Do’s and Don’ts for Effective Advertising

There are so many ways to advertise these days that it is hard to know what options to use and how to use them. Here are some quick and easy tips to effectively advertise your business or product.Do’sDo be sure to book ahead for the holidays.  If you want to place a television commercial or newspaper advertisement around the holidays, you need to get your ad in these places months ahead of time. Many businesses clamor to get their ads in around the holidays and will have to pay top dollar for it or take the least popular times if they wait too long.Do keep your message fresh for the variety of media outlets.  Do not use the exact same copy for each type of advertisement you employ. You do want to keep the same message, but use different words for different media to get that message across. This way you will not be annoyingly repetitive.Do tout your benefits, not your features. People want to know what your product can do for them. This is what draws them in. They will learn about all your great features after you have garnered enough interest for them to walk into your store.Do learn from other advertising campaigns, including your competitions’. When you see an ad that really grabs your attention, take note and think about why – what about it made you look, stop, and take the time to read or listen? Ask others in your company or family to do the same. You can also ask what your co-workers’ favorite commercials are – they are bound to remember at least one. Write these down and see if you find a common factor that makes these commercials so memorable. Try to incorporate this factor in your advertising materials.Don’tsDo not advertise in one type of media. To be effective, advertising has to be repetitive (but not annoyingly so! See above.) This is best achieved through different channels – newspaper ads, radio ads, brochures or other color printing pieces, flyers, billboards, and television ads – the list is nearly endless. By advertising in a variety of places, you will get your message out to more people – the people that do not watch television, you will get through the newspaper. People that do not walk by your flyers will hear your radio ads.Do not convolute your message. Keep it simple and short. Do not add too many details. Yes, your products have all these great benefits, but pick the top two or three and focus on those. If you add too much information, people will get confused or will tune your message out. Also, keep the layout simple by using easy-to-read fonts and limit the number of photos.Do not forget to use your headlines. In any print materials you have – brochures, flyers, letters, etc., be sure to include your product’s benefits in your headlines. Most people skim before they read, so the way to draw them in to read your smaller ad copy is to attract them with your headlines.