Need to design
it yourself?

Here are some tips for
the "do-it-yourselfer."

Make your ads easily recognizable...
It takes time to build recognition in the minds of your "potential" customer. Make your ads match the personality of your business, using distinctive art or type. Make sure it stands out from what your competitor's ads look like, then stay consistent!

Oh, and don't forget your logo!

Use a simple layout...
When you read a newspaper, or watch TV, which ads do you notice most? OK, we all notice the ones that are colorful, like the Little Caesars' ads and the Energizer Bunny spots. Maybe the better question is, "Which ads don't you notice?"
Look at the new & used car ads in the newspaper. Sometimes they can be pretty hard to follow can't they!

Use a dominant element...
A picture is worth a thousand words.

Promote yourself with a BIG headline...
What's the main benefit that your product or service offers? "LASTS LONGER!" "CLEANS BRIGHTER!"
Also, "how to" headlines encourage readership. Give helpful suggestions and solve problems. For example, you may not have known you had a cronic bad breath problem, if Listerine hadn't told you.

Let your W H I T E S P A C E work for you...
If you cram everything in, just because you have so much to say and such a great product to offer that you end up trying to fit what amounts to an entire Tom Clancy novel going from edge to edge and from top to bottom and it's like, uh, nobody has time to read it and your ad could be compared to the cronic bore that you always do your best to avoid at parties because he (or she, lets not be sexist) never stops taking about the most mundane things, droning on and on and on insessently and never really saying anything and you wonder if they are ever going to take a breath. Like just the other day when the sun came out through a little peap hole in a cute, fluffy cloud, and like, a glare hit the windshield of a passing car, but like they kept driving anyway right, but I could just see something happening, when my keys fell...

Bigger is Better.
A big ad that runs once a week or even once a month is better than a little ad that runs every day, but never gets noticed!

Know all there is to know about the merchandise you sell and select the benefits most appealing to your customers. These benefits might have to do with fashion, design, performance or the construction of your merchandise. Sizes and colors available are important, pertinent information. Your copy should be enthusiastic, sincere. A block of copy written in complete sentences is easier to read than one composed of phrases and random words. In designing the layout of a copy block, use a boldface leadin. Small pictures in sequence will often help readership.

State the price or price range...
Dollar figures have good attention value, so don't be afraid to quote your price - even if it's high. READERS OFTEN WILL OVERESTIMATE OMITTED PRICES! If the price is high - explain why the item is a good value, and point out the actual savings.

Specify branded merchandise and include related items.

URGE YOUR READERS
TO BUY NOW!

Preparation...
The most important single factor determining how many people will read your newspaper ad is the skill and technique used in preparing the ad.

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