For many people, it’s a tradition to sit down with the Sunday paper to relax, learn about recent events around the world, and to look through the latest weekly ads and circulars. In fact, many people who aren’t even in the market to make a purchase will peruse newspaper ads and circulars for fun, just to see what’s out there. It turns out, however, that retailers count on this behavior, with many drawing in customers as a direct result of weekly circulars and ads in newspapers. What this means is that publishers need to pay attention to consumer habits in order to not only generate more revenue for their newspapers or other broadcast outlets, but also to draw in traffic and increase revenue from their online sites.

Placing Ads in Digital Versions

One way to do this is to include ads in digital versions of your newspaper or broadcast publication. While many online publishers sell separate ad space in their digital versions, this might not actually attract readers as much as including the same ads found in the print version. Because customers enjoy looking through circulars, they may be turned away by web ads that have nothing to do with retailers and service providers in their local areas. Instead, offer a digital version that mirrors the print version to attract new readers and retain current ones.

Because so many people are spending time on social media these days, it would be wise to reach out to them there as well. You might consider posting a weekly update on social media that includes digital versions of the circulars you’re including in your print versions while encouraging people to like and share your page. This approach will increase social media followers, allowing you to reach a larger audience when advertising your publication’s other services. You might also consider partnering with specific retailers and service providers in your local area to advertise specific deals, thus generating additional revenue from such partnerships.

Take Advantage of Native Advertising

Native advertising is the technique of advertising by including ads into a publication that match the tone and format of the publication. Basically, a native ad does not look like an ad, but instead, it blends in with the existing content. Much of native advertising is carried out online, but if your publication is responsible for putting together the content and layout of a circular, you can insert ads that pertain to your offerings as well. Of course, there may be concerns with this if you don’t have permission to alter formatting guidelines or if an advertiser forbids it, so make sure to discuss the idea with any advertisers that you create circulars for. Once you’ve gotten the green light, remember to include the circulars on your website, in your digital edition, through social media, and through your mailing list in order to maximize effectiveness.