Select the newspaper which circulates among the class of persons
desired to reach. Do not advertise a special article or business
designed for a limited class of customers, in a general newspaper.
Almost all trades and occupations in these latter days have their
special journals, and these afford the best means of reaching that
class of persons. The purpose of the advertiser then should be to
discover, first, the character of a paper's circulation, and second,
the extent of its circulation. On these two essentials may then be
based an estimate of its value as an advertising medium. The character
of a paper's circulation is easily determined by the quality of the
reading matter which the paper contains, and the general tone imparted
to it by its conductors. The extent of a paper's circulation bears
chiefly on the rates of advertising, which, other things being equal,
should have a direct ratio to it. The extent of circulation is a
matter of almost constant misrepresentation on the part of publishers
or their agents.
As a rule, the most prominent and costly part of the paper is the
best. In country weeklies the "local items," or next to them, is
preferable. In city journals containing a large amount of reading
matter, a well displayed advertisement on the outside pages is perhaps
the best for most classes of business.
Place the advertisement before the public at the proper time, just when
people are beginning to feel the need of such as the article advertised,
as furs, when winter sets in. An advertisement may, however, profitably
be kept before the public constantly, and increased or diminished as
occasion requires.