A well-planned and properly executed marketing program should include a sufficient commitment of capital resources to an ongoing, well executed advertising program. Yes, this includes your business.

Businesses spend too many dollars, however, on ads that simply will not result in increased sales and profits. These ads are poorly conceived, poorly written, poorly designed, poorly targeted, and poorly placed.

Sounds like a poor way to do business, doesn’t it?

I often ask clients (as tactfully as possible), why they have run a particular ad. I get a lot of blank stares. A few tense moments will pass while client tries to think of a clever answer. "To get company name out in front of public so I can get more business." they reply, with some relief.

This poor soul has just described a lack of a well defined goal, which leads almost inevitably to what I call an institutional ad. An institutional ad can best be described as one which identifies advertiser and lists address, telephone number, hours of operation, and (maybe) company logo. That’s it. What a terrible waste of money!

Unless your company grosses a billion dollars a year, you can’t afford to do institutional ads. If your company does gross over a billion dollars a year...you’re probably too smart to run institutional ads.

Every ad you run must result in increased sales and profits and an enhanced image for your company. Every ad should make customer a solid offer and give customer sound reasons to buy from you now. Remember, customer is sitting back and asking, "What can you do for me?" If you’re careful to answer that question with a powerful offer and reasons to buy now, you’re on your way to advertising success...which results in increased sales and profits.

How can you improve your chances of increasing sales?

Let’s look at some profit-producing ideas...

SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP Very few businesses are prepared or qualified to produce quality advertising. If you spend more than $2,000 per month in advertising, you should seriously consider hiring a qualified advertising professional. There are any number of skilled freelancers who can develop strategy, and create your marketing materials with a keen eye to using proven methods and techniques.

Good advertising talent always pays it’s own way through increased sales and profits, improved cost-effectiveness, reduced selling costs, and shortened selling cycles.

If your resources are limited, don’t feel lost. There’s no reason why you can’t learn to write an effective ad. That’s what rest of this article is all about...how you can create advertising that sells.

FOLLOW A PROVEN FORMULA

One of oldest and most useful formulas for ad design takes its name from opera Aida by Giuseppe Verde. In this case letters A-I-D-A stand for ATTENTION, INTEREST, DESIRE, AND ACTION.

In it’s simplest form this formula serves as a structural blueprint. It guides us to: (1) Get prospect’s Attention, (2) Foster his or her Interest in your offer, (3) build Desire for your product or service and (4) Generate some type of Action on part of buyer.

As we expand on each of these elements individually, you’ll discover for yourself how to apply formula to your specific situation.

ATTENTION (The Headline)

Hit your prospect right between eyes with a magic wand. How? With a powerful benefit headline. The headline is most important single element of your ad. You have two to three seconds to stop reader as he or she passes by. You must stop reader, and interest them in your benefit, if you expect them to read further.

A powerful headline will (1) stop reader (2) isolate and qualify your best prospects, and (3) pull your reader into sub-heads and body copy.

Year after year people make same mistakes in direct-response copy and advertising. You can avoid most common and costly blunders by following these proven tips...

6. LEARN TO GIVE.