Ads can be an incredibly effective part of your marketing strategy, but we know so many businesses get their ads wrong – and so they don’t work, or don’t generate the response that was hoped for... and the business owner decides, wrongly, that ‘advertising doesn’t work’.
Well, as with so many things in life – it ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it!
So we’ve put together a quick ‘Beginners Guide’ that combines the most important elements to creating a good ad.
Use this as a checklist when you’re pulling your next ad together:
RULE 1
Must always have a HEADLINE
Don’t put your business name at the top of your ad. No-one cares. Craft a headline that sells the benefits of what you do.
RULE 2
Must always have an OFFER
An offer gives people a reason to respond. Your ad performance will soar once you establish this habit. Of course, the better the offer, the better the response so you’ll need to try different offers for different target groups to find what works best. But don’t run an ad without an offer. Please!
RULE 3
Must always have a DEADLINE
Every offer must have a deadline. It creates urgency and reinforces the need for your reader to take action.
RULE 4
Must CUT THROUGH THE CLUTTER and get noticed.
There’s no prizes for being the same as everyone else.
The more outrageous your ads, the higher your response.
RULE 5
Make good use of photos.
Effective use of photos almost always increases response – so use ‘em!
RULE 6
Must have a STRONG & CLEAR CALL TO ACTION
Make it crystal clear what you want people to do once they’ve read your ad. Incentivise them to visit your website, tell them who to ask for when they call, and let them know when they can phone.
So have a look at your most recent ads and just check that they adhere to these fundamental rules. And if you need some help with your next ad campaign, give us a call on 01323 406060
