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Ten Easy Ad Improvements

Advertising is what makes The Farmer & Rancher possible, and advertisers need customers to stay in business... therefore the relationship between the two is crucial. We want to do everything possible to make your business successful. Here are some proven tips to help you in all your print advertising experiences. They are provided by Community Papers of Florida.
Remember...it's best to develop an effective campaign and then run it as often as possible.

1. STIMULATE ACTION
Decide upfront what you want the buyer to do after seeing the ad. Otherwise, you can't ask the buyer to take the appropriate action. Too often advertisers assume that the buyer will know what to do, but this is a dangerous assumption. EXAMPLE: "Call Now For This Offer!"

2. HEADLINE READERSHIP
The area of an ad that is read most often is the headline. Some buyers never read past it. The most effective ads achieve the advertising objective in the headline alone. EXAMPLE: "Bull Sale Today".

3. VISUALIZE
A picture is worth a thousand words and, as important, it can be read quicker. High-impact graphics grab attention. In fact, 65% of an ad's attention value is achieved through the visual. Graphics that support the headline and the ad's objective, work best.

4. USE THE FACTS
If the headline makes a claim, write copy that proves it. Present key benefits in a factual manner. Tell the entire story and don't be over-concerned with the length of the copy. Never exaggerate.

5. WRITE TO THE READER
Write copy with the reader in mind. Write copy that communicates to them in terms of their interests, expertise, and job responsibilities. Specifically and factually state what you can do for them. Don't boast, brag, scream, overcompensate, or use inside jokes that the buyer won't understand.6. SIGN AT THE BOTTOM
Be sure that the buyer knows it's your ad. The signature should be strong and clear. According to a testing company, the logo is too small in 50% of all ads. If the reader only reads the headline, they should still leave the ad realizing it is a message from your company.

7. GRAB ATTENTION
On average, an ad has about 7 seconds to grab the attention of the reader. Bigger ads and more colorful ads grab and hold the attention of more buyers than do smaller, black and white ones. Whenever possible, increase size and add color to increase impact.

8. USE, REUSE, AND USE AGAIN
Duplicate your ad and garner as much additional exposure as possible. Mail reprints to customers, prospects and salespeople. Include your advertising as part of your trade show booth. Encourage the sales force to use ad reprints as part of their sales presentation and include it on your web site.

9. STICK WITH IT
Stick with a successful, creative execution. Don't change campaigns for the sake of change. Proven performers are hard to come by, so when your ad works, use it over the long term.

10 FREQUENCY. FREQUENCY. FREQUENCY.
If readers aren't exposed to your ad, its effectiveness matters little. Run your ad as frequently as possible to optimize exposure, readership and recall among your target audience.

THE CREDIBILITY FACTOR:

Buyers overwhelmingly believe what they read.
96% believe articles
87% believe ads
83% believe ads provide good ideas for products to buy
It is critical that buyers exposed to your print ads believe your advertising message. Print publications are consistently selected as the most credible medium. Not only do buyers believe the editorial content of print, they also believe the advertising they are exposed to. 87% of buyers believe print advertising