Monthly sections mean monthly revenue

Looking for content for your advertorial space? Check out our new monthly packages of stories and images. Each month, we'll bundle the content you need to attract advertisers. All you have to do is download the fies from our site.


Monthly sections will include: jobs, seniors, home & garden and personal finance. If you have a suggestion for a monthly package, drop me an e-mail at mbuscaglia@tribune.com. And don't forget about our weekly auto packages, powered by the experts at Cars.com.

'Auto'-matic content

Excuse the bad pun but we're not above throwing out the occasional cheesy headline to draw attention to our auto coverage. Each week, we put together the best of Cars.com, including reviews, Q&As, industry trends and more. There are enough stories and photos to dress up the front page of your classified section for an entire week. And if you’re looking to draw in readers, a little content goes a long way. Sure, a front-page ad is nice on occasion, but regular readers will begin to tune out your auto pages or classified section altogether if they know they won’t find anything to read there. Don’t believe us? Buy a week’s worth of content and give it a shot.  

 

We're here to make it easy for you

Whether you're putting together a page to highlight a significant advertiser or an entire section to feature a specific subject or event, we know it can be a hassle to pull together the images and stories you need to fill your publication. That's why we put together content packages each week. We figure it's our job to take care of the content and your job to take care of the advertising dollars. And if you don't see what you need, drop me a line at mbuscaglia@tribune.com and I'll work with you to created a package that works for you and your advertisers.
-Marco

Get your (video) game on

Wait, haven't you heard? Newspapers should try to engage younger readers. OK, of course you've heard that, probably more times than you'd like to remember. And we know newspapers across the country are trying to address the needs of younger readers everywhere. And so are we.

That's why TMS Specialty Products offers a weekly video game review that can be used in your paper or online. And you shouldn't worry about offending your readers' younger sensibilities. We aren't recruiting the 64-year-old features editor to tell us what he thinks about Super Mario. Instead, we're running CrispyGamer.com's reviews of the latest and greatest games. You can check out a few recent reviews here.

10 reasons to advertise in a newspaper special section

If you're trying to lure advertisers to your special sections, here are 10 reasons they should consider purchasing ads, courtesy of the Newspaper Association of America: 

1. Special sections allow you to focus your ads on a specific target market.  

2. Special sections create market places within the newspaper to draw targeted audiences. In some cases, special sections create a marketplace where none has been before. They can also tie-in to a specific event or time of year making it more relevant for the reader.  

3. Special sections add content support for your advertising.  

4. Newspapers typically promote special sections—getting incremental traffic for your ads. Often special sections are distributed at major events or in other ways to enhance your audience, as well.  

5. Special sections are typically stand-alone sections within the newspaper making them and your ad easily located.  

6. Special sections are typically saved, giving your ad longer shelf life.  

7. Special sections often tie your brand more closely to the community you serve.  

8. Special sections are great opportunities for co-op and vendor funding.  

9. Special sections are great ways to test the viability of the newspaper.  

10. Special sections allow you to finitely target merchandise and services that would appeal to the special section reader. 

Source: The Newspaper Association of America

Gift guide mania

Here at TMS Specialty Products, we're putting the finishing touches on our holiday special sections for 2010. We plan on offering a holiday entertaining package, a gift guide for children and a gift guide for adults. And come early November, we'll throw in a last-minute gift guide as well, giving you and your readers plenty of options for the holiday spending season. 

Start your engines

Our 2011 Auto Preview guide is just about ready to roll off the assembly line. This year, we're offering the package as a free bonus to anyone who subscribes to our weekly Cars.com text-and-image package or our daily paginated Cars.com feature. Sound intriguing, or are you content to miss out on those potential car customers who have no interest in reading the front page of an auto or classified section that's covered with listings? Drop me an e-mail at mbuscaglia@tribune.com for more information. 

School's in

Now that August is here – and we're knee-deep in back-to-school content– we have to say farewell to our summer intern, Chris Nelson, who is returning to school at Indiana University. Chris has done a great job for us since he arrived in mid-May, writing stories for our website and for several of our newspaper clients, including the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune. Chris will continue to write for us this semester and will be back in the office during his winter break. In the meantime, what better way for you to celebrate our fine intern than purchasing our camping package, which includes four stories by Chris. 

-Marco 

All you can eat

OK, maybe all you can print or post. Either way, if you're looking for food content, you've come to the right place. We're stocking the shelves of our food category with the latest recipes, trend stories, product reviews and kitchen-friendly features. These stories and images are the content you need to drive readers to those grocery ads each week. The stories are topical and tested, making them an easy solution for you and your staff.

Green with envy

Earth Day may be a couple of months away but we've already seen a definite increase in the use of our green content. Face it, stories about recycling, saving gas and using less energy are no longer alternative. Instead, they're about as mainstream as they come. And what was once a specialized advertising niche is now a viable ad-dollar outlet for numerous businesses, including grocery stores, hardware stores, heating and AC providers, auto dealers and more. 

If you're still trying to figure out how you can make money off of eco-aware stories, don't be afraid to try something new. How about your classifieds? After all, what's more green than selling a used bike or computer instead of sending it to a landfill? Ebay trumpeted their green credentials last year. Why not your paper or Web site?

-Marco