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Helpful Advertising Tips
While Kansas City/Lawrence is not generally considered a bastion of all-ages
venues, one of the most lucrative and effective advertising markets has
to be the much overlooked high school paper. Generally released on Friday
afternoons, it's a great last-minute grab for attention with a crowd that
is enthusiastic about live music and always eager to hit the shows. Not
only is it a great way to give kids an alternative to the Friday night
dinner/movie gig, it's a good way to keep your name in their heads when
they are spending that disposable income at the record store.
School paper advertising is considerably cheaper than placing an ad in the Pitch
or on the radio, and has a higher visibility rate to boot. So if you're
planning an all-ages venue, consider this type of advertising a must. Check
with the venue to see if they would be willing to split fees, or barring
that try asking any other acts on the same bill. If you get no assistance
from those corners, don't sweat it, as high school papers are just about
the cheapest advertising you can buy. With 50 dollars and a good design,
you are guaranteed to make a substantial return on your investment through
the door and merchandise. The following is a list of some of the Johnson County school Journalism departments and a rough outline of advertising rates and printing schedules.
Shawnee Mission
Olathe
Advertising rates are generally between 4-5 dollars per column inch (that's 2 inches
wide X 1 inch deep), but most schools allow for a sliding scale depending
on the size of the ad. (figure a business card size ad is 10.00, and a
CD case size ad as only 40). Other schools have set rates that are determined
by pre-figured ad sizes, so feel free to as for a "rate card" to be faxed
or mailed out to you. Also inquire if rates are cheaper for long-running
ads. While that's not convenient for promoting individual shows, it's nice
for plugging CDs or printing entire tour schedules.
As for publication schedules, be certain to ask in advance as the printing
schedule is determined each semester. Some schools put out a weekly paper,
while others only do so monthly, or bi-monthly. You'll need to have your
artwork turned in at least 10-11 days prior to publication, but that's
generally flexible. If you know what size ad you want, but not the content
you can usually turn the material in closer to the publication date. If
you want the paper's staff to create the ad, be sure to factor in at least
a weeks more time.
Remember, ad rates stay fairly
constant regardless of semester or year, but schedules and guidelines change
from semester to semester. Be sure to ask if the paper is either tabloid
or magazine so you get a good idea of your ad design. (Tabloid is an 11X17
paper and magazine is more like the Pitch.) For any other questions, go
ahead and contact the papers directly. For other high school listings,
it's easiest to just call information and request all the schools in any district.
good gigging! |