(Cost Per Column Inch Per Reader)
The Coastal Journal April 2011 Tip of the Month

Last month, we explained how to determine readership and how important it is to advertising. This month we will write about cost and its vital relationship to readership. If you don't have our tip on readership called READERSHIP IS EVERYTHING, you can get it on our website in the advertising section.

Advertisers usually pay attention to the per column inch (pci) rate for a newspaper or other publication, however, that is not really the best measurement. Like with anything, you really want to know about value. Value is the relationship between what we pay and what we get in return. When it comes to newspaper advertising, what you really need to examine is the cost per column inch per reader (cpcipr). I know it's a mouthful, but when it comes to advertising, the number of people that see your ad is essential to factor in.

Here's how you do it:

You divide the pci rate by the readership in thousandths. We do it in thousandths because the number would be too small to understand if we didn't.

For example: The Coastal Journal has an average readership per issue of 17,000. If the per column inch rate was $8, you would divide 8 by 17 and you get .47. That's 47 cents per column inch per thousand readers.

If the pci rate was $14.50, you would divide 14.5 by 17 and get .85. That is 85 cents pci per thousand readers.

Compare different papers. That should help you decide which has the best value for your business. Remember to use either black and white or color rates for all the papers-apples to apples. Also remember to use readership and not distribution. Nothing is more important than this issue. Your Coastal Journal rep can help you figure this out if you'd like.

Thank you for your business,

Bruce M. Hardina
Publisher
The Coastal Journal