10 Ways to Create Winning Ads

There are so many avenues of advertising to choose from nowadays, print, web, texting, TV, radio – the list is long and varied. The trick is to choose the right medium, have the right message and to make sure that your ROI – return on investment – is appropriate. Most business do not have the amount of money it takes to do image building advertising, which is advertising just for the sake of getting your company’s name out there. So make sure that you have an excellent call to action within a specific time frame to generate results from your advertising efforts. Most ad people will tell you that it must run multiple times before an ad will work. This is generally not true. Often if an ad doesn’t work it is for various reasons – either the medium isn’t reaching your market or your call to action and/or the ad itself didn’t resonate with your target market.

Effective ads:

* Ads must first capture your market’s attention with an effective headline, then make a call to action offer: What free upgrade or special offer can you make that will inspire them to pick up the phone at that moment?
* Always have an expiration date; usually 30 days is a good choice.
* Test your ads in advance. Show the ad to a trusted person to see if the message you are attempting to get across is clear.
* Do you have the contact information in your ad? Does it stand out or does the client have to search for it? Make it easy for the client to contact you. You would be surprised at the ads I have seen that don’t have a phone number or web site!
* It’s a good idea to stay away from generic phrasing such as “in business since 1948… we provide excellent customer service.… Make it more interesting to the client.
* State the benefits to your intended market – what specifically will they receive from you? For example, I have two areas I stick with, very affordable spa days and our niche is that we specialize in matching the client up with the right therapist for their needs.
* Make sure all of your advertising reflects your brand; consistency is paramount here. Use white space effectively – a cluttered ad will dilute your message.
* Make sure the design of the ad matches the ad’s message and that it doesn’t over power the message. Stay away from visual clutter.
* Proofread, give it to someone else to proofread, proofread again, and proofread. Typos can change the message and not saying what you intend will not generate the results you want!
* Pay attention to what ads capture your attention. Notice why. Do some research on effective ad copy. Some TV and radio stations have staff that can also assist you in creating ads.

The three most important elements of an ad:

* Make sure all ads reflect your brand.
* Your ad must have an attention capturing headline and an effective call to action with an expiration date.
* Proofread!

The value over the “lifetime” of a client is very important – but there is no reason not to expect high returns from your advertising efforts.