Burning Spear Media is launching an advertising program, offering businesses the opportunity to reach an audience that is especially interested in supporting independent African-owned endeavors.
The program will provide a source of income to sustain The Spear and give ad sellers the chance to earn money as well through commissions.
Even with the advent of social media, advertising is still imperative to the survival of businesses.
And print advertising remains an indispensable marketing tool for a company’s success. In this regard, newspaper ads are an integral part of doing business.
Advertising is communication, an announcement, a call to come and see, a message to the general public, and in many cases a promise of value and reward.
Businesses need to follow up every ad with good service, great products and whatever special deal was promised in the ad. A good ad, with a good follow through, produces good results.
The right place for businesses to put their advertising dollars
The Burning Spear newspaper, the world’s oldest black power journal, has been in continuous publication for over four decades. More and more, African people and our supporters worldwide are turning to independent, African-centered media that speaks ‘truth to power.’
The Spear calls on all who can to join the paper’s ad sales team. When you do, you have a lot of things going for you.
Local business owners and managers will automatically give you more respect than they would ever offer an initial salesperson of another product.
They fully expect you to be able to make good on anything you say.
If you are a Spear distributor already visiting their business to sell the paper on a regular basis, they will tend to see you as a fellow business owner and operator.
They know that you’re right there with them, where all the pressure is felt in rough times. They know you must work hard and plan well in order to keep going.
You are peers together in the business community. And the black press has always stood out in the black business community.
But there’s more. As you make your rounds with each new issue of The Spear, your personal confidence will help to inspire fellow business owners to be more confident.
You become a monthly fixture for the business owner. The business owner should be able to tell time by your monthly arrival.
You are part of “the news media” and the news media is supposed to know what’s really going on.
And there is some truth to that idea, since you will be out talking to a lot more business people than most other business owners and managers.
You’ll have a better sense of what’s happening.
“But I’ve never sold ads before”
Professional salesmanship is the art of talking with other people. And like any art, it takes a little practice to get going.
It takes practice to learn what works best, to learn some self-control, to realize nothing good or beautiful comes from trying to force your will on the subject.
Just talk as a real person. Let the other person talk. Listen. Share ideas. Talk about your own goals.
Do some research, and let the person you are talking with know how advertising in The Burning Spear newspaper can best serve their business, or their community program, or the public need.
After all, you’re talking with them about something the business both needs and wants— even if they don’t yet know it.
Let them know what they’re waiting to find out: “How can this newspaper help me increase my sales? How can it help me reach my goals?”
Never forget that every business needs effective promotion and paid advertising is the easiest kind of promotion to develop and carry out.
To sign up to sell ads for The Burning Spear newspaper, contact info@uhurunews.com or call 727-824-5700.
