The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1886-02-17
ADYERTIsISGsPAys.
The Experience Or One Or The
Host kuecessfnl NeWspa-
perAdyertising Agents,

/ NMNNA Sun
perAdtertlsing Agents.
]. Il. Bates, Of Al Park Row,
New York City, Is one ofths most
successful as wellasone Of the lafg.
est newspaper advertising agents
in this country. For more than
thirty years as agent be has dis
bursed many millions Of dollars fol
advertisers throughout the press o.
the country, In view of bis wide
experience and great succeSs be has
been induced to furnish some con,
cluaons which he has reached on
1.-The subject Of newspaper advettis.
ling. For the benefit Of our bust
ness men generally we reproduce d
portion Of his conclusions
1. When1 began, newspaper ad.
vertising was not as respectable as
III is now. Respectable is, perhaps,
not quite the right word II express
the status Of a business, looked on as
rather irregular and queer, but M
other so good occurs u me Just now,
Regular, steady going business
houses, thirty yeats ago, felt some.
thing like shame in advertising
their goods IN the newspapers.
This feeling has pretty much worn
EaSay, although some Of IL still lin.
gers among old.fashioned business
men,
2. | should judge that the people
Of this country expeud at least
thirty times as much money in
newspaper advertising as they did
thirty yearsago. The vast increase
Of population and newspapers ex.
plains considerable part Of this,
but ii mostly comes from the more
general and freer use made Of the
advertising columns BY the general
public. All classes have come more
and more TO believe that the news.
paper is the most impersonal, self
respecting, and effective way Of
getting before the public with what
any one wants to say to it.
Thirty years ago a man who
should spend $4,000 a year in the
newspapers, would attract atten.
ton as a large advertiser; now
there are houses expanding almost
as much monthly, right along
through the year, without attract.
lug attention. Mr.. Robert Bon.
ner, whose undertakings in all di
tectiOns have been characterized BY
breadth, boIdness, precision, and
success, was the FIRST to make the
public familiar with large adver-
Using applied in the most original
manner, to build up the circulation
Of his Ledger 10 q point never ut.
taiued before or since by any journ.
al in this country, Although Mr..
Bonner's largest newspaper advsr.
Using was done twenty five years
ago, (for he rapidly nude his paper
successful, and having accomplish
ed his purpose, cut down his ex.
penses in that channel, still no
one has come up to the splendid
audaciry" Of an order for one inser.
ton Of an advertisement to cost ov.
er 100000. And yet in pecuniary
matters he is very exact and care
full man.
8 II agrees with my experience
that newspaper advertising isprofi.
table, As look back over the
very considerable number Of those
whose advertising have done, /
do not now recall a single one who
judiciously, perseveringly, and
freely pushed good articles, Of
whatever kind, in the newspapers,
and did not make at least u fair
success, while great many have
gained ample fortunes. | will not
mention names in support Of this
statement, as | conld easily do, bu.
the list is u large one. Indeed, it
has been my observation that il is
easier fur large advertisers to make
money than to keep it. Often il
comes in so fast that the head gets
turned, and lavish, personal expen
ditures and Improbable invest.
ments swallow up the fortunes
which, had they been longer in
making, would likely have been
more permanent.
When business men come TO Look
upon the cost Of steady newspaper
advertising as an Investment, sure
to pay as we'll as any other, aud
not unlikely TO be exceedingly pruf.
table, they win use it more sys.
tematically than heretofore, aud
regard it as a necessary item Of ex
penSe.
4. Ever since l have been in
business, there have been wide
differences Of opinion among adver.
tiser as to the best mediums and
methods, and never so great as now
in consequence Of the rivalry be.
tween advertisers and agents; and
whenever anyone succeeds by the
use Of certain mediums in a certain
way, he naturally concludes his
method to be the best, notwith.
standing another may have made
an equal success by using quite
another class Of newspapers in
quitea different way. Twenty Ave
years ago, large advertisers, as a
rule, oontented Themselves with q
well written and displayed adver.
tisement taking its run on the adj.