Advertising the Local Newspapers. Part 3 of 5.

Advertising in the Local Newspapers. Part 3.
Writing your Ad.

In this third post on newspaper advertising, I'll be looking at the meat of your ad. The copy.

Start with a strong headline.
The headline is arguably the most important element of your ad. People will read a powerful headline and will subsequently go on to read the rest of your ad. Readers will ignore an ineffective headline…and turn the page.

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You should therefore aim to spend most of your writing time focused on getting the headline absolutely right.

A powerful headline summarises your offer/ proposition with the greatest impact in the fewest number of words. There is, sadly, no magic formula for writing a great ad. It generally involves time, effort, thought, self-discipline and persistence. 
However, there are different approaches you might want to take:

What is the single core message you want to say to the reader? and what is the single core benefit to the consumer? Now try to write that, in your normal handwriting, in a space the size of a postage stamp. 
This might not generate your actual headline but it will help you focus on boiling down your marketing message to the bare essentials, in the most clear and immediate terms. In the same way, get inspiration from tabloid headlines. Tabloid journalists are experts at boiling down stories into a few words with great impact.

Try writing a headline as an open question. i.e. a question which can't be answered by a simple yes/ no answer.  Humans are naturally intelligent and curious. Open questions actively invite the reader to think and engage with your ad.

Try to state your product/ service benefit in an intriguing way. The ad for sunscreen above requires the reader to engage with the ad, think a little about the image and headline in order to get the joke. By actively engaging with the ad, the reader feels a sense of satisfaction and is more likely to remember that experience, the ad and the product.

Give it some body
Body copy should reiterate and expand upon the message of your headline.

Try to avoid listing every possible feature/ benefit of your product. If you have a lot to say or explain about a product or service do that with a website, brochure or sales call, not in a newspaper ad.

Focusing on a single benefit [or if you really must, two] has much more impact. Unnecessarily wordy copy, crammed with product features, dilutes your message and can make the reader lose interest. You can't bore people into purchasing. It also clutters up the visual impact of an ad.

Use short words. Short sentences. Short paragraphs.

Imagine you are talking to a customer face-to-face. Write in a friendly conversational manner. Avoid coming across like a salesman.

Avoid using too many adjectives. It can sound cheesy. But facts inspire trust.

The Call to Action
So why did you place your ad? What exactly do you want your prospects to do? Visit the showroom? Website? like you on Facebook? Send in a coupon?

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Make it completely clear and easy for the reader to do what you want them to do. And, if possible, get them to do it NOW.

Limited offer! Send in the coupon by Friday! Sale now on! promotions encourage the reader to respond soon after seeing the ad. i.e. not giving them time to forget about you.

Look out for part 4 in this series. I will be discussing the design and layout of ads. Meanwhile, get in touch if you would like to discuss your advertising, copywriting or graphic design needs.