Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1885-03-21

W
Toledo" 10000 copies were to be printed,
and thew were to be distributed in the
country towns in this vicinity. the
middle column of each page was to con-
tain facts reg riding TOledo-its business
and business men. The other columns
would contain advertising, and as was
a ''well-knOwn advertiser" (he said), he
was especially anxious that should be
among his first patrons.
what is your prlce3'
Twenty dollars per column"
I had very little faith IN it, and yet L
said to myself off the whole thing
brings us one good customer, it Will pay
US. and it surely ought to do this much"
But I said to him, Il will think 1t over,
and see you again" In course Of time
he called again; his book was tOlerable
full of ads contracted Tor, and we mace
bargain. He brought me ten or twenty
copies Of the thing when printed. and
collected his bill, and from that day to this
I never saw one cent of benefit from the
ad.
We have a fair here every fall; pro
CRANES and circulars are printed for 1t.
For two years 1 put special ads in these,
and Wached the results. They are dis
appointing. have tested signs IN street
cars, signs on fences, circus programs,
hOuse programs, guide-bOOks, maps;
and directories, and have dropped them
all. I was advertising for trade; I
watched keenly TO see where the trade
came from, and invariable my schemes
are productive Of disappointment. But
every year use more space in the
weekly papers and the monthly maya
zines.
The power of the newspaper advertis-
ing is in its persistent appearance. In
the first place, the paper has a value In
itself, so that people buy it. That which
is bought has value in the eyes Of the
purchaser. The paper Is bought to
be read, to while away an hour Of
morning or evening. The advertisements
have beenb ought as we'll as the stories
and the telegraph matter. But a new
advertisement has very little more pow
er than a hand bill, and a hand-bin has
never any more power than single IN
aertion Of an advertisement.
My theory is that the advertisement
of new firm is read by the majority Of
people with very languid interest. But
week after week that firm is sending out
new announcements, and week by week
the intrest of the reader is increased.
In this way the power of the advertise
ment is constantly growing, and sooner
or later it draws the reader to purchase
But more than this, with the persistent
advertiser there is a cumulative power
that a wise man takes into consideration.
The advertising that I did year ? 60 is
not spent force; It props up the advertis-
ing am doing now, and makes present
advertising all the more valuable
Some men regularly advertise by
spurts. They give a dash In spring
another in fall, and then spread them
selves for the holidays. Tom goes in at
the same eeason that Dick and Harry go
in, and with about the same display.
The chances are that all three consider /
advertising a very expensive luxury, but
are little afraid to stay out.
I had an idea regarding advertis- !
ing for holiday trade that / put in pTaC-
tice last fall. 1t was this: The best !
time to work up the holiday trade was |
early in the autumn, and to advertise, so |
that while I was always leading up to the /
holiday business, would also be helping |
the regular autumn trade. made con |
tracts with the local papers in August, /
1 changed my ads every week or 50; 1 ran /
special lines in special place, so could /
see which papar was paying best, and my /
experiment was a success. During Sep
TENDER and October and November I was
harping on my goods and in such a way
that l became identified with my line. /
1 drew trade in those days that paid we'll,
but when the general holiday advertising
!
sides to call attention to my goods; I had
only to change my song little and show
how we'll the goods were fitted for hOli-
day presents. And the fact that these
were thesame goods I had been working
upon all fall was an additional reason in
purchasers minds for seeking them; 1t
showed that they were regular ware and
not liable to be marked with fancy
prices for the holidays.
Most advertisers watch general re-
suits, and if they are satisfactory govern
themselves accordingly, But it always
seemed to me rather a poor policy to
advertise in three papers because two of
them paid you. I want to advertise in
tire because each of the three pays me,
and I know this, not guess at it. Are
two papers read largely by the same peO-
pie? Then I want but one of them. Is
one read in business Offices mostly, and
is the other the home paper? Then I
want the latter. Has one paper a per
sOnal hold on it's readers, and the other
simply bought for It's news? Then /
want the first one.
Having made myself familiar with the
paper and its spirit, try to write an ad.
that will appeal to the special class who
read that paper. L can advertise high
priced goo Is in one paper and make 1t
pay me, and common goods in another
!
advertise shears in. the Stock Breeders
Gazette nor butcher-knives in HaTPer's
Bazaar.
The country retail dealer has to ask
himself what the limits of his territory
are; then how to cover that ground. In
for advertising it is not
question as to what your competitor is
doing, but to End out what it will pay
Won to do. If four inches Of space pay
better than two you want four, but it
does not follow that eight will double
the result received from four. Then who
are going to read the ad ? Write tor
them as you would talk to them. No one
ever mt To rnnnh human natL1ra In an I'D |