Published September 8, 2022
3 min read

So, you’ve put blood, sweat and tears into designing the perfect print ad. But your job isn’t quite finished yet. Ad placement is arguably just as important as the design itself and it has the ability to make or break any campaign. In this article, we look at print ads: positioning for maximum exposure.

Right-hand pages

Did you know our eyes naturally travel from left to right and top to bottom when read? Therefore, when we read a magazine, you’ll see the right hand page before you see the left. This is why the bottom right-hand side of the page is known as the ‘anchor’ position. It’s arguably the most desirable location for ad placement, which also means that it comes at a high cost. However, if you have a big advertising budget, it may be well worth it.

Above the Fold

Above the fold means that your ad is placed with the top section of a page, so people don’t need to scroll down a page to see it. The saying originates from newspapers, as readers often fold pages in half. Anything information that can be seen above the fold is thought to be the most important. Again, above the fold ads come with a hefty fee due to primate location.

Magazine Covers

Did you know there are actually four covers to a magazine? The front, the inside front, the inside back and the back. Of the four, advertisers place most importance on the back and therefore this is the most expensive place to advertise in a magazine, followed by the two inside covers.

Press advertisements, either display or classified ads are effective throughout the magazine, so whether you’re after brand awareness, exposure to a new audience of direct response from magazine ads will depend on the placement of your ads. Get in touch here to learn more.

Special Sections

Print publications like magazines and newspapers are generally split into different sections, which advertisers segment based upon their target audience.

You will tend to find lower-end, less sophisticated magazines cram the majority of their ad content at the back of the magazine, which readers will generally skip over. If you can, we’d recommend placing your ad within the first half of the magazine. It will cost you more, but you’re much more likely to be seen.

When it comes to newspapers, content is split into sections such as news, sports, entertainment, business, etc. It’s important that you get your ad in the right section of the paper, so ask yourself what are the needs, wants and interests of your target audience? Which sections of the newspaper are they likely to be drawn to?

Why is ad placement so important?

Getting ad placement right is the difference between success or failure. It can mean the difference between break even and high profit margins.

We hope that you have found this article on ‘Print Ads: Positioning for Maximum Exposure’ useful. Should you have questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the team at Blue Market Media to discuss your press advertising in more detail.

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