7 Tips for Better Ads

The content of advertising is basically the sameno matter what the media. It is good and it works,or it is bad. Some TV ads are so clever peopletend to remember the cleverness and forget theproduct.

Here are seven tips to help you create better ads.Better ads for Newspaper, Radio, Billboards,Cable, Yellow Pages, anything with your name onit.

1 It's Not About YOU. Sell the benefits. Thebenefits of coming to your store or doingbusiness with you is what the customer wants,They say "What's In It For Me?" Your mug shoton a 40 foot billboard can't answer thatquestion.

2 Be Consistent Pick a theme and stick with it,in all your print, radio and TV ads. Pick a lookand stick with it. Every ad builds on yourbrand, don't change the concept because YOU aregetting tired of it. The exposure level withpotential customers is much less than with you.

3 Sell Benefits not Features. Once you get thecustomer in the door you can brag about thefeatures of your product or company, but lurethem there with a promise of a great benefit."Brushless Car Wash" is a feature "Cleaner thannew in two minutes" is a benefit.

4 Be Different. Check your Sunday paper to seehow many ads look alike. In the supermarket,most mustard is in a yellow package, most GingerAle has a green label. In advertising samenessis suicide. Don't look like or sound like yourcompetition.

5 Use a Great Headline "Jim's Locksmith Shop" atthe top of an ad is NOT a powerful headline, ora good opening for a radio ad. "We can Pick ANYlock!" or "Locked out? We Can Get You Back IN"are powerful and answer WIIFM ("What's In It ForMe?")

6 Make it Easy to Find You The best ads, inprint and in the air are directions, NOTaddress. Pay attention to ads you see this week."809 Main" doesn't say much, but "On Main StreetDowntown across from the firehouse" is a good asa map. Note: If your advertising will coverseveral communities (most do) be sure to includeyour city or community. No need to use state."On Main Street in Downtown Smallville acrossfrom the firehouse"

7 Avoid Phone Numbers With the exception ofYellow Pages Advertising, where people arelooking for telephone numbers, most folks don'tcarry a pad in the car or keep one next to theTV to jot down numbers. Remember how hard itwas to find something to write with when yousaw something on a TV news show that youreally wanted to call about? By the time youfound the pencil, it was gone. Same withadvertising. Focus on getting them to rememberyour benefits and your name. Phone numbers are abig NoNo.

To have the best advertising, YOU must become theadvertising expert. Advice from the person sellingadvertising is usually best only for the mediabeing pitched and does not help you with theothers. Become an astute observer of others whoadvertise and use the best elements you see.

For more about advertising from get my article "15Tips for Better Yellow Pages Ads" Send a blankeMail to the MailTo:15TipsYP@BigIdeasGroup.com

©2005 BIG Mike McDaniel All Rights ReservedMike@BIGIdeasGroup.comBIG Mike is a Professional Speaker and SmallBusiness Consultant with over 30 years experience,http://BIGIdeasGroup.com

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