We aren’t going to sell you advertising anymore.

I hate selling advertising. Well, I don’t really; I actually love my job. I have done this work for over three decades. I love the countless businesses that have believed in our work and have supported us for 24 years. I just hate arguing with others about how advertising works.

I do love helping my customers make it work better. I love love, love when someone tells me how much it sucks, but then they let me help them with a creative design and a thought-out plan, and a year later, their business is more where they want it. That is the best.

I just wish I could do that without having to argue that 1% is not an adequate budget, Instagram is not a whole “strategy,” or print has died. Just because the Tech Bros said so doesn’t mean it’s true. In fact, many brands are returning to direct mail in 2024. We just got new research: 86% of people have banner blindness. You have greater odds of surviving an airplane crash than someone clicking on your banner ad. Ouch! Which begs the question, How many of your customers even saw it? At least print ads aren’t offensive.

After all these years in the business, I can see why it’s not working for folks now or even 30 years ago. The approach to advertising should serve a purpose. You really do want to know who you are reaching, which means analyzing beyond the name, paper stock, and price. Research who the audience is before signing on the dotted line. Impulse buys (unless there is a slush fund) can have negative impacts as well. Up/down/up again/down again can increase without a strategic marketing plan.

In 1922, a business leader coined the famous term,

“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted, how do I know which half?”

Social Media Averages

This is where the challenges of talking to businesses about advertising come in. There is no single way to prove which advertisement is “making the sale.” The fact is none are, and they all are. People buy from people they trust. It is a question of where they see you. Coupons are not really an ideal measurement tool, which I mentioned in my last article, Let’s Talk Dirty.

One of the ways I see people go wrong in their marketing approach is an either/or attitude. This approach completely misses the purpose of advertising, which is to reach an audience and realize a growth objective. After 30 years, I swear some folks approach it, intending to spend as little as possible and just being done with it rather than use a multi-tiered analytic approach. Spray & Pray Marketing is the opposite of strategic.

How to Get Your Brand Out of the Graveyard.

It’s not fun arguing about that with people, though. Personally, I would rather talk to you about how to build trust in the community (there are so many positive ways, some smaller reach and some larger reach) and how to implement Internal, Direct, and Mass strategies in the Purchase Funnel to develop A.I.D.A. (Attention, Interest, Decision, Action) and how that impacts your long-term business. I would rather talk about knowing the audience and what interests people in your local business. I would also rather talk about how companies that maintain steady marketing (based on a budget of 3-5%) in all stages of the Purchase Funnel hold steadier sales in downturn economies and have less radical ups and downs. I would rather put my talent to use and help you craft an interesting, engaging message that is appealing to the person seeing it versus trying to convince you that running a giant business card with a pretty picture is what you need (it isn’t). And, I don’t think the social media intern should be making the marketing decisions.

When we call folks to talk about their business marketing, we’re not calling to “bug” them. We call because we know that approximately 8,000 homes are sold yearly in Boulder County, 2,000 alone in Erie. We know this market grew from 150,000 people in 1990; today, it is nearly 450,000. We know when new people move in, they don’t know anything about their area, and they get Yellow Scene Magazine in the mail or see it in stands – they use it. I know they read it because they tell me, but I can also see all the copies picked up. Just like when someone gets written about and how excited they are by the feedback. It’s read by a good number of our community, and I don’t want to argue about that either.

We greet them in this community in a welcoming and informed way. We are not “data-mining” our followers. Just one of the problems with data mining is that large companies are now fixing prices based on purchase history. David Dayen-Majority-Report_June-04-2024. I am not sure that model is great for long-term loyalty. I guess if the goal is to screw over the customers to get rich, it’s a good model. Which is one of the reasons I am so pro-local business.

People don’t just learn about their new community through our stories; they also learn about the businesses in this community. I also know that 50% of new businesses are gone in 5 years, and often, I can tell you why. I can also typically pinpoint what they are doing to be successful. Granted, advertising is one part of that, but they have growth initiatives laid out as a succinct plan. They made choices on who they thought the audience was first.

Everyone loves YS free press. We rarely have to chase down an interview. But advertising, oh boy, I might as well not exist. Yet advertising is neither evil nor a magical cure. Bouncing from platform to platform that’s trending, whether it was Groupon or Yelp, this magazine or that magazine, this social media or that social media is one of the biggest culprits to frustrations businesses experience in their marketing. In perspective, 20 years ago, cable was the hottest thing for businesses to jump on. Moving the same 1% around from platform to platform is not a strategy. Those are tools you use in your tool bag, but the marketing strategy is reaching the community in all stages of the purchase funnel and, ultimately, the impression they have of you.

I provide the Growth Objective Calculator, a tool I picked up over the years. It uses math and a series of questions to help you figure out where you are, where you want to be, and what it takes to get there. There is even a tab for laying out the strategy and the budget (it’s more successful if you set a budget of 3-5%). It’s the same type of tools that agencies use. I give it away for free. I will even show you how to use it for free. Of course, I think YS should be part of the mix, but I will still give advice on other options because I know local sources for other parts of your purchase funnel. I support many of our local organizations, and we are lucky to have both the Longmont Chamber of Commerce and the Boulder Chamber doing exceptional work for local businesses to partner with.

Newcomers and long-time residents alike appreciate YS. They look forward to our articles, which are interesting and informative, but they also grow to trust the businesses they see advertising to them. You’re part of the community. Back in California, when I first started in media in Santa Cruz, this pizza place was called ‘A Pizza My Heart.’ It had this Janis Joplin/R Crumb-style comic art. It was awesome, and everybody loved it. That is how your advertising tells a story and creates connections. Be interesting! Yet, 70% of ads running across platforms are boring. (Not Yellow Scene’s, we have Yellow House.)

In regards to the paper discussion. It’s expensive to produce, and we no longer need to print daily. It is out of date by the time we get it. But people still read, in fact 87% of book sales done are in print, and people under 40 are reading twice as many books as people over. People engage in in-depth, well-reported news. People are digitally saturated enough that they value an escape from the screen. However, the platform is only as good as what is printed on the paper. The shiny paper doesn’t make advertorials more interesting — and a hedge fund runs our local newspaper. That is why my team and I work so hard to fill that gap. YS covers local politics, schools, transportation, water, climate change, equity issues, corporate corruption, government corruption, the local food and entertainment scene, and whatever else is happening in our world. While I am proud of the 172 awards we have earned over the 24 years we have served as a public good, the point isn’t too brag. The point is to demonstrate how and why we have gained a following.

But true local journalism is on fumes. Just google ‘Journalism layoffs.”

“Recent research shows that, in communities without a strong print or digital news organization, voter participation declines and corruption increases.”

https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2022/06/newspapers-close-decline-in-local-journalism

“Even now, the discussion defers to wishful thinking about multiplying the number of ego-driven billionaire buyers for prestige papers like The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times; about philanthropic interventions; and about Congress providing tax benefits for ailing newspapers—even those owned by the hedge funds that have gobbled up local media outlets in search of a quick buck. While there’s merit in trying some of these ideas, none of them can begin to solve the problem.

The same goes for other worthy suggestions. Breaking up existing media conglomerates is a great idea. So, too, are regulatory interventions that address the damage done by social media giants such as Facebook, which grab up local journalism without fair compensation. And, yes, tax credits for hiring journalists will help a bit in some markets. But these steps will never establish a local and regional journalism that is strong enough to give Americans the information and insights they need to govern their own affairs.”

https://www.thenation.com/article/society/local-news-revival-plan

It’s not that journalism died or people won’t read. In fact, we have so much digital fatigue that we need a break from it. The challenge is there is too much digital and too much corporate ownership that wants bigger bonuses.

Local vets, dentists, and eye care centers are also being gobbled up. Less than 25% of veterinarians in BOCO are locally owned. YS is one of two locally owned media platforms remaining in the area. The rest are corporate, hedge funds, or out-of-staters. That is why journalism struggles, not because it died.

I do not foresee Yellow Scene Magazine becoming a non-profit at this time. I am unsure if that model is right for us, and I am concerned about losing funding depending on who is in power.

I am hellbent on figuring out what it takes to keep local journalism sustainable and what it takes to convince local business owners that advertising can work if done correctly and that, depending on the content, people will engage on many platforms.

I don’t give up, not just because I am insane but because YS editors and writers have produced exceptional journalism for 24 years, and I know the value of our work in this community. I know that it is still valued and appreciated by the residents and many business owners. We recently needed some Letters of Recommendation and asked some business leaders for theirs.

Letter of Recommendation, John Tayer, Boulder Chamber (highlights):

“In my position with the Boulder Chamber, I recognize the critical role our local news outlets play in keeping residents informed about our activities. This holds true for everything from reporting on politically sensitive issues to capturing the details regarding one of our many events. In all cases, accuracy is the most essential element.

In short, Yellow Scene is exactly the type of local news source that is in terribly short supply these days. Though I’m not always happy when a Yellow Scene reporter calls me, I know the story they are covering will be accurate and ultimately, provide our community residents with the information they need to make informed decisions.”

Letter of Recommendation, Brie Fowler, The Fowler Group:

“I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for Yellow Scene Magazine and to provide insight into why I, Brie Fowler, owner of The Fowler Group at Coldwell Banker Realty, consistently choose to allocate a portion of my marketing budget to print advertisements in this outstanding publication.

The innovative approach that Yellow Scene Magazine takes in its editorial content and design is another key reason for my continued investment. The publication not only keeps readers informed about local events, businesses, and issues but does so in a visually appealing and thoughtful manner. This innovation and commitment to quality reflect well on all businesses that choose to advertise within its pages, including The Fowler Group. The magazine’s ability to stay current and relevant in an ever-changing media landscape is commendable and deserving of recognition and support.

Moreover, the team at Yellow Scene Magazine is a pleasure to work with. Their professionalism, creativity, and dedication to helping advertisers achieve their marketing goals are evident in every interaction. They take the time to understand my business needs and provide tailored solutions that maximize the impact of my advertisements. This personalized approach has undoubtedly contributed to the success I have experienced from advertising in their publication.” You can read Brie’s full letter of recommendation here.

I am proud of those stories, their impact on our community, and the fact that we fill a void in our corner of the world. And yeah, those 172 awards since inception are cool, too.

So, while I don’t want to “sell” you advertising anymore, I want to keep publishing (on paper and digital) a local resource that connects the community.

This I can help you with.

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