Whether it is to target a certain group of people or to minimise advertising costs, or both, community newsletters can be an effective way to advertise your business.

There is a lot of variation in the size, style and format, but community newsletters are like mini newspapers in a specific area.

Groups such as schools, kindergartens, sports clubs, gardening clubs, community centres, support groups, neighbourhood watch, Scouts, Guides and children’s activity clubs produce community newsletters.

The newsletters contain information that is of interest and use to the targeted group, including calendars of matches or meetings, committee contacts and developments within the group.

Some newsletters will also include articles and advertisements of things that may interest most of the group.

These newsletters may be a single page, or a number of pages stapled together. They may be weekly, monthly, quarterly or some other time frame that suits.

Community newsletters are not produced to make a high profit. Any money received from advertising will usually go towards costs of the newsletter and running the group. They also have a smaller readership than newspapers and magazines, so the cost to advertise is substantially less than in many other venues.

For local businesses, advertising in a community newsletter is effective because it is only read by local people; they aren’t paying for advertising to people who won’t use their services anyway.

The highly targeted nature to the newsletters can also make them useful for advertising. For instance, if you sell music for toddlers, a newsletter for a crèche or children’s group will reach exactly who it needs to - parents of young children. Likewise, someone selling tents and sleeping bags could make use of newsletters for Scouts, Guides and hiking groups rather than advertising in a newspaper where only a few people would be interested.

For low costs, community newsletters will get your ad in front of a specific type of person who is likely to read the newsletter. You can also think of how you are benefiting the group by paying them to be included.

The fact that the newsletter is targeted will make the ad more effective than an equivalent ad in other places, but the newsletter will also have fewer readers.

A well written and timed ad can do extremely well from community newsletters, but it is unlikely that one such ad will make you rich!

Ads in newsletters are also part of your marketing campaign so they have value in letting more people know about your business, even if they don’t buy something immediately.

Like many things in business, the more you research beforehand, the more positive results will be achieved.

In business, it is a good idea to know who your prime customers are. Knowing that, you can identify what sorts of groups they will belong to.

Phone directories, council books and the internet can all be used to find relevant groups. You can stay local or find groups across Australia, depending on your business specifics.

Make sure you really know who the group involves, rather than assuming. Advertising wedding dresses to the men’s netball team or books to the blind ping pong team won’t be as affective as they could be.

Decide on how much of your marketing budget will be used in community newsletters and whether you will do a lot of advertising at once, or spread it over time.

You may want to place an ad in twenty sports club newsletters at once to get a lot of exposure quickly, or you may decide to work with one group at a time.

Once you know what you what groups to look at and what you can afford, it shouldn’t be too hard to choose which newsletters to advertise in.

You will need to prepare an ad to put in the newsletter. You may need a few versions of the ad if you are using more than one newsletter as some will have different space limits available.

In some newsletters, you may be able to have a flyer or page added to their newsletter, rather than an ad within it. If you do this, the same flyer can be used in multiple newsletters and for other purposes and this can save you time and money. However, it may cost more than just placing an ad.

Make sure the ad is easy to understand and will appeal to the group of people reading the newsletter. A masseur would mention injury treatment in a sports newsletter and stress release in a business network newsletter.

When you researched the name of the group, you will have seen the contact details for someone in the group. The enquiries person or secretary of the group will know who you should speak to about placing an ad, and may even be able to give you the rates directly.

Once you know who to give your ad to, it’s easy. Send your ad and payment to them and they will do the rest.

It is quite reasonable to ask for a copy of the newsletter so that you can see the ad.

Community Newsletter Advertising

by Tash Hughes of Word Constructions (www.wordconstructions.com)

Whether it is to target a certain group of people or to minimise advertising costs, or both, community newsletters can be an effective way to advertise your business.

What is a community newsletter?

There is a lot of variation in the size, style and format, but community newsletters are like mini newspapers in a specific area.

The newsletters contain information that is of interest and use to the targeted group, including calendars of matches or meetings, committee contacts and developments within the group.

Some newsletters will also include articles and advertisements of things that may interest most of the group.

These newsletters may be a single page, or a number of pages stapled together. They may be weekly, monthly, quarterly or some other time frame that suits.

Why advertise with them?

For local businesses, advertising in a community newsletter is effective because it is only read by local people; they aren’t paying for advertising to people who won’t use their services anyway.

How effective is this form of advertising?

There is no simple answer to that.

The fact that the newsletter is targeted will make the ad more effective than an equivalent ad in other places, but the newsletter will also have fewer readers.

A well written and timed ad can do extremely well from community newsletters, but it is unlikely that one such ad will make you rich!

Ads in newsletters are also part of your marketing campaign so they have value in letting more people know about your business, even if they don’t buy something immediately.

Like many things in business, the more you research beforehand, the more positive results will be achieved.

Which one do I advertise in?

In business, it is a good idea to know who your prime customers are. Knowing that, you can identify what sorts of groups they will belong to.

Phone directories, council books and the internet can all be used to find relevant groups. You can stay local or find groups across Australia, depending on your business specifics.

Decide on how much of your marketing budget will be used in community newsletters and whether you will do a lot of advertising at once, or spread it over time.

You may want to place an ad in twenty sports club newsletters at once to get a lot of exposure quickly, or you may decide to work with one group at a time.

Once you know what you what groups to look at and what you can afford, it shouldn’t be too hard to choose which newsletters to advertise in.

How do I advertise in there?

You will need to prepare an ad to put in the newsletter. You may need a few versions of the ad if you are using more than one newsletter as some will have different space limits available.

Be sure you find out:

How much the ad will cost
How big the ad will be
Whether you can include a logo or picture in the ad
How many people get the newsletter
Whether you can have repeat ads, and if there is a discount for this
How they would like you to present the ad (especially important if logos are being added)

Once you know who to give your ad to, it’s easy. Send your ad and payment to them and they will do the rest.

It is quite reasonable to ask for a copy of the newsletter so that you can see the ad.

Now all you have to do is get ready for the extra business!

Tash Hughes is the owner of Word Constructions and is available to solve all your business writing problems! From letters to policies, newsletters to web content, Word Constructions writes all business documents to your style and satisfaction.

Peel, Inc.
Free to residents; Supported completely through advertising; Local news content,
... Peel, Inc. has been printing community newsletters for over 14 years

Welcome to Peel, Inc.

Peel, Inc. specializes in publishing newsletters for communities such as subdivisions or neighborhood associations. Our goal is to help build communities by connecting local businesses with residents and residents with relevant neighborhood information.

Most of our newsletters are in and around Houston and Austin, Texas although we are in discussion with communities in other areas.

Newsletter Facts

Free to residents
Supported completely through advertising
Local news content, usually managed by an editor that is a resident of the community
Professionally published, printed, and bound
Mailed directly to the resident

Professional Quality

Our newsletters are designed using industry-standard tools like Adobe Pagemaker, printed on offset presses, folded, and saddle-stitched. This produces a higher-quality professional-looking newsletter than consumer-level tools like Microsoft Publisher and high-speed copiers. By mailing the newsletters directly to the residents we eliminiate the need for costly door-to-door delivery services.

Reputable History

Peel, Inc. has been printing community newsletters for over 14 years. That's fourteen years of working with community leaders, homeowner associations, neighborhood associations, and management companies to help them communicate effectively with their residents. Fourteen years of working hand-in-hand with local editors ensuring articles are informative and relevant to the residents. Fourteen years of helping local businesses advertise their presence. Fourteen years of helping build communities.

See it for Yourself

Interested in seeing if our newsletters are right for your community? Browse the list of communities on the left to view PDFs of our past editions. If you like what you see, have your homeowner's association or management company contact us to request one of our sample publication packets. Contact an ad sales specialist for more information about advertising in our newsletters.

Affordable marketing services for small businesses in Seattle and ...
Here are some ideas to get the best bang for your newsletter advertising buck!
Identify community newsletters that fit your target market

Stretch Your Advertising Bucks with Newsletter Ads
by Nancy J. Wagner

Run an ad in a major publication and expect to pay some big bucks for the opportunity. Throw in the fact that most ads must run a minimum of 7 times before readers take action, and you’re talking even bigger bucks.

If you have a broad audience but a limited budget, running an ad in a newsletter offers an excellent alternative to approaching several of your target groups inexpensively and effectively. Talk about a targeted guerilla marketing opportunity!

Most newsletters are highly specialized and there’s just about one for every hobby, interest, and association you can think of. Figure out how that fits in with your product and service. Then start looking for a few newsletters that complement what you have to offer. Here are some ideas to get the best bang for your newsletter advertising buck!

Identify community newsletters that fit your target market. A professional organizer I work with is about to place a full page insert ad in an exclusive community newsletter for a whopping $35! The newsletter hits her target perfectly--a community of wealthy homeowners who make the income necessary to pay for her services. Best yet, the price is incredibly low for approaching hundreds of potential clients.

Place ads in or write articles for association newsletters. What association complements your products or services? Run ads in, or better yet, ask to write an article for these publications. Publishing an article (if you can’t write, have it ghostwritten) gives you instant credibility. Place ads in the issue before and after your article appears to reinforce your company name.

Create one big ad - start your own newsletter or e-zine! You’ll be able to tell your audience everything you can about what you do - provide case studies, testimonials, facts, tips, and more. Remember to keep the newsletter benefit-oriented. Send it to your customers and prospects, and be diligent in sending it out every 1 to 2 months. Your customers will begin to expect it, and they’re far more likely to call if your name is in front of them more often.

HOT TIP: Interested in reaching Issaquah’s largest home-owning retirement community? I’m looking for appropriate services and products to advertise in what’s becoming a popular monthly newsletter with 1500+ readers. Call me at 425-415-6427 for more info.