The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-11-21
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found by experience that newspaper
advertising is by far superior to any
other. This is the advertising that
goes into the homes and which is the
most read. The newspaper is part OF
the life of the community, and all right
minded people SO regard it. Such d
paper should be literally supported
by the public, but the paper should
show itself worthy of support. Az
vertisers have right to know about
a papers circulation and the kind OF
subscribers. A paper that has built
up a strong subscription list by hon
est methods, by giving value for the
price of subscription, is OF much
more value than one that has built
up its list by giving premiums, or by
automobile contests. People who are
induced to take paper to get prem
ium or to help friend secure an
auto in a contest are not the best
kind of subscribers for the advertis-
ers.
To be the best advertising medium
the paper should stand for that whsch
is best in the community and thus
receive the support and respect OF
the best people. Such subscribers
are the best for advertisers.
A newspaper should take more In
| terest in its advertiser than selling
him space and getting his money
The paper should see to it that the
advertiser gets the best modern serv-
| ice by furnishing cuts to make the
ad attractive.
The man who buys the advertising
should know what he wants. He
should make study of the subject II
he expects to succeed. He has O
right to fair rates, but he must real
ize, too, that the cost Of printing a
paper has increased by leaps and
bounds in the past few years. The
people require better papers than
they formerly did, and 1t takes very
expensive machinery to print a mod
ern paper Besides the cost OF paper
has more than doubled since the war.
and wages of help has greatly ad'
vanced. The publisher. therefore,
must get much higher rates than he
did ten years, or even two years ago,
or else go out OF business.
Other kinds of advertising are i'm
portant. Window displays help might
| lily, and don't be afraid to light UP
the electric lights. Courtesy and
promptness are big factors and help
The state vigilehce committee has
been very successful in cleaning up
the advertising Of the state. and
much of the Objectionable and fake
advertising has been eliminated.
There is still some bad advertising,
but the Improvement has been great
and gives promise Of still cleaner
newspapers.
The only way to succeed in adver-
Using is to keep hammering away as
Systematically as possible. This does
not mean that one must advertise
every day, but as often as twice or
three times week, or whenever the
merchant has something worth while
to say. The best tonic for trade is
newspaper advertising, and 1t VIII
bring results, If the merchant will
live up to his advertising. Adver-
Using is not expensive, not more than
from 2 to per cent Of the sales,
which is no burden on anybody. By
making increased sales the merchant
who adyertises makes up and then
some the price of advertising and at
the same time gives his customers
better service and better bargains.
Mr. Throop then said he would an
swer any questions, and quite few
were fired at him. This lead to
general discussion Of the different
phases of advertising. The question
of circulation came up, and some one
said the advertisers did not know the
circulation of The Gate City. Mr..
Skirvin, who was present, said he
had always invited his advertisers to
come in at any time and inspect his
subscription lists. Any information
he had was always at the service of
the public.