The print ad is not dead. Although some people will tell you otherwise. If they do, they’re wrong. In 2003 advertisers spent nearly $60 billion to place ads in magazines and newspapers – more than five times
amount spent on Internet advertising in same year. And if that’s not confirmation that print ad is alive and still selling, I don’t know what is.So how come many business owners shy away from print advertising? Part of problem is that they mistakenly believe people don’t read much anymore, and that a print ad will be a waste of their time, and their money. They’d be wrong, again.
If you don’t believe me, consider following:
63 million newspapers are distributed in U.S. every day. In fact more newspapers are published today than at anytime since World War II.
In first half (January to June) of 2004 top 10 magazines in U.S. reached a total circulation of more than $72 million.
And a recent survey by Magazine Publishers of America shows that proportion of Americans with a favorable opinion of magazine industry is much higher than for any other media industry, including Internet.
With facts like that you’d be a fool not to rush out and spend some of your advertising budget on a targeted, print ad today. So what are you waiting for? Get started now. These step-by-step guidelines will help you produce powerful a print ad that sells.
1. Have a Plan
I know I’ve said it a thousand times before but without a plan you risk spending thousands of dollars on a useless, ineffective and costly campaign that fails to bring you any new business. I get a creative plan for every job I take on. That way, I make sure I write an ad that’s targeted to right people, written in right tone of voice and published in right media.
Here are main points a creative plan should cover:
Objectives: What is ad trying to do? Sell more products, generate awareness or launch a new product or service? First, determine ad’s objectives. Then quantify them. For example, I want to attract potential buyers who don’t have an immediate need for my product, or I want to achieve 50% more awareness among my target group.
Target Audience: Who buys product? For years advertising agencies have based their client’s advertising campaigns on demographics because certain approaches appeal to different groups of people. I won’t start trying to explain ins and outs of demographic profiling but before you start your campaign you should consider whether your target prospect is a man or a woman, young, middle aged or old, rich, poor or average. Because determining this will drive every aspect of your ad.
Proposition: What is main benefit you want to convey? If you’re selling insurance main benefit could be peace of mind and security. If you’re selling a car main benefit could be sporty yet economical. It’s important to find right benefit for your target market. Value for money may be a great benefit for someone on a tight budget but if your target market is more concerned with quality it will have a negative effect.
Supporting Evidence: Can you justify your proposition? Do you have facts, figures and research to back up your claim? You have to give people a reason to believe in your product. You can’t just say ‘Our socks will keep your feet warmer’, you have to prove it. Perhaps your socks are hand- knitted with wool shorn from sheep that roam free on Scottish highlands. If so, use facts and figures, market research, testimonials or endorsements from people who are experts in their field to prove your claim.
