Have you noticed a decrease in revenue for your newspaper these past few years? Are more and more or your readers turning to Google or Yahoo to get their news fix? After spending many years in the print advertising business and helping facilitate a multitude of successful Bingo promotions, Best Bingo Promo has compiled six sure-fire ways for newspapers to increase their revenue. Read on to learn how.
1. Run a Bingo Promotion!
A Bingo game could be just what your newspaper needs to get those subscription rates back up. You might be wondering, “What the heck is a Bingo promotion?” Imagine going down to the local community center to play a few rounds of Bingo with Auntie Mabel. Now imagine that same exact scenario, except it’s happening among your entire community instead of in a cramped Bingo hall.
How does it work? Well, it’s pretty simple. The Bingo game cards are distributed in the newspaper, and call numbers are published in subsequent editions of the paper. Winners are decided in a variety of ways; diagonals, verticals, horizontals, or coveralls – and they get an awesome prize. Read more here about how it works. Meanwhile, the Bingo sponsor gets a gigantic boost in brand awareness and sales, the newspaper gets an increase in subscribers, single-copy sales, and a premium ad sale, and participants have fun and win prizes. In other words, everybody wins!2. Get a Sponsor On Board
Let’s talk a little bit more about the sponsor referenced above. Bingo promotions provide newspapers with a fantastic opportunity to bring a sponsor on board – which isn’t a tough sell, considering that sponsoring a Bingo promotion can be hugely beneficial for the sponsoring business as well as the newspaper. Sponsors have the chance to advertise their brand to an entire community in one fell swoop; meanwhile, the newspaper collects ad revenue with the publication of every call number and the distribution of every Bingo game card. Some newspapers even choose to sweeten the pot by offering the sponsor an opportunity to host an end-of-contest party during which winners are announced. This tactic further encourages foot traffic to the sponsor’s brick-and-mortar store and, potentially, sales. It really is a win-win-win situation.
One newspaper in Reading County, Pennsylvania chose to partner up with the local mall – and experienced tremendous results. Read more about their success here.3. Publicize, Publicize, Publicize!
This might seem like a no-brainer, but when newspapers publicize an upcoming Bingo game before it begins, participation is much higher. In other words, pre-publicity is key and, in this case, bigger is better. Reach out as far as possible to gather as many players and participants as you can. Begin a comprehensive advertising campaign for the Bingo game months in advance of the start date, and make sure the sponsor with whom you’ve chosen to partner can offer Bingo participants enticing prizes.4. Choose Wisely
Each promotion is unique, so it’s important to evaluate your goals for the contest and choose the best sponsor for your promotion. That might be a small local business, or maybe it’s a huge car dealership capable of giving away a luxury SUV. Whatever the case may be, make sure to partner up with a business that will help you accomplish the objectives you’ve set for your newspaper.
A bagel shop in Mankato, Minnesota repeatedly sponsors a bingo promotion in the Mankato Free Press because they get such a great return on their advertising dollar that way. Read more about it here.5. Creativity is Key!
Like mentioned above, each promotion is unique. What might work for one newspaper in Tinysville, Minnesota might not work as well for a newspaper in Giantsville, New York. It’s important to your customers to take their motivations into account— and use different variations of the promotion to reach everybody. If you do this well, you can boost single-copy sales, and even expand your subscription base by catching the attention of some local residents who don’t typically read the newspaper.6. And the Grand Prize Goes to…
Many newspapers and sponsors choose to offer cash prizes for the Bingo game winners and honestly, who wouldn’t want to win a boatload of cash? Whatever type of prize you decide to offer to your game players, make sure it’s something people actually want. Incentivize local residents to play the game with an awesome prize, and the participation will likely be much higher. And even though cash is always a safe bet when it comes to rewards, it’s not a bad idea to mix it up once in a while to keep the contest fresh and interesting. Gift cards, gas cards, and even high quality electronics such as Ipads or Tablets, could be attractive giveaways.
With Best Bingo Promo, newspapers have the opportunity to experience a huge increase in revenue – even today when more and more readers are turning to digital media for their news consumption. A Bingo contest is one of the most effective ways to bring those readers back, improve single-copy sales and collect ad revenue. Contact us to get started with a Bingo promotion today!