Business considerations ... Q&A session ...


Q: Advertising in art-related magazines may get a wide readership, but how do you gauge ahead of time whether it will be worth the expense?


A: (from Bill Ritchie) Calculations are in order. First, secure the circulation facts and figures from the art related magazine advertising department. Publishers - even the small ones - have done their market research and can tell you the demographics of their business, i.e., who reads their magazine, how old they are, how much money they seem to have, etc.

Second, consult one of the magazine's sales agents and talk with them. The agent's job is to sell you advertising space for as long a time as possible. They will usually inform you that it takes about three appearances in advertising before it "sticks" and the results began to come to you. You may be able to do this by e-mail instead of the telephone. The magazine has a Web site, too.

Third, make a long range plan. You will not get fast results; therefore, your calculations might be based on a year-long budget. This will help the overall costs because advertising on a contract - such as for one year - is cheaper and less work than it is to do a lot of experimentation with short-term ideas.

Fourth, be sure you have inventory to meet the demand. If your advertising plan is effective, you will get results and perhaps you will not be able to meet the demand. For example, if you have an edition of 250 prints and you advertise it, and you get 600 orders, what will you do?

Those are four ideas. More will come out of your communication with the advertising sales person at the site you're considering. Printed advertising is expensive, and creative companies have offerings that can help you cut costs, such as cooperative printing projects, inserts, barter and so on.

The next time you open an art magazine and see an advertisement, realize that you are looking at a line-item in someone's annual operating expenses budget. It is not likely that it is the artist's own budget. Printed advertising costs vary widely, but think of it as a page or a fraction of a page. Think, "This page is about $7,000, and this fourth of a page is $2000." Then, go figure.


A: (from ...)

 


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