What Is the Average Cost of a Classified Ad in a Newspaper?

In classified advertising, a customer actively seeks an advertisement that is listed under a heading or classification. This type of advertising works well for services, recruitment and items for sale because the advertisement is easy to find.

A classified ad must reach its target market to gain response. When the product or service being advertised is specialized, a niche publication can command a higher price than a general publication. If a product has a wider appeal, then the number of papers sold or read is more important. For example, a five-line ad in "The New York Times" currently costs $301.60. The price is relatively high because the publication has a high circulation (currently 1,121,057).

Some newspapers are sold simply for their advertising content, and many more are available online. Advertisements in these papers are less widely read, so the ad costs less. For example, US Newspapers advertising offers 25 words in 47 free New York daily newspapers for $595.

If you are planning to advertise, the important thing is not the cost per line or per word, but how many people are likely to respond to your advertisement. Think carefully about your target market--the geographic location, age, sex and interests of readers. The most effective ad will not necessarily be the most expensive or the cheapest; so instead of looking simply for cost, look for the publication that is best suited to your needs.