Yesterday we talked about postcard campaigns and why, despite the popularity of the internet, they’re still effective. The same applies to a regular print advertising campaign as well – such as those you might place in a newspaper or magazine. There’s simply no reason to limit yourself when it comes to advertising.

Today I want to share a few print advertising “Do’s and Don’ts” in the hopes you’ll be able to enhance your own print ads to see greater success.

DO NOT focus on the size of your advertisement. In print, bigger is not always better and will only cost you extra money. It’s better to spend you marketing money on reprinting the ad several times than by making it larger.

DO write your own advertisement copy. You might agree to let your advertising company revise or edit the copy, but you’ll be happiest if the first draft is your own. You are the only person who can paint a picture of the type of message you want to convey.

DO NOT forget the headline. We’ve mentioned this before, but it is certainly worth repeating. Your headline is what will draw your readers in and it’s the first thing most readers look at. If you don’t have a good headline, don’t expect a great response. Period.

DO make your point in as few words as possible. We’re talking about an advertisement here – not your average cales letter. Make lists with bullet points (readers love those) and delete any words that aren’t absolutely necessary.

DO NOT overuse cliches. One or two commonly used cliches may help you to make your point but any more than that and you’ll just be viewed as excessive. Make sure the cliches you use are truthful and won’t accidentally misrepresent your products or services.

Follow these guidelines as you prepare your physical copy and you’ll be amazed at how professional the final result appears. Let me know how your design process goes!

Sean

Sales Expert - Marketing Consultant – Motivational Speaker