Four students in the NAF advertising class at St. Croix Career and Technical Education Center recently learned about advertising after spending a day with St. Croix This Week’s managing editor, Susan Wall.
St. Croix This Week is one of three bi-monthly island magazines that contain local articles, photos, information on tours and events, dining and accommodations, real estate, attractions, water sports and recreation and a lot of advertising.
The students told the Source what they found most useful about advertising. Eleventh grader Talyzandra Garcia said the cover and second page are the most important since businesses compete for those spots and are the first pages people see.
Another student said she learned how ad size affects the overall look of a page. Someone else noted that a salesperson should know the community well to better understand what buyers might want. They added that the map and phone numbers made St. Croix This Week especially useful for readers.
The students discussed the differences between a newspaper and a magazine. While a newspaper changes daily, a magazine can reserve the same ad space for an advertiser in every issue.
The students said Wall emphasized the importance of always crediting photographers and photo owners. They also noted that the cover image of a woman standing on a beach conveyed a message about the island and what readers might find inside the magazine.
Regarding the magazine’s content, Wall told them to write about what they know. Senior Yanisa Wilfred said it is important to include nature and the culture of the island while providing content that relates them to the reader.
“Don’t only target people from the outside but get inside the community,” Wilfred said.
The class agreed that feedback on the publication is important. One student suggested asking organizations they work with for recommendations, while another said readers should have a way to share their comments.
The students talked about how Wall’s class will help them in the future.
“Advertising would definitely help you network yourself,” Delilah Cruz, a senior, said. They agreed advertising can help find an internship or a job.
Jemmisha Javois said communicating with Wall was easy. She learned that when starting out, few people want to support a new publication. She added that having confidence in the product, rather than begging, is the key to selling ads.
By the end of the year, the students are tasked with creating their own magazine. Although they think about it often, they admitted they haven’t started the project yet. So far, they’ve agreed to feature topics they know well, such as the school’s clubs, and to connect the content with events happening in the community.
