According to Rospechat, about 40,000 newspaper titles were registered in Russia in 2011. But only a few publications can boast that they are read by millions. And even a circulation of 10,000 seems unattainable for many newspapers. But in order to stay “afloat”, the publication needs to retain its readers - and, if possible, increase circulation by increasing the number of subscribers and retail buyers.
Instructions
Step 1
Focus on the needs of your readers. No publication can be interesting to “everyone in the world” - therefore, making a newspaper “for everyone and about everything”, you risk losing. Outline the circle of the target audience - and write about what exactly she needs. In order to find out what kind of materials your regular reader is interested in, you can independently conduct an express research by publishing a questionnaire on the pages of a newspaper and arranging polls at points of sale. Ask what you like and what you don't like, which headings are read and which are not, what is missing, are there any favorite authors, is it worth changing something in the submission of materials.
Step 2
Modify the newspaper design if necessary. Large photographs, a large amount of "air", a reduction in the volume of materials, "light" heading fonts - all this is in demand by an audience aged 25 and over. Younger readers are interested in dynamic "aggressive" layout, creative presentation of texts, a large number of entry points into the material. And the elderly, perhaps, will not want to part with the usual appearance of the newspaper - especially when it comes to a publication that has been published since Soviet times.
Step 3
Pay special attention to the layout of the front page of the newspaper - it is she who forms the reader's preliminary idea of the issue. It is advisable to provide space for announcements of the most interesting materials published in the current issue. But the main thing here is not to overdo it - some mass media "pull" 2-3 dozen announcements on the front page, as a result, attention is scattered.
Step 4
Encourage subscribers by offering special promotions. This can be, for example, a reduced cost "for the first 300 subscribers this month", small souvenirs with the symbols of the publication, prize draws, and so on.
Step 5
To increase retail sales, you can advertise the fresh issue directly at the point of sale of periodicals. This can be a poster posted on a newsstand (you need to negotiate with the distribution companies for its placement), or, for example, a "sandwich man" - a person "dressed" in billboards. When advertising a fresh issue at points of sale, announce one or two topics of the issue that are most attractive to the reader as brightly as possible and add a call to buy the newspaper right now.
Step 6
Provoke the casual reader to purchase the next issues of your newspaper. Publish investigative journalism "with a continuation", arrange reading contests, advertise in the current issue materials that are just being prepared for publication.
Step 7
Advertise the newspaper in other media. You should not seek help from competing print media, but you can negotiate a "mutually beneficial exchange" with TV channels or radio stations. The forms of such “barter” can be different. For example, on the morning air of local TV every day “nail” materials of the newspaper's latest issue are announced - and you periodically provide newspaper space for a story about new projects of the TV channel, or you regularly publish detailed announcements of programs. Another widespread format is a quiz, questions for which are published in the newspaper, but they must be answered on the air of the radio station.
Step 8
A fairly effective method of attracting a new readership is special editions of the newspaper, distributed free of charge. For example, on the occasion of the publication's birthday or the beginning of a subscription campaign, you can release a digest of the most interesting (and have not lost relevance) materials published in the past year, print it in large circulation and distribute it free of charge in mailboxes. Additional printing costs can be easily “recouped” by placing advertising materials - advertisers are favorable to special issues with a large circulation, even if the prices for placement are slightly higher.
