COMMON QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

HOW MUCH CAN A CUSTOMER REMEMBER?
The average customer will only remember ONE strong comment or message. If the advertisement contained many more than one, they tend only to recall the one message that interested them the most, or they will inadvertently fuse a few messages into one concept of their own. The best ads can have several concepts, but they must fit together into one unifying theme. An important key is to focus on just ONE POINT and be certain that all the other elements in the ad conform to that point.

WHEN SHOULD I CHANGE A SUCCESSFUL AD?
Never! Have you ever heard the saying: "If ain't broke, don't fix it?" If the advertisement is still successful then it is not the time to change it. When you change an advertisement that is successful, you kill the sales that it gener­ates.

HOW LONG SHOULD I RUN A SUCCESSFUL AD?
Typically speaking, it would be six (6) months. Sometimes even the strongest ads need to be reinforced - but never changed!

WHY IS USP (UNIQUE SELLING POSITION) SO IMPORTANT?
Any effective ad will have USP. It should have three characteristics:
• The proposition must be unique, something that can't be offered by the competition.
• The ad must make a specific proposition to the customer.
• The proposition must be so strong that it pulls the individual and the masses.

WHEN DOES AN AD BECOME DECEPTIVE?
While creativity and enthusiasm are important characteristics in any ad, you must always know where to draw the line between fact and fiction. If you can read your ad and feel comfortable that you could offer the claims set forth to your family and friends then that's honesty.

CAN SMALLER ADS BE BETTER THAN LARGER ONES?
Absolutely! Smaller ads, because of their size, can be inserted into more places than larger ads. They allow you special positioning and can take advantage of the attention of larger ads. Many times a smaller ad will get better visibility simply because the ad fit into an area that needed to be filled. In addition, you can run many small ads for the price of one big one.

IS IT BETTER TO RUN AN AD 5 TIMES
TO 20 PEOPLE OR 20 TIMES TO 5 PEOPLE?
Research has shown that it is always better to reach more people less often than less people more often.

COMMON MISTAKES IN ADVERTISING

• Mistakes in advertising are a normal process of trial and error. However, there are a few common mistakes that are made and should be avoided
• Don't use "say nothing" headlines. The ad must induce interest to the reader. The headline should make the reader want to read more.
• Don't use pictures that talk! Unless you have pictures that are self explanatory or give meaning to the words, they should not be used.
• Don't give the reader a reason not to read your ad. The reader must have an incentive to read your ad. Your ad should make a promise.
• Don't make your ad too clever. Different plays on words and various clever say­ings are rarely a plus.
• Don't leave the ad open-ended. Always make an offer and induce a call for the customer to act! An ad must urge action now!

TWELVE STEPS TO FOLLOW

1. Know your product.
2. Establish a budget.
3. Determine where and how often to run your ad.
4. Contact print publications for rates.
5. Write your headline and copy.
6. Decide which publications to advertise in based on your copy size and budget.
7. Prepare your ad copy at the printer.
8. Place your ad order with the publication.
9. Monitor and track your responses
10. Monitor and track your sales in conversions.
11. Assess which ads are cost effective and which ones are not.
12. Readjust and increase your advertising budget.

A FINAL THOUGHT

     The importance of proper advertising can never be overstated. No business can survive or grow without it. If you are to succeed in this endeavor, you must advertise! Create a budget by determining a specific amount of money you can commit to advertising for a specified period of time. It is important that you commit your entire budget for the period of time specified. This will insure that your product and service will maintain visibility to your target customers and, ultimately, insure your success.

     Always remember that a good advertisement will attract attention, stimulate interest, carry conviction, and, most importantly induce action!

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