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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

WHY SHOULD I ADVERTISE WITH THE LOCAL DIRECTORY?

For most businesses to maintain and/or grow sales there are three key elements required: face to face networking/promotion, digital media, and PRINT media. We are experts in print media and KNOW how to get your name and message across to residents and really grow and expand your business.

 

Our magazines are Received, Read, Retained and Referenced by local homeowners.  See the reasons below why advertising in our magazines works really well when you do a series of adverts long term, not just as a one off.

  • We are NOT a local news magazine – our unique reading content is strategically placed to keep the magazine in residents’ homes for longer.
  • Residents retain and reference our magazines as they are eye-catching, appealing and printed on good quality paper.
  • We are NOT a pickup only publication – we deliver to letterboxes in each of the areas below.
  • All our 144,000 monthly magazines are hand delivered and are fully tracked via GPS, to ensure you get a good response.
  • Our FREE digital package includes an online directory and links to your website and social media.

 

HOW DO I CHOOSE WHICH MAGAZINES TO ADVERTISE IN?

We can guide you on which area could work best for your type of business. We have extensive knowledge of our circulation area with many years’ experience understanding what types of business perform better in which magazine.

 

ISN’T SOCIAL MEDIA THE BEST PLACE TO ADVERTISE IN TODAYS WORLD?

Choosing the best format for your brand or business depends on your goals. For some, social media and Google ads, although can be costly, are the best platform to use for instant responses and results, while many other companies find more value in print ads. The benefit of using print as an advertising medium is that it is a tangible and emotive experience for consumers.

Research has shown that most social media users are under the age of 35, so that limits you to a very small age bracket, whilst homeowners who use and read our magazines tend to be aged 35+. Is this age group your target audience? One of the advantages of print is that it can reach a much broader group of people, especially the over 55’s, silver-gey market.

However, if your budget allows, using both formats can help increase your traffic and broaden your company’s horizons, especially when done strategically. The best thing that you can do is define your target audience and then go from there.

 

ISN’T PAPER ALL DEAD NOW?

Clearly not!  We started 17 years ago with 1 magazine in Amersham with 3,000 copies and now have 17 titles with 144,000 magazines printed and delivered each month.  We know so many other publishers around the country all growing as we have and primarily these publications have replaced the local newspaper and Yellow Pages in the main.

 

HOW DO YOU KNOW THE MAGAZINES ACTULLY GET DELIVERED?

That’s a great question! We use our own, hand-picked distribution team of OVER 200 People to deliver our 144,000 magazines each month. Many (but not all) are teenagers who live in the areas where they deliver the magazines. We carefully select our team and make sure, for the younger distributors, their parents/guardians are onboard to help out if needed.

All our distributors use a GPS tracker app providing a time-stamped record of each house that has been visited. We use this app because it gives our advertisers ultimate reassurance and guarantee that each copy really is being hand delivered to each home.

 

AREN’T THESE MAGAZINES ALL ADS?

No – far from it! Between 40% – 50%+ of our magazine pages are filled with fantastic editorial which we get great feedback from readers on. Features including local community news, walks, celebrity, finance, gardening, health, recipe, book review, puzzles and more.

 

I HAVE NEVER ADVERTISED BEFORE, WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON’T GET ANY PHONE CALLS?

Advertising doesn’t work instantly, it requires an amount of patience, persistence, and a budget!. Your potential customers, on average, need to be exposed to your advertisement at least four times before they will trust and commit to purchasing your product or service.

Our discerning customers spend their advertising budget wisely, by advertising consistently over a long period of time (usually 6 or more months). Sometimes this means they book a smaller advert just so they can stay in the magazine for longer.

In the world of advertising, frequency is the key to success. We would always encourage an advertiser who wants to do advertise in 6 magazines for 1 month to actually advertise in 1 magazine for 6 months and pay monthly!

 

I THINK THERE ARE CHEAPER PUBLICATIONS OUT THERE!

Every business owner knows there is always someone willing to do it cheaper!

We’ve been serving the local community since 2006 and, during this time, we have built a strong, loyal readership with our unique content (NOT news).

Our readers tell us they look forward to receiving Local Directory publications through their letterbox every month. Our readers trust what they see, and our advertisers benefit as a result.

Also many publications at first glance look cheaper but check how many letterboxes they deliver to and how many are pick up in coffee shops only? Our distribution is 98% through the letterbox and 2% of our magazines are dropped into pick up points.

“You get what you pay for” is truly the applicable adage when it comes to marketing and advertising for the growth of your business.

WHERE ARE THE MAGAZINES DISTRIBUTED?

See our coverage page for our 17 areas and distribution numbers.

HOW OFTEN ARE MAGAZINES DELIVERED?

All publications are monthly and distributed in the first week of each month.

HOW OFTEN CAN I CHANGE MY ADVERT?

Monthly if you wish so long as we have new artwork sent to us by the 15th day of each month prior to your advertisement appearing.

HOW ARE THE MAGAZINES DELIVERED?

By hand through the letterboxes of over 144,000 homes and businesses every month.  Each distributor uses a mobile phone tracking app which tracks their delivery round every four seconds!!

WHAT IS THE CIRCULATION OF LOCAL DIRECTORY MAGAZINES?

Total circulation is over 144,000. Vast majority go to local homes and businesses with a small amount placed in libraries, coffee shops and health surgeries.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO ADVERTISE?

See our pricing page for our pricing and loyalty bonus packages.  Prices range from £60 to £260 (pre-discount).  All prices are exclusive of VAT.

CAN I ADVERTISE FOR ONE MONTH ONLY?

Yes, no problem.  However, this only works well when you have a dated event you are advertising.  For all other businesses, you really need to do a minimum of four or six months of repeated advertising to get significant traction and increase the number of new customer enquiries you receive.

One advert alone will not grow your brand or increase your sales.

DO YOU OFFER DISCOUNTS IF I WANT TO ADVERTISE IN MULTIPLE AREAS OR LONG TERM?

Yes.  See our pricing page for loyalty bonuses and pricing.  We have 4, 6 and 12-month advertising loyalty bonus packages with a further discount for going into three or all magazines.

WHAT ARE THE COPY DEADLINES EACH MONTH?

15th day of each month prior to your advertisement appearing.

CAN I SWITCH MAGAZINES/AREAS LATER WITHIN MY BOOKING PERIOD?

Yes, no problem and there is no charge.  However we do not recommend this as you need to keep building your brand with the same audience continually.

DO I NEED TO PROVIDE YOU WITH AN ADVERT OR CAN YOU DESIGN ONE FOR ME?

We have a design service available for you.  Full and half page advert design is just £50 plus VAT and a quarter or eighth page ad is just £30 plus VAT.  We will need your company logo electronically (if you have one), your contact details, text for what you would like your ad to say and any images you would like to use.

WHICH PAYMENT METHODS DO YOU ACCEPT?

We take all payments before we go to print each month and all customers can pay monthly or upfront.  Most customers are on our direct debit system (Go Cardless).  It’s hassle-free and very easy to set up or cancel.  Direct debits are only set up for your booking period and are not ongoing so there’s no need to remember to cancel it or money being taken by accident!

Other methods of payment we accept are bank transfers and credit card.

WILL I RECEIVE A COPY OF THE MAGAZINE(S)?

An online link will be emailed to you every month – paper copies are available on request.  If you live locally and we distribute to your street, you will get a copy through your door!

ARE YOU ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE LEAFLETS?

Yes, with our magazines.  In fact, leaflets in our magazines are more noticed by residents as they are tucked inside our little book.

IS THERE ANYWHERE I CAN PICK UP A COPY OF LOCAL DIRECTORY MAGAZINES?

Yes.  In addition to almost every home and business covered locally receiving a copy of their local magazine, we also place our magazines in libraries, health surgeries and coffee shops around each village/town.  As most residents receive a copy through their front door these magazines are more for people who do not live locally and are passing through or who just want something to read whilst waiting for their appointment or having a coffee.

CAN I HAVE EDITORIAL SPACE TO RUN WITH MY ADVERT AND, IF SO, DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR IT?

All editorial/advertorial/articles are chargeable.  However, depending on the content of your written piece and the size of your booking we may be able to apply a discount for you.

I HAVEN’T EVER ADVERTISED BEFORE – CAN ANYONE GIVE ME SOME ADVICE?

Yes absolutely! Feel free to contact us (or even drop in) and we’d be delighted to share our years of print media wisdom with you.

AREN’T THESE MAGAZINES ALL ADS?

No – far from it! Between 35% – 50% of our magazine pages are filled with fantastic editorial which we get great feedback from readers on. Features including local community news, walks, celebrity, finance, gardening, health stories and more.

HOW DO I BOOK?

Just call us on 01494 72 7000 or feel free to contact us (or even drop in) and we’d be delighted to share our years of print media wisdom with you.