The pros and cons of using magazine inserts

Ever thought about using inserts as part of your marketing and advertising? Inserts are the leaflets that drop out of a newspaper or magazine. They can take the form of a flyer or even a booklet and can be of any size or shape that you like. But what are the advantages and disadvantages of using them?

Advantages of using inserts:

1. Ease of response for recipient. The recipient can simply fill  in a coupon on the reverse, or have all the details they need to contact you further

2. Creative flexibility – there is no limit on space – you could do an 20 page A5 booklet if you wanted to.

3. Use up spare leaflets – if you have some leaflets you want to use up then inserts are a good way of spreading your message.

4. Test opportunities – you can often specify which region it goes out to in a publication, or you can test different messages and see which gets the better response

5. Measurable with a response code – good marketing is all about measuring and evaluating the results. With inserts you can add on a response code that will enable you to track how successful it has been.

Disadvantages of using inserts:

1. Cost – it may cost 4 or 5 times more than an advert, but you will often get a better response.

2. Timing – you will have to plan ahead to get leaflet produced, inserted and distributed.

3. Targeting – You should check out how targeted your publication will be. Not everyone will be the perfect demographic for your product/service, unless you choose a very specialist publication.

If you need to work out the best tactics for your marketing plan, then contact us. We know all about writing marketing plans!