Elizabeth R. Whelan Illustrator Artist Editorial Illustration & Graphic Design

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HELP YOUR DESIGNER BUILD AN EFFECTIVE AD

Graphic designers know there are many ways to make an eye-catching ad, but there's more to designing an effective ad than giving a designer your logo and letting them go. An effective ad not only catches people's attention, it also provides a consistency of message that extends your brand and works towards your business goals. You, the business owner, are far more aware of these goals than is your designer. These tips will be useful as you work together to create a successful advertising campaign.

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THE BIG PICTURE

Even when you are placing an ad for a one-time event such as a sale it's good to let the designer know how you would like your business to be positioned overall. This means that although you are promoting 'x' this weekend, you want to make sure that the ad reflects the nature of your business in general be it contemporary, traditional, green, etc. Designers can pick certain fonts, imagery and layout styles that reflect your overall business as well as promoting your specific immediate need.

If you have previous ads or materials that you feel did a good job of capturing this feeling, share them with your designer. Often a certain amount of repetition in the look of the ads will help your audience identify the ad with your business, so that even if they don't read the specifics they have registered your presence. This is all part of branding, and is often overlooked as a useful part of advertising.

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THE FOCUS OF THE AD

It is hard to resist filling up your alloted ad space with lots and lots of information that seems pertinent, however it will be far more effective to pick one aspect of your business upon which to focus your ad. Better to run three ads that each highlight a different aspect of your business, appealing perhaps to different audiences, than to cram everything into one ad that might not get read by anyone.

First decide whether your ad is to feature a product or a service. If a product, you will want to feature this product as attractively as possible. Nothing beats excellent photography in these cases, although for a product which either cannot be photographed well or is not yet in production an illustration can be an effective solution. When advertising various products, pick one or a small number of the most popular items around which to focus the ad.

If you are advertising a service the end result is the best advertisment but can be hard to convey in an ad. Often what is needed is a sense of the service rather than one specific image. In this case the materials used in your business, or graphics that will appeal to the appropriate demographic are more useful. An accountant would want an ad that looks clean and business-like, an aromatherapy ad would be much softer in apppearance.

Let your designer know what sort of emotional reaction you would like the viewer to feel upon seeing the ad, and what the focus of the ad should be.

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WHEN TO USE A CALL TO ACTION

The concept of a 'call to action' will make your ad very effective. Instead of saying "We are having a sale" a call to action says "Come in and select from the latest colors!" It calls for the viewer to take action in some way, which is far more compelling than a statement of fact. A call to action is particularly useful when there's a deadline involved.

It is also a good way for you to highlight your Unique Selling Proposition. If you and three of your competitors are running ads in the same publication, your call to action should convey in no uncertain terms those parts of your business that make you unique in your market. An example of this might be a B&B owner whose location has excellent bird-watching, and wants to attract enthusiasts. He might say "Spend your weekend in the area's best location for bird-watching" Another B&B owner might say "Take a short walk to the beach from our lovely Victorian Inn," and so on. A lot can be conveyed about your business in a few words.

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BENEFITS AND FEATURES

Talking about features as benefits is an excellent way to get across the usefulness and necessity of your product or service. This is done by saying 'the built-in shelving increases your storage space by 50%" rather than just saying "the product has built-in shelving". Your customers may not know how great your product is or how to use it until you spell it out for them.

There are also times when a outright call to action is too heavy-hitting for regular use. If you wish to promote a sense of atmosphere rather than a sense of urgency, it is better to convey your features as benefits and let your audience make their decision based on this more subtle approach. This tends to be effective when you are promoting something such as a luxury real estate situation, a golf course, and other high-end or non-seasonal services.

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THE 1/3 RULE

Take a quick survey of which ads catch your attention in any media -- typically they will be the ones that observe the 1/3 Rule of having either the headline, the image, or the space take up at least 1/3 of the ad. Having one dominant feature helps the viewer's eyes alight on your ad and draws them in to read and see more. It can seem like a waste of space to follow this rule, but the initial goal is to attract attention, and it works!

This is a good time to promote the use of professional photography, illustration and copy-writing. To really make an impact, a professional image or headline /copy has no substitute. You have a fraction of a second inwhich to capture someone's attention; don't let them get a poor impression of your business. The investment in professional services will pay off for you in many ways, and often the images or copy can be used on your website and in other promotional materials.

Talk to your designer about your business and educate them as to the impact you want to make. They may be able to suggest particular imagery or help you key in on which benefits would make the best headlines within the framework of your business goals.

Less is definitely more in the advertising world. Using focused ads to target different segments of your audience will be a very efffective way to make sure your message is getting across. Avoid trying to say too much in your ad; simple, well-written and direct copy is the way to go.

Add to that the concept of consistency, in look and in presence. Better to run small ads on a frequent basis than one large ad that tries to do too much. Likewise it's best to have a consistent look to your ads. That increases brand awareness even when the viewer isn't interested in the particular product or service you are offering at that time.

The key to understanding the benefit of consistency in advertising is to remember that just when you are starting to wonder if a change is needed is usually the same time that your audience is finally starting to register your presence. The most successful and effective ad campaigns are those where a viewer automatically knows whose ad they are looking at without having to read a word, even though the image and copy may vary. This happens with consistent exposure and a consistent visual theme.

This excellent result is unfortunately difficult to measure in terms of the ad-to-sales relationship and is one of the reasons that advertisers often feel uncertain as to whether their ads are working. However for the long-term health of your business, consistency of presence that clearly reflects your brand is the best type of advertising. We all make choices based on this feeling of familiarity with a company whose ads and brand we experience frequently, and the same concept can work for you. When your audience needs a particular product or service yours will immediately spring to mind because it is familiar.

And when it's time to change your look and your message, do so within the framework of continuing to promote your brand and extending your audience's understanding of your business. Let your designer know about your desired new focus and plan together to build an effective new ad campaign.