Print advertising remains one of the most effective marketing tools available and still manages to stand the test of time, even with all the latest innovations in the world of digital marketing. However, for print advertising to be effective, it must be done the right way.
Effective advertising is all about effective communication, especially when it comes to print advertising. But before you devise a print campaign, you must ask yourself a number of questions.
Is the message reaching the intended target? What can you do to ensure your message attracts the attention of your target audience? What type of print media best suits your needs and budget?
If not done correctly, print advertising can be a huge waste of money. Here are some of the do’s and don’ts in print advertising for small businesses.
Make it Attractive
Every word counts in whatever print media you choose. Make sure all of them count. Do use a catchy headline that will attract the attention of your target audience and ensure the most important aspects of your message are highlighted. However, don’t make your advertisement too wordy. Most people get bored reading through long paragraphs and they are likely to miss the main points of your message if they are hidden behind a wall of text.
Use Visual Aids
Do include pictures, graphs and infographics in your advertisement when possible. These visual aids will stand out from the rest of the text and can be used to highlight the most important aspects of your ad. You can easily add visual elements to your flyer design using a flyer maker like Adobe Spark for instance.
You should also format your text appropriately by using short paragraphs no longer than three sentences long, bolding important points, listing items, and using bullets to highlight important information.
But don’t make text-only adverts; they are highly ineffective. It is also important to make sure that you don’t cram your advertisement space with text and pictures. Leave some free space to accentuate the items on your flyer or any other print media.
Branding
The main aim of advertising is to propagate your brand and product. It is therefore extremely important to make sure your logo, your slogan if you have one, and all the relevant contact information is visible.
Make sure that the essential information your clients may need about you and your brand is visible. Who are you? Where are you located? Why are the products being marketed important? Where can the clients find your products? It is also important to include a call to action to encourage your customers to take certain actions.
However, make sure that your slogan or logo are not the focal point of your ad. The primary focus should be on the benefits of your products first and foremost.
Conclusion
One of the most basic rules of creating the best print adverts is being simple and to the point. Identify the most important items you need to communicate and present them using the fewest words and graphics. A flyer rammed with several graphics, too much wording, and a lot of color may be off putting. Just make sure it is catchy without being too extravagant.
