Q: Over the past 10
months, I've spent $300 per month on advertising in a local
community newspaper to promote my financial planning practice. But
I have yet to receive one phone call from my ad. Should I drop
advertising altogether? Or should I change where I run my ad or
alter its message?
A: You need to
consider both of these questions. But before dropping advertising
or changing where you run your ad, try reworking your ad first to
see if that improves your results. If you're still not getting
any phone calls, then look to adjust your strategy. To help you
maximize your efforts, here are some basic success strategies for
newspaper advertising.
Writing the Copy
When it comes to print advertising, you have to get to the
point-fast. You're vying for the attention of consumers who are
bombarded each day with advertisements from countless
companies-some being your competitors. Don't waste any time
getting your message across.
Your headlines should motivate readers to want to read on to
learn more about your product, price and offer. Get ideas about
what headlines to use by scanning different types of ad copy,
particularly those from the competition. Effective headlines
address a pressing customer need or desire. You should stay away
from using your company name as a headline, a common mistake made
by many business owners. The reality is that people care more about
themselves-and what you can do for them-than your business.
You'll get a much higher response rate when your headline
quickly answers the question, "What's in it for me?"
So, craft a headline that gives your audience a compelling
answer.
In the body of your copy, offer an incentive for the reader to
call you or come to your store. You may want to offer a discount, a
20 percent off coupon or a free giveaway like "Register to Win
a Free Palm Pilot," for instance. Also, try not to overload
the reader with a bunch of facts about your business. Your
objective is to put in just enough copy to get readers'
attention and inspire them to respond.
Placing the Ad
Newspaper ads are very effective for businesses that market their
products and services locally. Not only can you reach a large
number of people in a specific metropolitan location, but you can
also target prospects via their interests (in the sports, lifestyle
and business sections, for example).
Take a trip to the local library and study back issues of the
newspaper in which you'd like to advertise. What would be the
best day for you to run an ad? If you were running a catering
business, for example, you would want to choose Wednesday or
Thursday because those are the days most newspapers print their
food sections. What section of the paper would be best geared to
your target market? If your offer is directed toward men, the
sports section may be a good one to consider.
Advertising costs depend on a number of factors, including the
size of the ad, where it's placed, the day it runs and so on.
Call and request a media kit from the newspaper so you can
determine what advertising steps you can take that will fit with
your marketing budget.
Sean Lyden is the CEO of Prestige Positioning (a service of
The Professional Writing Firm Inc.), an Atlanta-based firm that
"positions" clients as leading experts in their
field-through ghost-written articles and books for publication.
Clients include Morgan Stanley, IFG Securities, SunTrust Service
Corp. and several professional advisory and management consulting
firms nationwide.
The opinions expressed in this column are
those of the author, not of Entrepreneur.com. All answers are
intended to be general in nature, without regard to specific
geographical areas or circumstances, and should only be relied upon
after consulting an appropriate expert, such as an attorney or
accountant.