The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1909-05-27
A Word About Advertising

ING can be added by the editor OF the
ndependent on this subject. Be that
as it may, there are few suggestions
which we would like to make at this
time, for the benefit of our advertisers
and those who are to become advertisers
in our paper. We presume that time
was, when an advertiser in the lndepen-
dent considered that he was doing an
act of charity by buying space in this
PAPER We will have to admit that the
circulation of this paper was not always
az large as it is today, and the chances
were not as good to get results, as they
are at the present time, with our large
circulation. But the average merchant
has gotten over this charita bic idea, and
we'll it is for both himself aid the indie.
pendent that he has done so, for he now
buys space because he feels that he needs
it. He feels that buying certain
amount of space in this paper is nothing
less than an investment. If he is care
full in his method of advertising, he is
going to find that the Investment is
paying one and he is apt to become
steady advertiser The steady advertis-
ar. if he be wise, has an advantage over
the one who appears but occasionally.
The readers learn to look for his weekly
messages, and if the advertiser be wide
awake and original, those messages are
as interesting as any news section OF the
paper. We have heard farmers say,
II am close reader of the independents
ads because l have learned that they save
me money. like to read the Indepen'
%ho 111f I
would not want to be without it, If there
were nothing but ads in it, because l tig-
ure that those ads save me many times
the price Of the paper each year,. There
you are. The readers have learned a
thing or two. Don't you fool yourself
into thinking that the readers do not
pay any attention to the ads.
The wide awake advertiser will give
this end of his business almost as much
attention as the buying end. He will
study his stock carefully and figure out
what articles are ''stickers" and make
extra inducements to get rid OF them.
He will buy the ready sellers in large
enough quantities to get the right prices
and advertise those prices. He will care.
fully prepare his copy and let us say to
YOU, that it dosen't take Latin scholar
to produce effective copy A straight
forward statement, which is an honest
one. will have more effect on the reading
public than all the catchy phrases in the
English language The advertiser ought
to be thoroly honest, and if he u.s. the
readers will soon learn this fact and
what he says will bear weight.
An advertiser should be wide awake
in another particular He should not
allow his ad to become stale. Twice
without change is as often as an ordi-
nary advertisement should be run. Some
prefer to change every week. One Of
the independents largest advertisers has
tried both methods, of changing his copy
ayery week, and every other week. He
is now following the latter plan, because
he saws he has found that all Of the
readers do not ''digest' his ad the first
week. This is an important fact. The
location Of an ad in the paper counts tor
a good deal. To appear in the same
location each week is Important One
of our best advertisers has contracted
for a half-page next to the editorial col
ums. and he changes his copy not Less
than once in two weeks, and sometimes
more often.
Many merchant knows that adver-
Using is good thing, but approach
him on the subject and he will say:
'sYes, will do some advertising after
while. but [ am not ready now. l want
to wait til get some new summer goods
i'm or he will give some other excuse.
He probably realizes that procrastlna'
ton is costing him some money each
week, as we'll as the publishers OF the
Indopendent, The average merchant,