and what you offer. Your website needs clear service pages, useful location information, simple navigation, relevant internal links, and a sound technical structure. Search engines must be able to crawl, index, and understand your pages. Traditional SEO is not being replaced. It is supporting a larger discovery ecosystem. Think of your website as your company’s home base. Social media, maps, reviews, search engines, and AI tools may help customers find you, but your website is where you control the complete story.
Kingsley Lavender shares what he learned as a marketing intern at BlinkJar Media, including SEO, website updates, content marketing, and real-world agency experience.
Artificial intelligence is changing the way businesses approach content marketing , social media marketing , and digital communications. AI can generate ideas, streamline workflows, and help marketers create content faster than ever before. At Blinkjar, we embrace AI as a powerful tool, but we also know the most impactful marketing still begins with something technology can't replicate: a genuine human connection. As a Creative Content Specialist at Blinkjar , some of my most valuable work happens away from my desk. Meeting with clients, visiting their businesses, and building real relationships gives me a deeper understanding of who they are and what makes their brands unique. Those face-to-face interactions help me create authentic content that reflects each client's personality , values, and story. Can AI Really Tell Your Brand's Story? Every business has a story worth telling . While AI can help organize information, brainstorm ideas, and improve efficiency, it can't experience a company's culture, observe customer interactions, or hear the passion behind why a business was started. That’s why every interaction matters. Whether we’re on a call, exchanging emails, meeting in person, capturing photos and videos, or simply talking through new ideas, each touchpoint helps us better understand the businesses we support. These conversations allow us to see how a brand operates, hear the stories behind the work, and uncover the details that make it unique. Those real insights often become the foundation for stronger content because they reveal perspectives that AI simply can’t generate. How Do Client Conversations Lead to Better Content Marketing? The more time I spend with the businesses we support, the better I can represent their brand. Photoshoots are one way those connections happen, but many of my strongest content ideas come from everyday conversations, planning calls, emails, meetings, and moments when a client shares something we would not have known otherwise. Those small details often become the difference between content that feels generic and content that feels true to the brand. Whether we're discussing a new project, talking through their day-to-day operations, or simply catching up, those conversations give me the context I need to write content that's accurate, authentic, and true to their voice. Instead of relying on assumptions, I can pull directly from their experiences, expertise, and personality . That's what transforms content from informative to meaningful.
