local-business-ownersWe keep hearing, verbatim, the same line, over and over again, from our advertising staff. They say the most common reason new clients give for declining to take an ad is because they believe, “…only locals read La Cuadra.” This has been happening with a regularity that makes us wonder if one of our competitors has been practicing hypnotism during sales calls and we’d like to address the issue directly.

First, we’ve gotta call bullshit. We publish 5000 copies of La Cuadra every other month and they are always gone within five weeks. So, either there are 5000 locals reading the mag, or there is a good part of the traveling population that picks up La Cuadra. With our strong opinions and our the occasional off-color use of language, we might lose a few old blue-hairs from the Bible Belt, but we more than make up for that in travelers who want something to read, in English, at the end of a six hour Spanish class or a long day of volunteer work. And they’re the customers you want – those that are in town for weeks or months.

But we’ve got a better pitch – let’s explode our crafty competitor’s argument. You are a local business owner. You live here and you READ La Cuadra. You choose to spend time with us. That means something.

We’ve heard, time and again, from our readers that they take the magazine home with them to share with friends. They ask for back issues (which are pretty tough to come by at this point.) They ask if they can get a subscription and have the magazine mailed to them at home. We oblige. Also, later this month, we’ll be online. Our website, lacuadramagazine.com, is within a few weeks of being fully operational – and that’s another advertising outlet for you.

We also know that people come to Antigua because of La Cuadra. They have heard, through friends, that something artistic and thoughtful is happening here. What that means for you is an engaged readership that is focused on the magazine before them. That means your ad is making a lasting impression. Give us a thought.

  1. Hi – I want to say thanks for an interesting post about a subject I have had an interest in for a while now. I have been lurking and reading the comments avidly so just wanted to express my thanks for providing me with some very good reading material. I look forward to more, and taking a more active part in the discussions here, whilst picking up some knowledge too!!

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About the Author

Michael Tallon, Editor-in-Chief, head writer and delivery boy, of La Cuadra Magazine, expatriated from the States 11 years ago. After spending a year in Antigua gasbagging about wanting to start an English Language magazine, he hit the road and wandered about South America, India and Nepal before finding himself sipping tea in Darjeeling and realizing that maybe it was time to head home and pick up the career path. That ill-fated adventure in New York lasted about 6 weeks before he headed back to Antigua, Guatemala, where John Rexer had actually started the magazine in his absence.

After a few months, Mike took over the magazine and has been going slowly broke since. On that note, Mike would like to invite advertisers, readers and potential patrons to send him free money.
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