If you are going to advertise your services or homes with a classified ad, you need to have a thorough understanding of the print media available to you in your market. Which publications will most likely target your desired customer?

According to Robert Fore, author of 121 Best-Kept Secrets of Real Estate Superstars, there are two important steps to determining if a publication is right for you to advertise - suitability and similar target market:

Step #1: Research all suitable publications serving your marketing area. You might think there are only a couple of places to advertise in your market, but when you become familiar with all the publications in your market, you'll be surprised at the opportunities to advertise your listings and services.

Step# 2: Determine if the publication's target market is your target market. Once you've discovered all the media publications which serve your geographical area, you now need to determine if a particular publication actually serves your target market. For instance, if you've decided to solicit buyers for middle of the road housing, you certainly wouldn't want to advertise in a high-scale periodical -- even if it seems inexpensive to do so. Just because a medium is "cheap" to advertise in doesn't make it cost effective. You must match, to the greatest extent possible, your target market with the publication(s) which serve them.

Fore believes that every media source has a defined market. And every ad that you run should have a defined market. Your ads should always target a specific group of individuals with whom you'd like to do business - first time home buyers, new home buyers, relocating executives, retirees, vacation home seekers, etc.

The publication's defined market information can be found in two places.

1. The publication’s own data card, available through the advertising director found on the masthead. You’ll find the percentage of men vs women; income statistics; residence or location of areas serviced; potential interests of recipients; job titles, etc.

2. The Standard Rate & Publication Data. This publication can be located in your library free of charge, or you can call (708) 256-6067 and request a current copy for a significant fee, explains Fore.

Another important step is finding out from the publications how many copies of the publication they distribute and how they are distributed. For example, free visitor magazines do extremely well when placed with airport, hotel, hospitality, and recreational distribution outlets. And who uses those facilities? - traveling executives who may be engineering a company relocation or who are moving to the area themselves.

Although, your local newspaper will most likely be your primary medium, you would do well to explore your other options as well - home magazines, apartment locator guides, city magazines, visitor guides and relocation guides.

Who reads apartment rental guides? - first time homebuyers do. If a person is looking at apartments, he or she may be also thinking about buying a home. If your ad says something like, "Own Instead of Rent! I'll show you how!" you may be targeting an audience untapped by other competitors.

What about relocation magazines? HPC Publications, the largest home publishing magazine conglomerate in the nation, has apartment, new home, builder and relocation guides in over 38 states throughout the U.S. These free-to-the-public magazines are often included in relocation companies' transferee packages, making them a direct marketing hit for a relocation specialist or a buyer's agent.

Find out if the publications you choose feature their classified ads on the Internet and where. Newspapers may have classified ad distribution on more than one site through such companies as CityView.com, one of the largest city guideInternet sites. CityView features over 25 metropolitan areas; when you click on Dallas, for example, you will see the classified ads from the Dallas Morning News.

Some newspapers, however, don't display their classifieds over the Internet. Keep that in mind when you choose the words for your ad. This could be particularly important if you choose a relocation magazine or a newspaper in which to place ads. That means a greater number of people will see and respond to the ad, via e-mail. Anytime you place an ad which features your e-mail address, be prepared to check and respond to your e-mail at least three times daily. Real estate consumers are notorious for signing with the first agent who responds to their questions.

And don't forget to place your ad on the free sites. It can't hurt, and it just might help. Try the real estate sections on Classifieds2000, Excite, or classifieds at Yahoo! and other places by keying in free classifieds on the search engines.

Published: January 7, 1999

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. For more articles by Blanche, click here.