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Scott O. Inner circle Midwest 1143 Posts |
I dropped out of the local Parent magazine this year after advertising for several years there. The calls seemed sparse and the prospects were mostly price checkers. I might have been a little slow on pulling the ad -- I noticed I was the only magician in the magazine the last few months.
I know it depends upon the area and the particular parent's magazine, but has anyone else noticed a drop in the effectiveness of this media?
Do not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time you will reap a harvest, if you do not give up. Galatians 6:9
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seadog93 Inner circle 3200 Posts |
I haven't put an ad in a parent's magazing yet; but I recently got a copy and had trouble finding any magician's ads (I found two). There used to be a lot.
"Love is the magician who pulls man out of his own hat" - Ben Hecht
"Love says 'I am everything.' Wisdom says 'I am nothing'. Between the two, my life flows." -Nisargadatta Maharaj Seadog=C-Dawg=C.ou.rtn.ey Kol.b |
Alan Munro Inner circle Kentwood, Michigan, USA 5952 Posts |
Way back when I was considering an ad in the local parents' magazine, I had to think twice. $300 for a small box ad in a monthly publication! This was over 15 years ago. It made the local shopper seem like a much better option.
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kenscott Inner circle 1869 Posts |
Huge drop. I have been in the parent books for 12 years back in the day it was great. Now I am lucky if I get my money I spend back on shows. Not sure why the downturn in the mags maybe it is more internet.
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magicman1 Inner circle 1183 Posts |
So the question is where do you advertise?
I'm in a parents magazine here on Long Island and quite a few ads in there. I'm booking a couple of gigs a month but only in for 2 months so far Also thinking of going in the local pennysaver. Need to get this business up and running Thanks Don |
Al Angello Eternal Order Collegeville, Pa. USA 11045 Posts |
I'm with Ken, I did well with family magazines back in the 90's, but not now. Today I find that my web site gets me 1/2 of my jobs, and the other 1/2 comes from either agents, or by word of mouth.
Al Angello The Comic Juggler/Magician
http://www.juggleral.com http://home.comcast.net/~juggleral/ "Footprints on your ceiling are almost gone" |
JAEIII Veteran user 310 Posts |
I've been advertising in a parent magazine for a few months. I receive about 4 - 5 calls from it each month, but mostly it is price checkers as well. I'm hoping it will pick up during the summer months. Time will tell.
Believe In Magic....I do!
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Ken Northridge Inner circle Atlantic City, NJ 2393 Posts |
I tried an ad a couple of years ago and all I got were 2 calls from companies wanting me to advertise with them!
"Love is the real magic." -Doug Henning
www.KenNorthridge.com |
Gerry Walkowski Inner circle 1450 Posts |
Same thing with me. I started advertising in these periodicals back in the 1980s and back then you could do pretty well.
About 4-7 years ago I started tracking EVERYTHING. One year I spent about $3,600 in Yellow Page directories and still lost money. As for the parenting publications, I barely broke even. After fighting with myself for a few years, a lightbulb went off in my head: "Why am I doing this if I'm consistantly losing money or barely breaking even with these advertising mediums." Finally, I dropped out of the parenting publications right before the recession kicked in (about two years ago or so) and have never looked backwards. My Yellow Page advertisement just ended last month and I couldn't be happier. I've talked with many other magicians and they all say that the parenting publications DON'T pull like they used to. Ken, I do have a theory which may answer your question. I tend to think that most, not all, of the people who read those publications are your average Jane's & Joe's. I also believe the recession hits them a tad harder. This is why I believe the drop-off has intensified over the past few years. Gerry |
LMLipman Elite user Falls Church, Va. 443 Posts |
I advertised in a local parent magazine in the DC area for many years. Last May, when my contract came due, I reviewed my bookings for the previous year and found I was booking about one show a month from the ad--and paying about the cost of one show a month for the ad. So I dropped it. I have not noticed any decline in calls or bookings. I get most of my bookings through my website, the rest from people who have seen me or heard about me; and a small amount of referrals from other magicians who may be busy at the time requested.
Almost all of the local magicians are now either totally out of the magazine or have significantly reduced the size of their ad to the point I can't imagine they're getting any calls from it. |
Scott O. Inner circle Midwest 1143 Posts |
I went pretty much that route. Initially, the ad was a money maker. Then the price of the ad went up. So I reduced the size of my ad. The number of calls seemed the same. Then about a year ago, one magician in the area dropped out, then another. Suddenly, I was the only entertainer of my sort advertising, and the ad wasn't pulling enough to even pay for itself. In Jan I dropped out.
It seems that by and large that is the experience of others right now.
Do not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time you will reap a harvest, if you do not give up. Galatians 6:9
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wbzwolinski Loyal user 232 Posts |
I dropped my add in our local parents magazine last year. There were two or three magicians advertising in it amongst other entertainment. It never really brought me any significant bookings. As some of you mentioned earlier, it was typically price checkers which were surpassed mostly by other publications wanting my advertising business.
Keep it Simple...Play it BIG!!!
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jackturk Elite user 463 Posts |
I think there are a couple factors at play here:
1. At least in my region, one of the major local shopping chains that used to carry the primary parent mag at the entrance to stores... stopped doing so. Immediately the number of responses I got from that magazine plummeted. Hence I stopped advertising. 2. In a related note, look at the places where you find the parent magazines available. If they are primarily at places where families go for FREE or very low-priced events, then the clientele may not be as well-heeled as the ones who pick up magazines at places of commerce. A family entertainer remains to some degree a luxury item, particularly during a period of economic uncertainty like we have these days. 3. More and more people are thinking of going online to find answers, rather than trying to find a parent magazine that they may have picked up in haste and tossed aside somewhere. SEO, PPC, and a great website therefore are even more important. I'm not saying these are ALL the factors, but I'm wagering they do fit somewhere into the equation. --Jack Turk
"59 Ways To Recession Proof Your Entertainment Business -- FREE!"
http://www.GetLeadsLikeCrazy.com "How To Make $25,000 a Year Doing Birthday Parties Part-Time" http://www.magicmarketingcenter.com/birthdayPT |
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