Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-05-14
"Does Advertising Pay?"

"Does Advertising Pay?"
Under the above heading, the Walter
boro Press and Standard, has in its
last issue an article intended to make
it's home people give more attention to
the matter of pushing their business,
through means Of advertising, and In
this article we see some paragraphs
that are are of interest One reads
like this:
Still another class do not use adver-
tising space because they do not like
the views Of the editor of the paper!
And they claim to be business men!
Yes. there are men right In the town OF
WATERFORD who conduct businesses,
and because they disagree with the
political views Of the editor of this pa
per-to be specific-they will not ad-
yertise in it. Is this business judg-
has the views Of the edi-
tor of the paper got to do with tine
value of the paper as an advertising
medium? Advertising Is a matter OF
business, and should be done in a bus
mess way. Circulation Is what counts.
The number Of people who read an ad-
vertisement determines whether or not
it will pay. Editorial opinions do not
count in value Of space, except our
humble opinion Is that a paper WltE
editorial convictions and backbone
enough to express them is more eager
ly and more widely read, and Is conse-
auently a better advertising medium.
The Yorkville Enquirer has had large
experience with the class Of so-called
business men referred to; but has very
few of them in mind now. Years ago,
for reasons other than business, a
number of people who had been more
or less liberal advertisers quit adver-
tising altogether. The Enquirer suf-
fered and they suffered; but both suf-
fered without complaint. There was
no use to complain. The Enquirer
could not complain, for to do so would
only be to acknowledge the fact that
it was hurting, and that is what the
other fellow wanted. The other fellow
could not complain, because 1t was
clear that all he had to do to remedy
his trouble was to resume his advertis-
ing. And this he did not want to do,
for 1t would be a tacit acknowledge
ment that he had made a very ridicu-
lous mistake. There was nothing for
the situation other than that 1t should
work itself out by natural processes,
and that was done. We like to see peo-
pie advertise. We like to see them ad-
vertise intelligently and energetically.
The public likes it also. But we don't
want them to advertise because they
like the conduct of the paper, or re-
frain from advertising for the contrary
reason. That is not business, and 1t
does not count for much, either way.
The man who does not advertise be
cause he does not like the conduct Of
the paper" does not count for much
anyway. 1t really would not pay him
to advertise because he is not broad
enough or intelligent enough to reap
any benefit from it. We are saying
this in an entirely impersonal manner,
without any feeling-without any in
dividual in mind.
But it was this paragraph that
really attracted the attention Of The
Enquirer to the article in question:
The only other county paper in South
Carolina having a circulation as large
as the Press and Standard sells every
bit of its advertising space in its town
and county, but two small ads. Why
can we not do the same? Are our bus
mess men less progressive than those
Of York county?
The Press and Standard seems to
have been impressed with a feature Of
The Enquirer that distinguishes it from
most other county newspapers. Its pa
tronage is strictly home patronage. 1t
prints very few advertisements from
abroad, and medicine advertisements
are noticeable principally on account
Of their absence. OF course, We could
sell space to outsiders and lots of it;
but the truth is, We don't try. We do
not discriminate against outsiders; but
neither do we discriminate in their fa-
vor A great many county papers sell
space to outsiders at a less rate than
to their own home people, and fire.
quently outsiders ask us to do the same
thing. We never do. The result is
that we have few outside advertise
ments and our space is more valuable
to our home people. BY home people,
we mean especially the residents Of the
territory over which The Enquirer cir
culates-not only Yorkville; but Clo-
Yer, Sharon, Hickory Grove, Rock Hill,
etc. AS a matter of fact the circula-
ton of The Enquirer covers the terri
tory around almost every town in the
county as thoroughly as it does the ter
tory around its home town. And the
reason The Enquirer sells it's space so
readily and easily, is because that
space is worth the money