By DAVID BURKET
Voice Publisher
Say what you will about the "imminent demise" of print media—predicted now for some 20 years—when it comes to getting eyeballs for advertising, there's no substitute.
Where's the bargain online value when an ad isn't seen, not even for a split-second. You may as well fire up the grill and roast those $20 bills for all the good online advertising expenditures will do you—especially for one-location retailers in a rural market.
Browser and smartphone ad-blockers stop ads from displaying at all. According to a story in today's New York Times, the use of blockers is dramatically on the rise, to the surprise of no one. Online ads are intrusive and annoying. AdBlock Plus, one of the leading web ad-blockers, claims 100 million installations.
Customers who sign up on retail store email lists soon tire of the spam. And don't get us started on Facebook's voodoo "people reached" claims. Astrology is more credible.
The single most effective route for small-market retailers and service businesses to reach a buyer's consciousness remains the local print advertisement—direct mail, magazines, and (naturally best of all) newspapers. A self-serving conclusion? Sure. But no less true for being so.
