home pageabout steel cityhome deliverysingle copypromotionssales ideascontactlinks

light bulb

Listed on these pages are IDEAS and THOUGHTS that can help boost your CIRCULATION SALES.

Check in often as we will update this page regularly.

If you have a SALES IDEA you would like to share, please contact Jim Smith at:
jsmith@scity.com

Circulation Sales Ideas

Reader REWARD CARDS!

Dear Circulation Professional,

All of us in the industry are trying to find new and better ways to retain and acquire readers. I have come accross a retention/acquisition premium that seems to work very well and is at a lower cost than what I have paid in the past. We called it the Reader Rewards Card and it offers continuous discounts to 45 businesses in my market. I worked with a company, RonDino Promotions that also provides this type of card as an employee benefit or a fund raising tool for schools and organizations. The card has a 1 year life and can be used an unlimited number of times.

Here is the Contact Information to arrange to get a sample:

RonDino Promotions, Inc. Charles Dinovitz President 2140 Greentree Rd., Suite D Pittsburgh, PA 15220 1-800-679-7333 www.readerrewardscard.com

Here are some of the benefits and reasons I went with the Reader Rewards Card

• We were able to assist and choose the businesses for the cards based on our high penetration areas

• Retention/Conversion tool for Easy Pay and Annual Subscribers We initially mailed the card to all Easy Pay Subscribers and Annual Subscribers paid thru April and recieved a number of positive comments for doing something for the current subscribers and not just for new subscribers.

• Currently we have sent out over 3,000 cards on a Home Delivery base of about 23,500 Home Delivery Subscribers at about 45% PBM and growing

• As we go into the life of the card we are reducing the offer requirements to 3-6 month PBM upgrades and CC to PBM 3 month conversions

• Inexpensive to purchase - based on initial order volume (about $2-$3 per card)

• I can reorder any quantity after the initial order for a set price, no minimum to buy/ship

• Card size - folded is size of a business card, easily fits in purse/wallet

• Low cost of postage to mail to the subscribers

• 1 year of unlimited use - unlike coupon books that once used are no good

• Branding of the newspaper with Circulation phone number and website address (replaces the need for the refrigerator magnets we all buy)

• Used as a stand alone subscription premium or combination discount/premium (we set outright purchase price at $10 for ABC purposes)

• Give as a Carrier New Start Premium or as a gift for Carrier Appreciation Day or perfect service

• We will also be used the card as a NIE donations tool. Purchase card for $10 and a portion of the proceeds serves as a donation (donation amount = purchase price of $10 - cost of car)

• Used for Crew Starts to get payment at time of order (13 for $20 offer PDF example)

• Use as a door prize and drawing giveaway at all kiosk events

• Provide as an premium for stop-saver and restart

BACK TO TOP

Web Site Design

What is the first thing people see when they call up your web site? It should first communicate that it is in fact the web site for your newspaper. Next, tell the people how they can subscribe to your newspaper, and how they can advertise with you. Do not forget to list the locations where your paper is sold as well.

BACK TO TOP

Newcomers Guide

Many newspapers, large and small, are putting together a “Newcomers Guide”. This little booklet has loads of local information about schools and churches; city and county government, the police department, fire department, and emergency medical numbers... Along with information about hospitals, clinics, retirement centers, restaurants, points of interest, parks, and golf courses. There can be many more things you might put in your guide, but this should give you an idea of where to start. Advertising, of course, is sold into the guide, along with a coupon good for a free classified ad and all information on how to subscribe. List all the locations your paper is available for single copy sales. Drop these guides throughout your market area, anywhere people will be going.

BACK TO TOP

Printed and Electronic Web site Newspapers

A concern many of us have is trying to reach a balance between your printed newspaper and your web site newspaper. You don’t want to be in competition with yourself, and you don’t want to give people something for free, that you’d rather see paid for. Try this approach: Have a credible web site that will attract readers and advertisers... Just don't give away too much for free. There are several services available that will manage your site, giving you stock updates throughout the day, satellite weather updates, national and international news, sports life styles, puzzles, games, etc. Limit the amount of local news: insuring that the reader will have to pay for it, either via the printed paper or on a second “paid-for” web site paper. On your second web site, the one people pay for, give your readers all the local news they are looking for. Put death notices on the “free-site”, and complete obituaries on the “paid-for” web site. Determine exactly how much you want to place on the paid-for read site, and how much you want to charge for access to it. Options could be that paid-in-advance subscribers would have free access to the web site, or, they may have to pay a small stipend for it.

BACK TO TOP

"From the Basics to the Innovative"
Steel City Corporation • 190 N. Meridian Road, Youngstown, Ohio 44501
PH: 330-792-7663 • 1-800-321-0350 • Fax: 330-797-2947