classified advertisement in newspaper | Newspaper Advertising Encyclopedia

December 18, 2020December 18, 2020

Newspaper Classified Ads: The Unsung Heroes

Contrary to popular belief, newspaper classified advertisements as we know them have existed since the 1600s. However, the evolution of this form of advertising can be traced back to the ancient Egyptian civilisation, where, in around 2000 BC the Egyptians invented outdoor advertising. In around 59 BC, the Romans published the ‘Acta Diurna’, or the “Daily Acts”.

The first evidence of handwritten news sheets dates back to China in 206 BC. These news sheets were produced by the government and called ‘tipao’. However, it wasn’t until the 1600s that public posters stuck to posts and walls for lost property became commonplace.

The first newspaper advertisement was published in the Boston News-Letter in the year 1704, even though the first printing press in the United States arrived in 1638 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Over the centuries, the importance of advertisements has only grown. Newspapers, being publications that contain written information about currently ongoing events, have always been in high demand. Newspapers today offer a rich selection of content for readers, catering to each and every taste. Likewise, newspapers have a dedicated section for classified advertisements with the ads arranged according to their ad category, such as matrimonial, property, education, retail, public notice, lost and found, computers, services, etc.

In recent years, more and more people have chosen to go digital, consuming news online on personal devices such as mobile phones and tablets. This has cast doubt on the future of newspapers, especially considering more and more newspapers are now available online, either offering a truncated version of the print publication online, or offering online subscriptions by blocking articles with a paywall.

Even though there is no doubt that digital is indeed the way forward, newspapers aren’t going extinct anytime soon. Definitely not in India, at least.

For Indians, newspapers have always been an integral part of the household. Elders in many Indian families cannot imagine their breakfast without poring over the latest headlines or doing the daily crossword. Newspapers in India have been treated as a lot more than just a bunch of sheets of paper. They are regarded as reliable and authentic sources of the latest news and a host of other information on a variety of topics. It is no doubt that classified ads are still among the most popular forms of advertising today.

releaseMyAd has been in the advertising industry for more than a decade and is thoroughly conversant with the ins and outs of classified advertising. You can leverage this highly lucrative medium to reach out to your target audience by booking a classified ad online on releaseMyAd’s easy-to-use ad booking platform. With its strategic ad placement techniques and a strong network of advertising partners located across the country, releaseMyAd guarantees you the lowest rates for all your advertising needs.

May 25, 2020May 25, 2020

How to Compose a Good Classified Advertisement

Classified advertisements are divided into Classified text ads and Classified Display ads. Classified text ads publish in standard running text format and charge as per character, word or line. Enhancements like color, underline, bold, tick etc can be added to classified text ads. Classified display ads are charged as per sq cm and contain image, color, logo etc. Both are specifically published in the Classified page of the newspaper.

releaseMyAd is the most cost effective way of booking classified ads online. It is India’s number one ad booking platform which provides customers the most easy and hassle free experience of advertising.

I am going to share some tips and ideas about writing a successful classified advertisement here.

Appropriate newspaper selection: Selecting the appropriate newspaper is the basic need to successfully publish a classified advertisement. Choose a local or national newspaper according to your need for advertisement.
Preferred edition selection: Edition needs to be selected according to the target reader. For eg, if you want to sell a flat in Delhi then selecting Delhi edition of any newspaper is the best option. Thus you can get the maximum response.
Specific category selection: Before publishing an classified advertisement in a newspaper you must know what is the best suited category for your advertisement. Selecting the perfect category helps to get the proper response because readers can easily open that particular section and see the ad without wasting much time.
Ad creative composition: For personal/ individual requirements such as matrimony, selling property, selling automobiles, or change of name, newspaper classified ads are a more suited solution.

Composing ad matter is the most important job in terms of the effectiveness of the published advertisement. It is very important to maintain proper space, punctuation and spelling for generating a sense of authenticity, dependency among readers. In case of matrimonial ads, it is very necessary to mention age, height, educational qualification or professional details and sharing if any special preferences are there like divorcee, non-divorcee, separated, NRI, physical disabilities and medical conditions etc.

While composing a name change ad, one must keep in mind to clearly mention the old name and new name in the matter.
While composing Lost and Found advertisements, mentioning your contact details allows the public to return the lost object if found by anyone.
In the Obituary and remembrance ad do not forget to mention the name and date of death of the deceased person and strictly not mention the reason of the death because that is not acceptable in most of the publication. Obituary and remembrance ads are usually published in classified display format. releaseMyAd has their expert designer team to compose the creative in such a way that will surely catch the eyeballs of readers.

While composing an ad matter, the most common mistake people make is they skip mentioning their contact details. It is very important to mention that for obvious reasons otherwise people won’t be able to get in touch with you or your product or service.

Selecting the release date: After creating your ad creative the next stage is selecting the insertions, i.e; publishing dates. You can choose one or multiple insertions. releaseMyAd provides offers on release date time to time for their clients.
Upload necessary documents: To publish some classified ads publication requires certain documents. It is mentioned in our website. So after selecting the release date in case of certain ads you have to upload the documents which are required. For eg, to publish a name change ad, one needs to provide a notarized affidavit.
Payment: Last step is making the payment. You can make the payment by Debit card/ Credit card, Net banking, UPI, Cash deposit, Cheque deposit. A confirmation mail will be sent to the client’s registered email address after payment.

For more information feel free to call or WhatsApp our helpline number 9830629298 or write us to book@releasemyad.com. We have our 24*7 chat system to help you with any query which one can avail by visiting our website.

May 11, 2020May 11, 2020

Types of Newspaper Advertisements

For any advertiser, it is really important to understand their requirement for putting up the ad. Before they place the ad in any newspaper, it is really important to figure out the purpose behind putting up the ad, an approximate budget, and what is the tentative feedback expectation. This helps the advertiser to make the advertising process pretty effective. But before anything first an advertiser needs to know about the different formats of Newspaper advertisement to make him/her ad decisions better.

The newspaper advertisements can be divided into three broad types based on :

Content matter
Purpose
Price
Location in the paper
Costing criteria

Let’s start with the types of advertisements to have a better understanding.

Display Advertisements – Display advertisements are premium ads that appear in a newspaper. These ads are the most costly one that is possible to place in a newspaper. There is an absolute reason behind it’s high cost, i.e., These kinds of advertisements allow an advertiser to put up creative content and creativity attracts customers. In the case of Display advertisement, an advertiser puts up the design that includes both text and images along with amazing colors, logotypes, Clip arts, and many more. Thus the purpose of putting up these kinds of ads is gaining more feedback. Generally, these kinds of ads are often placed by Business organizations, Educational Organizations, and Corporate organizations. These ads can be of different sizes and can be located on different pages throughout the newspaper except the Classified page which is dedicated to the Classified Advertisements. It is costed based on the size per sqcm. which varies from paper to paper. Surveys have proved that according to the general human reading behaviour the odd number pages, front page, and the back page acquires most of the attention. Thus, almost all newspapers placing a display ad in these pages cost more than placing it on any other page.

Classified Display Advertisements – Classified Display Ads are almost the same as the display ads. Except for the location in the newspaper. These appear only on the dedicated classified page in all newspapers. It is more visually appealing than classified text ads. Here customized font, color, logo, or image can be added to make the ad visually more effective for the target readers. These ads are charged based on per sq.cm. Generally, classified display ads are placed to communicate with a very specific group of readers which will fulfill both side requirements.

Classified Text Advertisements – Classified Text Ads are the most cost-effective advertisements in any Newspaper. The Ads appear in the classified section in the standard running text format and no creative images, logos, e.t.c are allowed. Thus, it is also known as Run-On-Line ads. Rate is charged per Line/Word/Character basis. Generally, this is not chosen for Obituary and Remembrance ads, because of not allowing any incorporation of pictures.
After understanding the ad formats, it must be easier for you to easily decide which one is suitable for your requirements. Now make your ad booking easier, book through releaseMyAd. Click on and book your ad hassle-free from any time anywhere just using your internet connection. It will save both your time and money. In case you face any problem you can also get assistance by calling at 9830629298. All the best for your next ad booking.

May 10, 2020May 10, 2020

The History of Classified Advertisements

Classified advertising is a form of advertising which is commonly visible in newspapers, magazines, periodicals and over the internet. They are short advertising messages, generally grouped under specific headings (known as classifications, classes or categories), in a separate section, and may be charged or distributed free of cost.

Generally, termed as “want” ads, classified advertisements are relatively cheaper as the content is short and are charged on the basis of characters, words or lines. The following is a brief history of classified advertisements :

Public Notice Carving :

The oldest form of classified ads can be traced back all the way to 2000 BC, when the Ancient Egyptians invented outdoor advertising as they carved public notices into steel. They also made use of papyrus to create sales messages and various wall posters.

Later, in around 59 BC, the Roman Empire started publishing Acta Diurna (Daily Acts) or government announced bulletins, as ordered by the then Roman general, Julius Caesar. They started carving the notices in stone or metal (since these were the most commonly used materials back then) and posted them in public places.

Handwritten News Sheets :

During the Imperial China period, court officials made use of news sheets, referred to as “Tipao”, which were produced by the government. This was during the late Han dynasty. Tipao, which literally meant “reports from the official residences,” were a publication issued by both the local and the central governments in imperial China. These publications dated as early as 206 BC – 220 BC (Han Dynasty).

News Sheets were handwritten on silk and strictly meant to be read by government officials only.

Public Poster Advertisements :

The first handwritten notices date back all the way to the 15th century. These notices used to appear in various public places, nailed on numerous posts and walls in England.

During the mid 1600s, notices for lost property had become extremely common. Also, it was during this period when the handbill emerged in England. The handbill used to be a small printed ad, notice or announcement distributed by hand.

Newspaper Classifieds :

The form of classified advertisement which is known to us today, was first recorded in the year 1704, when the very first newspaper advertisement was placed in the Boston News-Letter, on the lookout for a buyer for an Oyster Bay, Long Island, Estate. This ad literally marked the birth of newspaper classifieds. About 14 years later (in 1718), the weekly Jamaica Courant followed the trend in Kingston.

By 2007, about 6,580 daily newspapers in the world selling around 395 copies a day already existed. The newspaper industry continued to grow until 2008, when economic recession posed a setback to the entire world. The worldwide economic crisis, coupled with the rapid growth of internet-based alternatives, saw a serious decline in newspaper advertising and circulation of diurnal newspapers. In fact, most papers had closed business while others had cut back operations.

With the continuation of increase in online classifieds, newspaper’s revenues from classified ads continued to drop. In 2007, classified advertising for some of the largest newspaper chains had dropped by a good 14-20 percent, while traffic to classified websites grew by 23 percent, clearly showing how online classifieds were gaining more popularity than the newspaper classifieds.

According to NAA, between 2002 and 2012, classified advertisements suffered a major decline accounting to around 71 percent (from $15,898 to $4,626 in revenue). This decline was mostly attributed to the emergence of web-based classified alternatives.

Online Classifieds :

By the year 1995, the internet disruption of classified ads started. Two new companies were established in 1995: AdOne and Craigslist. AdOne is known to be one of the oldest classified websites in the world.

Craigslist is another site held responsible for popularizing online classifieds. Craigslist is a classified ad website where the ads are classified into different sections. Today, there are hundreds of alternatives and free online classifieds to choose from.

Social Classifieds :

Multiple social networks like Facebook, MySpace, Orkut, and others started offering a platform for social classified ads. These social networks enabled their users to promote sales for products and services within the social network.

In May 2007, about 3 years after the launch of Facebook, the Facebook marketplace was introduced, allowing users to post classified advertisements without being charged. These free ads fell within the following categories – Housing, For sale, Jobs, and Other.

In March 2009, a new version of the Marketplace application was launched. Oodle, an online marketplace based out of California, powered the new version.

Classifieds on Mobile Phones and Tablets :

With the introduction of smartphones and tablets, posting and searching on online classified platforms became a growing trend. Currently, there are over 300 mobile apps for classified advertising on the iPhone and Android alone, competing for a strong clientele base. Responsive websites like www.releasemyad.com adopt any device, irrespective of the size or orientation. The mobile application further enhances the process of booking classified advertisements online.

February 7, 2017February 9, 2017

What are the Kinds of Advertisements?

Newspaper Advertisements are of different kinds. They fulfill different objectives catering to different budgets. The objectives have been evaluated in the previous lesson. Hence this lesson is in regards to the different kinds of newspaper advertisements crafted to suit different budgets.

We all have seen the different types of advertisements that are published on a regular basis in all newspapers. But most of us probably either wondered about the different types of ads that we saw or simply didn’t bother about it. Although for a newspaper advertiser, it is essential to comprehend the differences between the various formats of newspaper advertisements and how they condition your budget.

There are 3 types of ad formats that are available to advertisers and you can pick the one that seems most reasonable or apt for your objective. Also remember that the ad format you select will also determine the type of advertiser you are.

Types of Advertisers:

Classified Text – This is the most basic form of newspaper advertising and can be afforded by advertisers with any kind of budget. Text ads are priced as per the number of words or letters or lines it consumes. In addition to that you can make your ad more prominent with the help of ad enhancements which include ticks, background colour highlights, ad content borders and letter emboldening options. These ads cannot be published on just any page; they need to be published in only the assigned pages for classified advertisements in every newspaper. This kind of ad is published predominantly by individuals who need to fulfil personal requirements or those with a very limited budget. Name Change Ad on Newspaper

For Instance, a Change of Name advertisement is meant for official purposes so it need not occupy more than 5-6 lines or be too prominent. Therefore spending too much money on such ads would be a complete waste, which is why they are published in this ad format. Only a cut out of the ad is enough to get your work done.

Classified Display-This ad format has more scope for implementing creative adverts. Though Display classifieds are also published only in the classified pages, they stand much more prominent than text ads. Images, logos and even contrasting headers and footers can be incorporated in these ads. CD ads are priced as per their size in terms of columns or sq.cm unit. But there are certain restrictions on sizes too as the ads cannot be smaller than 3 cm in width which measures up to 1 column of a newspaper and cannot be more than 6 cm in width which occupies about 2 columns. There are no notable restrictions on the length but they usually do not exceed the length of a vertically half page of a broadsheet. These ads are more expensive and creative than text ads but less expensive than Display ads.

Obituary and matrimonial advertisements quite often publish ads under this specific format as they can include images of the concerned individuals.

Display- This particular ad format can be seen all over the newspapers on different pages. Display ads too are priced based on their size and the newspaper page they are published on. These ads can occupy a quarter of a page, half a page and even a full page of a newspaper and cannot be less than 4 cm X 4 cm. Although the minimum size is subject to different newspapers, there are additional charges applicable for specific page preferences. A lot of advertisers even opt for the services of advertising agencies to get such ads designed and then get them published in the newspaper of their choice. These are usually big-budget ads and include creative images, expert designs, specially designed logos and taglines.

Display ads are ideal for Business ads, Recruitment and even Retail advertisements. Since these are the sectors that can afford the cost of display advertisements.

Newspapers keep into consideration all types of advertisers, from big to small, from business houses to individuals and from professional to personal. It has an ad format available for all kinds of budgets and does not disappoint any advertiser. Even the most expensive of Newspaper Display ads is more economical than many other electronic mediums of advertising.