Classified vs Display Advertisement: Which to Choose
The practical differences between the two formats, how each is priced, and which suits your requirement.
Onward Advertising
Almost every newspaper advertising decision starts with this choice, and it determines both your cost and your likely response.
Classified text advertisements
Plain text, printed in the newspaper's classified columns, charged per word with a minimum count. No logo, no photograph, no custom typography.
They work well because readers who reach the classified section are actively looking. A matrimonial advertisement, a lost document notice or a room to rent does not need visual impact — it needs to be present where people are searching.
Display advertisements
Designed advertisements with borders, logos, photographs and chosen typography, charged per square centimetre. They can be placed anywhere in the paper rather than only in the classified section.
They work by interrupting a reader who was not looking for you. That is exactly what a product launch or a showroom opening needs, and exactly what a name change notice does not.
Classified display: the middle option
A boxed advertisement within the classified section. It carries a border and can include a logo or photograph, but sits alongside other classifieds at a cost well below a full display advertisement. For matrimonial advertisements with a photograph, or a recruitment notice where an institution's logo adds credibility, this is often the best value.
A simple rule
If your reader is already looking for what you offer, use a classified. If you need to catch the attention of someone who was not looking, use a display. If you need a photograph but not a full page, use classified display.
