Selling Group Ad Buy

When you sell the PMA donated buy, everyone benefits

Each year PMA member publications donate ad space (up to three full pages per year, July to June) for a national or regional buy sold by one of our PMA members.

The rules have changed a bit so read on.

  • Now the company may advertise again even if they have purchased a group buy in the past.
  • They can buy annually with the option of purchasing up to three years at the published rate.
  • Or the company can advertise three times in one 12-month period.

Group Buy ad sales defray the cost of the many valuable programs and services PMA offers to members such as the cost of the annual convention, group training and open house events.

When your publication sells the donated buy using the media kit provided by PMA, your publication receives a 15% commission.  If your publication acts as the agency (sends the client the contract and template or specific ad sizes, creates and sends insertion orders to the members, sends ad copy and instructions to the members, collects tear sheets from the members, provides an invoice and collects payment from the advertiser), your publication makes an additional 15% commission. It is strongly encouraged to be the agent. (See ‘After the Sale’ below.) The publisher/owner determines how these proceeds are distributed with the salesperson.

PROSPECTING AND SELLING

First, develop a “top 5” list of national or regional companies that are headquartered in your circulation area. Pre-qualify them yourself:

  • Do you think they may be interested in a regional or the national market?
  • Have they been in business at least 2-3 years?
  • Are they a solid company and will they pay their invoice?
  • Next, prep your salespeople with the materials PMA provides. (See media kit for full page, 1/2, 1/4 page and market breakdown.)
  • If you receive interest from a client, always contact the PMA office to qualify and secure it on the PMA list.
  • Work with the client; explain ad sizes (mag, short tab and tab), answer all questions and address all concerns. The advertiser provides a camera-ready ad. Work ahead, get a signed agreement from the advertiser and fax it to the PMA office. PMA will announce the sale to all PMA members by sending an insertion order to everyone.

AFTER THE SALE

  • Ask the pub to forward ad to their art dept and request confirmation from art dept that they received it.
  • Remind each pub to send two tearsheets and two publications to your address. The faster tearsheets are received, the faster everyone gets paid.
  • Send invoice to the advertiser advising them to make the check payable to Parenting Media Association.
  • Call pubs if you haven’t received their tearsheet.
  • Send the tearsheets to the advertiser as soon as you receive all of them.
  • Regular correspondence with all publications will ensure the ad is not overlooked. Regular correspondence with your advertiser may help ensure future business.

When you sell the PMA donated buy, everyone benefits: The advertiser gets families, PMA provides better programs & services and your publication makes money. Good luck!