3 ways to build ‘repetition’ in your print and online editions

Rix Quinn

Jun 1, 2020

What if you could improve reader “recall” scores for feature stories and ads?

The secret: Don’t try to be better. Try to be different.

What local advantages can you demonstrate that national competitors can’t?

Three unique services you can offer are: (1) print and online editions, (2) “local products and services” classifieds, and (3) repetition of stories (or advertising) in one-minute audio format.

Many of us already offer print and online editions. “Local products and services” could be a simple text-only listing of current advertisers.

You could show these listings in each print edition, in addition to a company’s display ad. Those listings could be under two basic categories: PRODUCTS and SERVICES.

This requires very little space …perhaps only the business name and phone number for each listing. But, it repeats each advertiser’s name …and repetition aids memorability.

SOUND STORIES

I work with national business magazines, helping them add radio-style sound to their soundless products. What’s the best way to introduce this service?

My recommendation: Start running FREE Minute Biographies on your website. Each week, honor a local citizen by creating a 150-word story about what makes them special. Examples: the mayor, local physician, bank president, high school football coach, etc. Run each as a print feature, and also record it as a Minute Biography.

I create these short stories by “writing with my ears.” I record a brief interview with each person, sometimes asking only two questions: “What made you choose your profession?” and “What would you like our readership to know about you?” Then I turn these replies into short print and audio stories.

Once you’ve posted a few of these online, your ad manager can approach businesses to see if they’d consider running a radio-style ad on your website. Once you’ve recorded the ad, you can send an mp3 version of that ad to the customer, who can attach it to her business e-mailings.

This is easy to do. I record for a few publishers, but you do not need me. You can record these yourself with inexpensive software and an online audio storage site.

Bottom line: Repetition is powerful. Frequent mention of a company helps recall. Reinforce readers’ memory by repeating important stories and sales messages with audio.

Rix QUINN writes a humor feature for 120 newspapers and helps publications add audio to their publications. Publishers can get a free synopsis of his upcoming e-book “Write with Your Ears,” by going to this link (https://bit.ly/2TGTRLU). Or, call him directly at (817) 920-7999.