EnthralledROI: How best to improve your press adverts.

EnthralledROI: How best to improve your press adverts.: "It would seem that we’ve lost our way somewhat on the art of the advert and what makes an advert work. So I thought it only wise to reconfi..."

How best to improve your press adverts.

It would seem that we’ve lost our way somewhat on the art of the advert and what makes an advert work. So I thought it only wise to reconfirm just five simple yet effective principles of press adverting and how they can make a big difference in your marketing mix. 

Headlines: 

A powerful headline that will attract the reader's eye to your ad, it create an interruption in their thought process and screams read me. By using  relatively short phrases with action words related to your promotion. Word such as Imagine, Act, Read will grab the readers attention and make them carry out that desired action.  If the advert is part of an ongoing promotion or one of several used in various media outlets, keep your headlines consistent. Something I’ve been calling ‘all media engineering’ for over ten years.  Make sure the headline is presented in a very readable font.

Message: 

Be concise with the presentation of your promotion, sale or marketing message, make sure the message you are trying to communicate is short and straightforward. One of the most powerful tactics is the use of  bullet points rather than sentences. Highlight or bold recognisable brand names and promotion offerings. Include a call to action such as "call now," "visit our Web site," or "bring in this coupon."

Using Space effectively: 

Use black and white space effectively. Because newspapers are mostly words and crowded advertising space, large areas of white or black tend to attract the reader's eye. One of the most common mistakes is trying to use all the space in an advert. Remember, space actually sells, it create a sense of intrigue and confidence.  

Typography: 

Choose typefaces and graphics that will reinforce your brand and don’t work against it!  Limit your fonts to three at most to give your advert a clean and concise look and. Make sure they are very readable and reflect the tone of your advert. If you are selling a professional service the last thing you want is a bold and loud type face, where a more classic and sophisticated type face would have been more in line with the tonality of the advert. Consistency is key, using elements of your logo, illustrations or photography throughout the series of adverts or making sure that the other marketing collateral being used reflect the same. That way you are build up brand imagery and recognition in the readers memory.

Placement of vital information:

Give your logo and contact info the best placement. How many times do you struggle to read the contact details or the call to action. Remember to add the vital stuff; phone number, web address etc.  For newspaper advert, that means the bottom right corner. Because people read from left to right and top to bottom, placing your logo in the lower right will ensure that it is the last thing the reader sees as he scans your ad. 

This is written by Marcus Thrall of Enthralled Consultancy. We are a specialist b2b relationship marketing consultancy that helps businesses communicate more effectively with their customers and prospects alike through better communication strategies and tactics. For more insight on our services visit www.enthralled.biz 

If you're interested in find out how we can help you improve your press advertising click here www.enthrallwww.enthralled.biz/contacted.biz