Create A Winning Print Ad
The following 10 pointers assume you've already addressed asimple, but very important, prerequisite: identifying the rightpublication with the right audience for your ad. Although thatseems like a no-brainer, you'd be surprised how failing to meetthat requirement has derailed many an otherwise great piece ofadvertising.
1. Create a headline "to die for." This is themost important part of an ad, bar none. It must be compellingenough to grab the reader's attention as he or she"surfs" through the publication. How can you stop peoplein their tracks? Appeal to the reader's self-interest,promising to improve his or her life in some important way.
2. Avoid headline clichés; use unexpected wordsinstead. It helps to use a word or words not usually seen inadvertisements. For example, instead of calling your sale a"Spring Sale," why not call it a "Spring PriceThaw"? I call such approaches "speed bumps" that getthe reader's attention. Another example: (before) "Loseweight without dieting"; (after) "Lose weight onstrawberry shortcake."
3. Support the headline with a strong subhead. This istypically a sentence in boldface type that follows the headline andadds a little more information. It's an important elementbecause even if people don't read the fine print, they'reusually willing to scan headlines and subheads to get the gist ofyour message. So use these two elements to communicate the essenceof your sales pitch while "teasing" the audience enoughto read further. For example, the dieting headline above might havea subhead like this: "Discover how easy it can be to lose 10pounds in 10 days and still eat the foods you love."
4. Use an arresting visual. Support the headline andsubhead with a complementary--and, ideally, arresting--photo orillustration. Again, aim for the unexpected. For example, a drycleaner could trumpet, "We specialize in spot removal" inan ad using a cartoon of a spotless leopard trying to cover up asif naked. If your ad is small, an interesting border treatment canmake it stand out visually.
5. Use direct-response elements. Unless you simply wantto build name recognition and not get an immediate response to yourad (perish the thought!), you need to add elements that motivate aresponse. A prize drawing can increase retail traffic and also giveyou a database of names to mail to. A free bonus of some kind--forexample, a bottle of special spot cleaner as a gift to offer yourrug-cleaning clients--can differentiate you from the competitionand get people to try your product or service. A free publicationon "after-care" of any home or business service can be anincentive, too. Free information can generate leads if it has ahigh perceived value.
6. Sell with testimonials. What you say about yourproduct can never carry as much weight as what satisfied customerssay about it. So always try your darnedest to include at least oneor two testimonial quotes--including the person's name--in yourad. (Ask permission first, of course.)
7-10. Use YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU through and through. Youcan't say "you" too often. Addressing the reader as"you" throughout your ad elicits far more attention thantalking about what "we"--meaning your company--can do.Let's face it: By constantly referring to "you,"you'll be talking about the reader's favorite subject.--Jerry Fisher
