Free Advertiser Program

Make your publication
essentially free.

The Discover Publications Advertiser Offset Program.

Local business partners pay to advertise in your publication. We handle the design, billing, and sales outreach — and you keep 100% of the revenue. Most agents offset 50–100% of their printing cost.

✓ Free ad design
✓ Free advertiser billing
✓ Free sales assistance
✓ You keep 100% of revenue
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Sample cost breakdown · 2,000 homes
Publication cost
$2,500 / issue
Lender ad
− $400
Title company ad
− $350
Home inspector ad
− $300
Your net cost $1,450
58¢ per home · 42% offset with 3 advertisers
100%
Ad revenue goes to you
Free
Ad design per advertiser
2–3
Advertisers to cover most costs
15–30%
Typical cost reduction or more
Completely hands-off

Three steps — then we take over

You make the introductions. We handle design, billing, and collection. You get a credit on your invoice.

💰
01

Set your ad rates

We suggest rates based on your circulation and average area home value — but you choose what to charge. We'll help you comply with RESPA rules if your advertisers are in covered industries.

→
👥
02

Send us your prospects

Share a list of your best industry partners — your go-to lender, title agent, insurance rep, painter, landscaper. We present the opportunity, options, and rates on your behalf.

→
🎯
03

Sit back — we do the rest

Once an advertiser signs on, we design their ad for free and bill them directly. Ad revenue is credited to your invoice. The entire program is free — you keep every dollar.

All included at no charge

Everything in the program is free

Free
🎨

Ad Design

Once an advertiser commits, our design team creates a professional, engaging ad for them at no charge. High quality that reflects well on your publication.

Free
📋

Advertiser Billing

We invoice your advertisers directly and track payments. Revenue is credited to your publication invoice automatically — no chasing payments, no accounting headaches.

Free
📞

Sales Assistance

We present the advertising opportunity to your warm contacts — people who already know you. We handle the pitch, the options, and the follow-up so you don't have to.

See your real cost

Calculate your net cost per issue

Add what your local advertisers might pay and see exactly what you'll actually spend.

Your Publication

Set your farm size and add advertiser revenue to see your real net investment per issue.

Your Cost Breakdown
Homes in farm2,000
Price per home$1.25
Gross cost per issue$2,500
Advertiser revenue−$750
Cost offset30%
Net cost per issue $1,750
That's 88¢ per home per issue
Who to approach first

Your best advertising prospects

Start with partners you already know. Warm relationships convert far better than cold outreach.

🏦

Mortgage Lender

Your go-to lender benefits from homeowner exposure in your farm. Often the highest-paying advertiser.

RESPA-covered — we help you comply
📄

Title Company

Title agents value neighborhood-level brand building and are accustomed to advertising with agents.

RESPA-covered — we help you comply
🔍

Home Inspector

Inspectors benefit from visibility among homeowners thinking about buying or selling.

RESPA-covered — we help you comply
🏠

Insurance Agent

Home, auto, and life insurance reps are proven high-value advertisers in neighborhood publications.

🌿

Landscaper or Painter

Home service businesses love hyperlocal reach. Homeowners in your farm are their exact target audience.

🔧

Home Service Pros

Plumbers, HVAC techs, electricians, cleaners — any business serving homeowners in your neighborhood.

Selling smarter

Tips to maximize advertiser revenue

01

Make a compelling value proposition

Share your circulation, average home value, and planned distribution (listing packets, open houses, digital editions). The more specific your pitch, the higher your conversion rate.

02

Incentivize long-term advertising

Reward repeat advertisers with a discounted rate after a set number of editions, or a free full-length feature article. Your publication includes an inside custom article that can be used for advertiser spotlights at no extra charge.

03

Sell in person when you can

Our ad sales assistance is convenient, but nothing beats a face-to-face conversation with someone who already knows and trusts you. Save our outreach for follow-up and warm prospects at scale.

04

Wait until you have a physical sample

Agents close significantly more advertisers when they can hand over an actual copy of their publication. Print your first edition, then approach prospects. The quality speaks for itself.

Program parameters

Ad billing limits per edition

Our billing service covers up to this many advertisers per edition. You can always include more in your layout and bill them separately.

Signature Edition
5
Advertisers billed by us
Ad Billing Service minimum: $200 per advertiser per issue
Billing Minimum
$200
Per advertiser per issue
You may sell ads at any price, but our billing service applies to $200+ advertisers only

Ad Sales Assistance is limited to prospects who already know you — we cannot contact cold leads. However, you may sell ads directly to anyone you wish on your own. You keep 100% of all ad revenue regardless of how it's sold.

⚖️ RESPA Compliant

We help you stay fully compliant

If you work with mortgage lenders, title companies, or other settlement service providers, RESPA regulations apply. We know the rules and help you set up a program that's fully compliant from the start.

  • Ad rates must reflect fair market value for the advertising space
  • Payment cannot be tied to referrals or business volume
  • We help you document rate-setting methodology
  • Non-RESPA advertisers (landscapers, painters, etc.) have no restrictions
RESPA at a glance
✓
Lenders can advertiseAs long as the ad rate reflects genuine market value for the space, not a kickback for referrals.
✓
Title companies can advertiseSame fair-market-value standard applies. We help you establish defensible pricing.
✓
No quid pro quoAd revenue cannot be contingent on the volume of business you send. It must be purely for the advertising.
✓
We guide the setupWe've been doing this for 30+ years and help every client navigate RESPA correctly from day one.
FAQ

Questions about
the Ad Program

Everything you need to know before you start recruiting advertisers.

How does the advertiser program actually work?
▼
You set your ad rates, send us a list of warm business contacts, and we present the advertising opportunity. Once someone signs on, we design their ad for free and bill them directly. Revenue is credited to your invoice automatically. You keep 100% of all ad revenue and the entire program is free to use.
How much can advertisers offset my cost?
▼
Most agents offset 50–100% of their printing cost. With just 2–3 advertisers paying $300–$400 each per issue, agents mailing 2,000–3,000 homes can often cover their entire cost, making the publication essentially free to run.
Is this program really free?
▼
Yes — completely. Ad design, billing service, and sales assistance are all included at no charge. You keep every dollar your advertisers pay. We have no stake in your ad revenue.
Is the program RESPA-compliant?
▼
Yes. If you work with RESPA-covered industries — mortgage lenders, title companies, settlement service providers — we help you set ad rates that reflect fair market value for the advertising space, which is the key RESPA requirement. We've been doing this for 30+ years and guide every client through compliance correctly.
Can I sell ads to anyone?
▼
You can sell ads directly to anyone you wish. Our Ad Sales Assistance is limited to warm contacts — people who already know you — because cold outreach on your behalf doesn't convert well. However, there's no restriction on who you approach directly.
What's the minimum advertiser payment for billing?
▼
Our Ad Billing Service applies to advertisers paying $200 or more per issue. You can include advertisers paying less, but you'd bill them separately. The billing limit is up to 5 billed advertisers per Signature edition issue.
Start offsetting your cost

Your first advertiser
could pay for everything.

Get started and your account rep will walk you through the advertiser program during your setup call — including which prospects to approach first.

Check My ZIP → Schedule a call first