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Prints Ads
Whether you're advertising in your local community newspaper or in
People Magazine, your print ads should look and feel professional. Use
strong copy and eye-catching graphics to focus the reader on what sets
your product or service apart from the competition - your Unique Selling
Proposition (USP).
Whether you're advertising in your local community newspaper or
in People Magazine, your print ads should look and feel
professional. Use strong copy and eye-catching graphics to focus
the reader on what sets your product or service apart from the
competition - your Unique Selling Proposition (USP).
Use these tips to help you get your message across effectively.
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The headline is the most important part of any print ad. It
must inspire action. It is what will convince the reader to
read more. Take your time and get it right. Guerrilla
Marketing guru Jay Levinson says that if you spend 10 hours
creating an ad, 9 of those hours should be used creating the
headline.
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Headlines should either convey an idea, or intrigue the
reader to learn more. If your headline is in the form of a
question...ARE YOU UNDERPAID?...make sure that the answer
will always be YES!!!
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When possible, use color. The response rate to color ads is
significantly higher than that for black & white.
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The length of your ad copy should be appropriate to your
product or message. Long ad copy looks informative, and may
be useful for technical products. Short copy leaves plenty
of room for graphics and is a quicker read; use it if you're
advertising an image.
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Keep your message concise. You can't expect a reader to
spend a lot of time with your ad. Keep it simple. Stress
benefits. Emphasize your USP. Don't beat around the bush or
be too cute. Get to the point. And be very careful with
humor. Not every reader will get your joke.
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Don't use complicated language or jargon. To prevent
yourself from slipping into the jargon habit, think of
this...if you're advertising in newspaper with a circulation
of 100,000, and just 5% of the readers don't understand a
word in your ad, you've alienated 5,000 potential customers.
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Your ad should talk to your potential customer, so don't
forget about them. Use "you" instead of "we" in your copy.
Think about what specific needs you fulfill for them. In
addition, many experts recommend that you think of your ad
as speaking to your potential customers "one at a time." In
other words, the ad should inspire the reader on a personal
level.
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Remember the call to action. What do you want the reader to
do once he/she finishes reading the ad. Don't let them
guess...spell it out - Write or call for more information;
Come in for a free check-up; Come in today, Sale ends
Saturday. Think of this as how you close the sale.
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Strong graphics make a strong statement. Keep them focused
on your message. Some ad experts recommend advertisers
follow the "rule of thirds" - one third of an ad should be a
graphic element, one third should be copy, and one third
should be white space (no copy, no graphic).
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Too much in your ad makes it look to busy. You will appear
unfocused. Readers will avoid your message. Very often, less
is more.
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Keep the look of your ads consistent. If you change the copy
on a regular basis, don't change the look. You can create an
effective image by providing continuity and consistency to
the reader.
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Whatever you do, don't let your ads look like your
competitors' ads. You need to create a distinct personality
for your company. If your ad looks like one from your
competitor, whose ad do you think the reader will think
he/she is reading?
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