A newspaper, like any commercial enterprise, must bring profit to its owner. Publishing revenue is derived from circulation sales and advertising contracts. Not all owners manage to find additional sources of financing. You have to spend money on the maintenance of the state and the publication of the publication on a regular basis. To make a newspaper profitable, you need to balance the revenue and expenditure side of the editorial budget.
It is necessary
staff
Instructions
Step 1
Track the change in the number of copies of the newspaper sold during the month and find out the percentage of write-offs. This is an important indicator of a publication's profitability. Normally, it should not exceed 5-7%. If sellers are returning most of the circulation, look for reasons for the newspaper's unpopularity.
Step 2
Analyze the composition and needs of the target audience of the publication. Imagine a reader of your newspaper: how old is he, what kind of education he has, what professional field does he work in, whether there is a family and children, etc. Think about what interesting and useful you can tell this person. For example, you position your newspaper as an urban analytical weekly for entrepreneurs. This means that it is necessary to fill its pages mainly with local materials on political and economic topics. Cover events on a federal scale in terms of their importance to the region.
Step 3
Work together with the editor-in-chief a strategy for the development of the newspaper for the next six months. Make a page-by-page thematic plan. Tighten requirements for journalists. The materials must be relevant, reliable and easy for a specific audience to perceive. A detailed TV program guide will be a good addition to the main content. Buyers prefer newspapers with information on central, cable and satellite channels.
Step 4
Finding out the financial capabilities of the target audience, you will understand if the price per room is too high. The cost of circulation includes printing costs (paper, printing), transportation (delivery of newspapers to the points of sale), editorial (salaries of employees, office rent, etc.), as well as margins: yours for the seller and the seller for buyers. Think about exactly which link you can save to reduce the cost of the newspaper to the reader.
Step 5
Reducing print runs can help minimize printing costs. It is quite possible that retail outlets are now oversaturated with your newspaper. Reduce the number of copies to the actual needs of the target audience. If necessary, the circulation can be reprinted.
Step 6
Develop an optimal route for delivering newspapers to retail outlets. Along the way, you will identify those places where the publication is selling extremely poorly. It is worth thinking about ending cooperation with a kiosk, where only 2-3 copies are bought.
Step 7
Review the staffing table. Do not skimp on the salaries of the editor-in-chief, designer and lead advertising manager. These people must be highly qualified specialists. At first, a good editor will replace both a proofreader and a couple of journalists. The designer will make up the newspaper and create advertising modules. The manager will attract regular customers. Advertising agents can be transferred to piecework wages. Entrust some of the articles to be written to freelancers and graduate students of the Faculty of Journalism.
Step 8
Promote your newspaper. Strive to make it known, literally all the inhabitants of the region. Agree to barter advertisements with television and radio stations. Distribute part of the circulation (for example, written off last week) for free in large retail outlets, institutions and organizations. Take part in city mass events and run your own contests and promotions.
Step 9
Offer advertisers new ways to collaborate. Create an individual advertising plan for each. For example, supplement fashion articles with discount coupons or modules with information about current prices. You can add advertiser's materials, etc. to the newspaper.
Step 10
Increase your subscription share. It is these copies that give a stable profit throughout the year. Offer subscribers preferential terms, for example, reducing the cost of a newspaper when issuing a receipt for a long time or when receiving a publication directly from the editorial office.
Step 11
Drive reader loyalty. Organize feedback through sms messages or through a column in the newspaper, where you will post reviews and suggestions. Conduct prize raffles for loyal readers, reward them with valuable gifts.
