Advertising Tips: What to Do and What to Avoid When Writing and Placing Ads

Whether in tough times or in good times, advertising is the engine that keeps your business moving forward. If your business is important to you, then you should never stop advertising. Even if you were hanging on by a thread and just trying to survive, you cannot afford to stop advertising. Because…

A business that stops advertising to save money, is like a person who stops their clock to save time.

There are many studies that attest to the effectiveness of print advertising. Recent research by Guy Consterdine Associates, a major media research firm, has found that magazine ads are three times more effective than television ads, provided that the ad is well designed and directed to a targeted audience.

When creating your print and online ads, there are basic principles and techniques which are time-tested and you should not abandon. Here is a list of useful advertising tips that will help make your ads more productive and profitable:

• Create a Good Headline
  The eye-catching appeal of your ad must start with the headline. You cannot underestimate the value of a good, attention-grabbing headline. Use the headline to very quickly create a picture in the minds of the reader--a vision of their problems being solved, and attainment of the satisfaction they seek. It does not have to be overly clever, brilliant or humorous. But it does need to be to the point and on target.
  
  For example, the title on this web page is ”Advertising Tips: What to Do and What to Avoid When Writing and Placing Ads.” Not exactly mind-blowing in terms of creativity. But you knew exactly what you were getting the moment you saw it. It was clear enough to get you reading this far into the text copy. If your ad headline fails to catch the attention of the reader, you run the risk of losing them before they read the remaining of the ad and understand what you’re offering.
  
  Any good headline should contain at least one of these qualities:
  - Self-interest...suggesting to the reader that here is something he/she wants.
  - Implied benefit ...i.e. something quick and easy that your reader could use/understand.
  - News/Curiosity ...introducing something the reader doesn't know about.
  
  Bottom line, think of your headline as an ad for your ad.
  
  
• Keep Your Ad Focused
  You want to stress the benefits of your product or service by focusing on key points that will engage, educate, and encourage your prospects to respond to your advertisement. But what you do not want to do is overwhelm your reader with TOO MUCH TEXT. Use minimal text that explains in clear and precise fashion what you offer.
  
  
• Use Good Judgement with Your Photos
  If you have a big display ad, such as a full-page or half-page ad, then you can use multiple photos. Once you get into the 1/4 page and 1/8 page ad size, you should limit your photos to one only. Anything under 1/8 should probably forgo the photo since it will lose its effectiveness. Concentrate rather on your company’s logo or clean graphics.
  
  
• Avoid Self-Centered Advertising
  Sure, we all like to toot our horn a little bit, but don’t confuse your ad copy with your resume. Stay away from copy that speaks exclusively about you. An ad that solely focuses on how great you or your company are, or how wonderful your product and services are, is missing the point.
  
  The only thing the reader cares about is himself. What's in it for Number One! They will respond to your ad only if they can make the connection between your “wonderful product” and what it will DO FOR THEM. Your challenge is to build that bridge in their mind for them through your ad. And since you have a limited amount of words and space to accomplish this, don’t waist this precious space all on yourself!
  
  
• Involve the Reader in Your Ad
  It is important to involve the reader as often as possible through the use of the word "you." Write your copy just as if you were speaking to and attempting to sell just ONE person. Don't let your ad sound as a speaker at a podium addressing a huge stadium filled with people, but as if there were just one individual "listening."
  
  
• How to Take Advantage of Classified Ads
  Don’t underestimate the pulling power of a good classified ad. There are people who make a nice living just through classifieds. What’s important to remember, is that the only purpose of a classified ad should be to get a reader to take immediate action by either calling, writing, or visiting your website for more information.
  
  The first 3 or 4 words of a classified ad are key—just as a headline is key to a display ad. Since there are usually many other classified ads in any given publication, you must be able to get the reader who scans all or some of them, to stop in his tracks when he sees your ad, and then feel motivated enough to take action.
  
  If you take a look at some classifieds in many publications, you’ll find ads that seem to have absolutely no purpose. Useless from an advertising point of view.
  
  For instance: Still Looking For A New Beginning? Call 555-XXXX.
  
  What do they mean by that? How does any of that pertain to me? Why would I pick up the phone for that when I don’t even know what I’m calling for? Or how about this online ad:
  
  The Easiest Business On Earth. Get the full story at www.xxxxxxx.com
  
  Can't you just see them lining up to click on this one? I don't think so, since there are hundreds of other ads in competition for the readers' time.
  
  Don’t get trapped in the useless ad syndrome. Remember, just as we said earlier about headlines, keep it to the point and on target.
  
  
• Don’t Run One Ad – Run an Ad Campaign
  Have you ever walked down a department store aisle and spotted an item that in spite of catching your interest you didn't buy, only to go back a week or a month later and make the purchase? You were just not ready – for whatever reason – to buy it on first impulse.
  
  In a way, placing ads in print magazines and online advertising works in a similar fashion. If you’re promoting a single event, such as a festival, a conference, a concert, a sale, etc., then you might get the results you need with a single ad. But if you’re trying to generate business, build a strong brand connection and raise your profile, you need more than just one ad. Granted, advertising in specialty niche publications gives your ad the advantage of a longer life-shelf and greater exposure with pass-along readership. Still, when it comes to advertising, frequency is king.
  
  Practically every publication listed in everyone of Adguide’s market guides offers frequency discounts. Which is why regardless of the dollar size of your advertising budget, to be truly successful you should think of a way to stretch your advertising dollars as proficiently as possible. If you have X number of dollars which is enough to buy you one large ad in a single issue, see if for the same X number of dollars you could substitute the large ad with several smaller ads in multiple issues instead. Running an ad campaign will always give you a greater bang for your dollar then simply running one ad.
  
  
• Test Your Ad First
  Don’t pour a lot of money into a big time ad until you’ve tested the ad copy first. This is another HUGE advantage of specialty publications. Because of their low-cost advertisement opportunities, you could test an ad and see how people respond to it before spending any significant amount of money on more ads in the same or other publications.