7. Look at the headlines of the following texts and say what it is devoted to.

8. Read and translate the following texts:

I

Newspaper Ads

Newspaper advertising has been around longer than any other form of advertising we see today and is still the first kind of advertising that businesses think about doing. These ads can do a lot more than just advertise one item or one sale — each one can work really hard to bring in customers, and then bring them back again and again. They're a good way to reach a large number of people, especially those aged 45-plus who tend to read the paper more frequently than younger demographic groups who tend to get their news from television, radio or the internet. And you can target your ads to the appropriate markets by requesting that your ads run in the section(s) that most closely relate to your target audience, be it sports, lifestyle or business.

Like all forms of advertising, your print ad costs will depend on a lot of things: the size of your ad(s), what publication(s) you use, what sections of the paper(s) you want your ads in, the frequency with which you run the ads, and whether you use color in your ads. When it comes to working with the publication, you'll have a different sales representative from each newspaper who will not only quote you prices and deadlines but will also help you design your ad.

When it comes to price, daily papers are the costliest of your choices. If you find dailies to be too expensive, you can save money by only running your ads in the local sections the dailies all provide to their subscribers. These are tabloid-like sections that usually run just one day a week and carry news pertaining to small geographic areas or neighborhoods.

When you look at a paper, you'll see it's divided into columns. Your newspaper ads are sized according to a very set formula: a certain number of columns wide and a certain number of inches long. Multiplying the two numbers together will give you the number of «column inches» of your ad, which determines the ad's cost. For example, because you'll pay a specific dollar amount "per column inch", if your ad covers three columns in width and is five inches long (15 column inches), and you're paying $30 a column inch, that ad will cost you $450.00 (15 column inches X $30.00). This is true for print ads in any newspaper, whether it's daily or weekly.

Both the daily and weekly papers will have special sections (holiday, home improvement, landscaping and so on) throughout the year, and you should ask when something appropriate for your business is scheduled. Your sales representatives should also contact you to let you know what's in the works. It's a good idea to place ads in these special sections even if you're not regularly in the publications — your competitors will. The good news is, many times these special sections carry a less expensive rate, or automatically runs your ad in all papers, in all sections, and sometimes even offer free color printing.

Here are afew more tips when it comes to newspaper ads:

— use the bottom section of your ad as a coupon to provide an added incentive for readers to visit your location. Be sure to put an end date on the coupon. And use the coupon to track the response rate of your ads — you'll know how good your ads are by the number of people using the coupon.

— add your URL to every print ad to drive people to your website where you can tell and sell them more and provide a coupon to print out when they get there.

— give your sales representatives all the information he or she needs well ahead of deadline so you can get a proof sheet to check all the facts before it goes to print.

— when it comes to proofing, check your phone number, your URL, any percentages off, brand names, and every other detail to be sure what the reader sees is what you intended. Get another pair of eyes to check for mistakes, too.

By Kathy J. Kobliski

Radio and TV Advertising

Many entrepreneurs believe that TV and radio advertising is beyond their means. But while national TV advertising is out of the entrepreneur's price range, advertising on local stations and, especially, on cable television can be surprisingly affordable. The small-business owner may find that TV and radio advertising can, in fact, deliver more customers than any other type of ad campaign. The key is to have a clear understanding of the market so the money spent on broadcast advertising isn't wasted.

Planning is especially essential for the businessperson approaching broadcast advertising for the first time. It's important to educate yourself about the media, and the only way you can do that is to talk to a lot of people. This includes advertising representatives from TV and radio stations, other business owners, and your customers.

Experts suggest an entrepreneur take the following steps:

1. Establish your target market by asking yourself who your customers are and, therefore, who you want to reach with your advertising. This may seem obvious, but many advertisers don't have any idea who they're selling to.

2. Set a rough budget for broadcast advertising. Many stations suggest running ads for at least three months. This can easily cost several thousand dollars for a TV campaign. Radio generally costs a little less, although rates vary widely depending on the size of the market, the station's penetration, and the audience of the show on which you want to advertise.

3. Contact sales managers at TV and radio stations in your area and arrange to have a salesperson visit you. Ask salespeople for a list of available spots on shows during hours that reach your target audience.

4. Inquire about the production of your commercial. As a general rule, TV stations charge you to produce your commercial (prices range from about $200 to $1,500), while radio stations will put your ad together for free. However, some independent TV stations will include production for free if you enter into an agreement to advertise for at least three months.

5. Compare various proposals. Buying time well in advance can help lower the cost. For TV ads, stick with 30-second spots, which are standard in the industry. And keep in mind that the published rates offered by TV and radio stations are often negotiable. Generally, rates vary widely during the first quarter of the year, and sometimes during the third quarter or late in the fourth quarter, traditionally slow seasons for many businesses. But expect to pay full rates during the rest of the year or during popular shows or prime time.

Excerpted from Start Your Own Business by Rieva Lesonsky

AFTER-READING TASKS