KNOWING WHETHER YOUR MARKETING NEWSPAPER IS SUCCESSFUL MEANS SETTING GOALS UP FRONT AND THEN STICKING WITH THE PROGRAM.

Who's heard of Ford, Chrysler and GM? Just about everyone. Still, these companies keep right on marketing.

"We all know about the cars these companies produce, and yet they continue to advertise," says Joe Funk, project director of Plantation Business Designs, Tallahassee, Fla. "There's something to be said for repeatedly telling someone who you are."

Getting such name recognition through repetition in the marketplace is one good goal for a marketing newspaper, Funk says. You can also set and measure such goals as increased sales. The trick, in either case, is to keep producing your marketing newspaper long enough to see the results.

Know Your Goals
For example, one way to measure the immediate impact of a marketing newspaper is to include a coupon that customers would actually bring in and redeem, Funk says, noting that he thinks the more subtle results of newspapers may be even more valuable.

Newsletters or "newspapers may produce immediate results, but do not bank on it," Funk says. "Rather, expect them to gradually develop a strong sense of closeness between you and your audience. Building customer loyalty and increasing customer satisfaction are important long-term goals."

Keep It Coming
Funk suggests that newspapers be published at least once a quarter and for more than one year. This allows customers to get used to seeing it, and for the company to take a baseline reading and subsequent readings of the impact the piece has.

A newspaper or "newsletter, like any other form of promotion, must be repetitive and continuous to be successful," Funk explains on his Web site at http://www.pbds.com. "You don't put out a newsletter for a few months and then drop it. It's way too early. You've got to stay the course."