Sorry, I don’t know what a “Clipping Service” is, was the response I got when I asked one of my internet marketing friends if he is using one. When I explained why its important, he further turned me down saying he is an internet marketer and internet marketer’s don’t need a service like that.

Its amazing how internet marketers are struggling to go offline yet are not willing to practice the age old methods for success. Before I go any further.. lets understand

What is a Clipping Service:

Wikipedia defines it as “media monitoring service”. A media monitoring service provides clients with documentation, analysis, or copies of media content of interest to the clients. Services tend to specialize by media type or content type. For example, some services monitor news and public affairs content while others monitor advertising, sports sponsorships, product placement, video or audio news releases, use of copyrighted video or audio, infomercials, “watermarked” video/audio, and even billboards.

Such services hold, or have held, various names – changing over time as new forms of media are created. Alternative names for such services include:

* Press/media cutting agency/service
* Press/media clipping agency/service

A clipping service provider’s job is to search thousands of magazines and newspapers for articles, ads, promotions and anything else that you specify. You as a subscriber to this service will pay a basic monthly fee and the provider would mail you the original ads, promotions, articles to you on a monthly basis. Some providers even charge an additional fee for every clip in addition to the monthly fee.

We are fimilar to the term “Swipe File” in the interent marketing realm. And a clipping service helps you build your swipe file almost instantly. With a service like this you can monitor what your competitors are doing in your market.

If you are a direct marketer or a market of any sort for that matter a “clipping service” is must to have.

Where can you find a reliable service provider? Just google the term “Clipping Service” you will find a bunch.

Inc magazine provided a lowdown on the clipping service providers in 1992. Here is the list

* BACON’S CLIPPING BUREAU, CHICAGO (800-621-0561)

Costs $160/month, plus 96¢/clip. Follows 50,000 publications internationally, in 33 countries; 3,500 U.S. newspapers (all dailies plus most weeklies); 6,000 trade and consumer magazines; wire services. Delivers twice a week; two-to three-week lag. Features analysis of advertising-dollar equivalent. Will target by state or region; circulation; or type of publication.
* * *

* Burrelle’s, Livingston, N.J. (800-631-1160; in New Jersey, 201-992-6600)

Costs $218/month, plus $1.17/clip. Follows 11,000 U.S. newspapers; 6,300 consumer and trade magazines; English publications in Canada; wire services; Japanese economic news. Delivers twice a week; two-to three-week lag. Features TV extracts. Will target by western or eastern United States; state; city; or circulation size of newspapers.
* * *

* Luce Press Clippings, New York City (800-628-0376; in New York State, 212-889-6711)

Costs $210/month, plus $1.12/clip. Follows 15,000 U.S. publications — every daily newspaper and nearly every weekly; consumer and trade magazines; wire services. Delivers twice a week; 10-to 14-day lag. Features Canadian coverage (extra $65/month); international coverage ($10/month/country); TV extracts from news.
* * *

* New England Newsclip Agency, Framingham, Mass. (508-879-4460)

Costs $98/month, plus 68¢/clip. Follows all 1,400 newspapers in New England; also key nationals like the New York Times. Delivers one to five times a week; 5-to 10-day lag. Features daily municipal bid announcements; transcriptions of local TV news.
* * *

* Superior Clipping Service, Billings, Mont. (406-248-5996)

Costs $48/month up to 60 clips, 40¢/clip thereafter. Follows all Montana and Wyoming papers. Delivers once a week; one-to two-week lag. Features daily municipal bid announcements; can clip outside region for 60¢ per clip.
* * *

* Magnolia Clipping Service, Jackson, Miss. (601-956-4221)

Costs $30/month/state, plus 40¢/clip. Follows every publication in Mississippi and Alabama, plus daily papers and business journals in Georgia and Tennessee — about 600 in all. Delivers twice a week; five-day lag. Features coverage of top 45 national publications; faxes daily (extra fee); will analyze your coverage versus competition’s.
* * *

* Allen’s Press Clippings, San Francisco (415-392-2353)

Costs $30/month to $56/month, depending on states. Includes 100 clips; thereafter, 30¢ to 38¢/clip. Follows 2,400 newspapers — all papers in 10 western states, plus key nationals. Delivers twice a week; one-to two-week lag. Features strong focus on labor press, via trade journals.

– Researched by Michael P. Cronin