how to start a profitable newspaper

Newspapers can be incredibly well received by your community, especially “niche” or theme oriented newspapers, in this day and age of the declining dailies and weeklies. People still like to read, they just are more selective in what they read. Here is a summary of why you may want to start your own newspaper and what you may expect: There are many benefits as you will discover as you read through this guide. 

• It can generate its own income to pay for itself while promoting your interests at the same time.
• It can generate a profit to help with extra income for any reasons of your choice.
• It gives you much, much more room to deliver a message than a flayer or newsletter.
• Advertising in a newspaper is inherently accepted by everyone over any other type of print media.
• It is an accepted format. Businesses of every kind are more than likely to carry your newspaper and “theme” papers are enthusiastically received.
• It offers many ways for members or your business or organization to be involved.
• It allows you to establish relationships with businesses and helps to get them to invest in your cause.
• People are more apt to read it because of the diverse content centred around a general theme.
• You can promote your causes, values, teachings, and advice in a much more profound way.
• You can establish yourself as an expert in your field. It helps you establish credibility.
• It will dramatically increase your name recognition.
• It allows you to get your message out for free or for little investment!
• Choosing the right niche is essential to the success of your newspaper. A niche is a corner or section of the overall market you will be addressing. There are many different issues, programs, causes, and problems, products, and services you could write about. But it is important to remember that your newspaper, in order to become a staple in your community, needs to be somewhat predictable to those who are interested in it as well as something you are knowledgeable about.
  For example, one church chose a ‘family niche’ and therefore all the articles primarily dealt with family issues. People have come to anticipate their next publication because they are anticipating the articles on the family.
• our newspaper name and content is based on your chosen niche. Warning! Don’t get so specific in your niche that you exhaust all your content in only a few issues. For example, one church calls their paper, ‘From Tragedy to Triumph’. This gives them much more flexibility in supplying content. They can deal with addictions, abuse of all kinds, and other types of success stories.
  Choose your name based on your niche. Choose the size of your paper based on your ability to fill it with good content. The titles of the articles need to be catchy enough so that if someone happens to pick up one of your newspapers and just glances at the front, they see something that may appeal to them right away.
• Clearly, if you live in a town of 2,000 people, you don’t need to order 2,000 newspapers. At the same time, if you live in a city of 2 million and print more copies than you can easily distribute with a small workforce, you’ll never get them out quickly enough.
  There are two basic distribution methods (discussed more in depth later on) that should factor into your size of distribution. They are: canvassing neighbourhoods, and placing copies in friendly businesses.
  Another factor is your revenue desired from the newspaper. If you sell ads in your newspaper, you must weigh how much room you can allot for ads and the potential revenue from those ads against the number of copies of the newspapers that you intend to print for each issue.
  Done right, this is a self sustaining business. You may certainly set a budget aside for it and pay everything up front. MakeMyNewspaper’s prices are incredible and will save you a lot of money over other traditional publications—including newsletters, flyers, other advertising media and brochures.
  However, with all the space you have in the newspaper, just selling a few ads allows you to raise all the money you need to cover your expenses. There is plenty of space to make a tidy profit!
  Taking a small example, if you sell 24 ads (3 per page of an 8 page newspaper) at £100 each, you will raise £2,400. Depending upon how many copies you ordered, you will make a profit! Four additional ads at the same price per page adds £800 more.  Raise the price of your ads and your income grows significantly.
  Selling advertisements is the best way to go. Here are some benefits:
• The newspapers are paid for by the advertisers.
• You make money on each issue from the advertising.
• You can solicit advertisers by explaining that by purchasing an AD in your paper they are contributing to the community by helping you to reach the community, and they in return are reaching out to the community.
• You build more solid relationships with businesses and business owners by partnering with them.
• You get something, money, and the business gets something, advertising. It is a win-win situation!
• Ads give your paper a more newspaper feel and look. People expect ads in newspapers.
• It increases your paper’s credibility and circulation potential. Most businesses who advertise will also carry your newspaper!
• There is no substitute for asking. You have to ask. Still, here is how you could start:
  • Approach everyone you currently know is a business owner and all those you currently do business with. Ask them to buy an AD.
  • Ask each of the above business owners to give you referrals.
  • Approach and ask each of your referrals to buy an AD. Use the name of the person who referred you.
  • Ask them for referrals too.
  • Continue this pattern.
  This will give you a good start. From there, if you run out of places, you can cold call businesses, but when you do, here are some things to keep in mind:
  • Talk only to business owners or the one who can write the check or make a decision. Come back if you have to. You can pitch it better than some employee that doesn’t care or fully understand it all.
  • Explain what the proceeds are going for, or what your newspaper is all about.
  • Provide samples of your newspapers if you have them.
  • Provide a price sheet.
  • Provide all your contact information.
  • Don’t wait for them to call you, you follow up on them.
  • Don’t be afraid when they say ‘no’.
  • You may want to offer free AD design services.