What is the best way to advertise in Devon? This is a question local business people often ask. As in most parts of the UK, there is a variety of regional TV, radio and print options. Devon also has a number of niche magazines and newspapers for different areas that make it easy to target specific audiences across the county.
Of course the mass media option to advertise in Devon is led by ITV which is said to attract up to nine million viewers. See Advertising in the West Country with ITV. There are also many commercial radio options including Radio Exe, Radio Plymouth, Heart Radio, Smooth Radio etc which reach listeners in the different cities, as well as community radio stations like Cross Rhythms Plymouth.
For those businesses who prefer print options, effective ways to advertise in Devon include newspapers such as The Plymouth Herald which is published daily and its sister title, the Express and Echo which is published in Exeter and surrounding areas each Thursday. They also have active online resources via the Plymouth Live and Devon Live websites. Other local titles include The Herald Express in Torquay, North Devon Gazette in Barnstaple and the Western Morning News.
Plymouth also benefits from having a free newspaper, The Plymouth Chronicle which is delivered door to door to some 92,000 homes in the city. The newspaper is published by Cornerstone Vision which offers a one-stop resource for advertising in Devon, from newspaper and magazine ads to leaflet distribution, publishing, design and print. Cornerstone have devised an innovative way to reach 20,000+ homes in Plymouth each week with multiple deliveries into different areas of the city totalling 92,000 homes per month. Cornerstone also produces the Devon and Plymouth Chamber of Commerce magazine, entitled Profile.
Magazine options in the South West include Devon Life, Exeter Living and the One magazine, as well as independent community magazines delivered in and around Barnstaple such as North Devon Insight and EX33.
How best to advertise in Devon
Five effective ways to advertise in Devon include TV, radio, print, online and in the hand via leafleting. All these options have specific benefits as well as limitations. Broadcast advertising can reach a lot of people as long as they are watching. Online advertising can have a wide reach through options such as Google My Business, Google Ads and targeted social media campaigns, but there again your audience must be online.
Print advertising can be very effective especially when a publication arrives at a person’s front door free of charge. This is why publications like The Plymouth Chronicle are so popular with advertisers. And of course, you can’t beat a leaflet for something tangible in a person’s hand. If the message is interesting enough, they are bound to read it and if it’s not relevant to them perhaps pass it on to a friend or neighbour, especially if it contains a special deal.
With all the options we have to choose from to advertise in Devon or further afield, it seems the simple things still work just as well. There is a reason why we still hand out business cards and a leaflet in the right hands can be just as effective. Consider which medium will best suit your target audience and plan accordingly, depending on your budget. Larger budgets may provide for mass media options, while smaller budgets may benefit enormously from niche community radio slots or special offers through the front door.
Also read: From Zero To 10K Web Traffic Per Month, Plus 2,000 Likes Within 12 Months
Al Gibson
The founder of Countdown Creative, Alistair Gibson is an expert communicator who has learned how to harness principles of traditional journalism with the power of today’s digital media platforms. He has lived in Devon for 15 years and worked in Plymouth and Exeter.
