Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-20
BILE light-make 1t attractive.

BILE light-make It attractive.
There is little or no value to be attached
to a free reading notice in connection
with an advertisement, The nice things
the ad man says about your college he
win re-hash and use for some other to-
morrow, and use It over again for a little
2 by 4 concern in the next town and pos
sibly make It stronger for the weake in
stitution. The public may be fooled occa-
slonally on a free notice, but the discrimi-
mating young person or the wise parent
knows hot air, whether promulgated by an
auetioneer or In a free notice" for which
you are charged along with your ad.
Steer clear of the reading notice, but IL
you can make real news out of incidents
Of school life and your publisher will use
them in a special column or page that Is
devoted to school reading matter, by all
means furnish the paper with suoh infor-
nation. Every change made in the college
b~uilding-the college faculty-athletics,
school entertainments, receptions, positions
filled, term openings, ETC., mentioned In
this way, is good advertising.
How to Pick a Paper.
Now a word to the newspapers. A num-
Der of them have In recent years pre-
sumed to establish school information bu-
reaus in connection with school adyertis-
ing. ! believe this Is wrong In theory and
a serious error. A paper secures a large
list of schools for It's columns and then
assumes to advise young people where to
go. There is no advice about 1t. They Sc
cure catalogues from the several schools
and the inquirer is deluged with ehool
literature, and he is deeper in the mire
than IL he had made no enquiry. The
paper recommends every Institution which
pays the price for an ad, whether II be
a half inoh or a half page, The publisher
has no personal knowledge of any school
beyond what the advertisement asserts
and he is not in q position to advise young
people, We advertise to get the direct
inquiries. In response TO newspaper adj
yertlsing we do not expect students to
rush to our doors, but we dc expect to
get inquiries, and we want to answer these
in our own way and make our own argu-
ments. We do not care to do business by
proxy through any papers school bu-
reau." A number OF large papers recently
have been induced, or have concluded to
abandon this scheme. Included among
these are the Kansas City Star and all
Of the Omaha papers, and probably others.
I believe we should assert ourselves in
regard to this matter and give the papers
that do this to understand that in our
opinion they are assuming a p~rerogative
that absolutely belongs to us.
Its Help Is Needed.
Newspaper advertising Is most valuable
In placing your institution In a right light
before business men-those upon whom you
depend for positions for students. Bust
ness men taxi note of your constant and
persistent advertising; they admire persist
ent solicitation for business; they appre-
clate your efforts to buildt up a good
school; they you as a business
man, because you are doing business in a
business-like way and they believe you
are teaching business. I belieye from this
point alone the newspapers advertising is
profitable, aside from the direct usine
It brings. 1t is a point too often over-
looked-this matter OF our standing with
business men, Whenever possible l be-
Heve we should place ourselves before the
public In a business light. We are teach
ing business and that fact should be i'm
pressed upon both the student who desires
the education and upon the business mar
with whom we associate and upon whom
we depend. Newspaper advertising more
than anything else will bring about these
mutual business relations.