When people think of branding through magazines, most people think of big brands like Toyota or Gucci that often buy huge spreads. There’s no way you could afford to do that kind of branding…right?
Wrong. With remnant advertising, even small and medium sized businesses can build their brand through magazines.
==> What Is Remnant Advertising?
Remnant advertising is unsold ad space. As a magazine approaches publication date, unsold ad space gradually loses value. Upon publication, any unsold ad space effectively becomes worth zero.
Remnant ad space is, in other words, last minute ad space that ad salespeople couldn’t sell.
Think of a grocery store. You know how they’ll often knock down the price of meats by as much as 50% as their expiry date nears, since they can’t sell it once it expires? It’s the same concept.
You can save as much as 40% to 75% off the cost of an ad. If an ad would have cost you $1,000, you could snap it up for a mere $300.
==> The First Thing You Need to Do
The first thing you need to do to use remnant advertising is create an ad that can run in (almost) any publication, at any time.
That means you can’t have information that caters specifically to one publication. You can’t have text that says the month or any other time sensitive information.
When a publisher calls you to publish a remnant ad, it’s often last minute. They might call you a few days before, but they could also call you just hours before. You won’t have time to edit up a new edition of your ad.
So start by getting your “ready anytime” ad prepared.
==> Let Publishers Know
Next, call up the ad sales department of magazines you want to advertise in. Ask them if they have any remnant space open at the moment.
If not, let them know that you’re interested in buying remnant ads and to call you if anything comes up.
Call up at least five to ten different publications. If you want to get decent brand exposure through remnant ads, you need to have your door open to quite a few publications.
Follow up with publishers on a monthly basis just to let them know you’re still interested in buying remnant ads.
Soon enough, you’ll be receiving calls from magazines. When you get that call, be prepared to act. Have the money and the ad ready to go. Don’t make the publisher wait, as they’re often short on time.
Remnant magazine advertising is one of the smartest ways for small and medium sized businesses to build their brand. Your brand will appear alongside other well recognized brands, without you having to spend big money.