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Effective print advertising, whether a flier or newspaper/magazine ad, consists of two major parts.

The first part is the design of the ad. If an ad doesn’t have an eye-appealing design, chances are no one will look at it. The most important information in the world could be in that ad, but what good does it do if no eyes are drawn to the ad? So, what are some things that make an ad stand out on the page?

As a designer, I judge everything I create by four simple design rules. I learned these rules many years ago from a book called The Non-Designers Design Book by Robin Williams (no, not the actor Robin Williams, but another one). I highly recommend Robin’s book to anyone looking to re-invent or update a business image.

Robin teaches four rules that are easy to remember and apply. She includes plenty of illustrations and drawings to help the reader visualize the concepts. And the best part is that even someone without any artistic background can understand her rules.

Her first rule is “contrast.” Think big / little, dark / light, thick / thin. Another word for this rule could be “opposites.” The typeface used in an ad shouldn’t all be the same size. There should be a headline (big) and information (little). Having a larger headline draws the reader’s eye to the ad. Another example with a typeface is the use of bold type (dark) compared to regular type (light).

The second rule is “repetition.” Certain elements should be repeated to make the ad look cohesive. The larger the ad, the easier it is to incorporate repetition. One example of repetition is the use of bullet points. The ad could use plain bullet points or maybe a fancier design; however, each new point uses identical bullets. Another example is being consistent with the fonts or typefaces used in the ad.

Robin’s third rule is “alignment.” One of the easiest traps to fall into when it comes to design, especially in business card design or with smaller ads, is using center alignment for everything. No matter what software program is used to create a design, two other options always exist for alignment – left and right. Experimenting with alignment can create some very different, and nice, looking designs.

The fourth rule works hand-in-hand with alignment – “proximity.” If certain parts of the ad go together, keep those parts together. The spacing between the different parts in the ad should vary. Don’t separate the street address from its city with the same amount of space as between the address and main ad information. The idea behind proximity is to make it look like the parts belong together and separate the pieces of information that don’t go together.

The second part of creating effective advertisements is the information that is included. While this may seem like common sense, every ad should include the business’s basic information – name, address, phone number, hours, and, if applicable, website. If the business is a retail business, a common practice includes the types of payment that are accepted. (This can be done visually with the various credit / debit card logos.) The basic information doesn’t have to be prominent in the ad, but it should definitely be included.

Once the basics are in the ad, the remainder of the ad can be built using the design rules. The most important information, the purpose of the ad, should take up the largest portion of space.

If the ad is meant to build name recognition, describe the business. For a retail store, describe what products are sold. For a service-related business, list what type of work is performed.

If the ad is for a sale or special event, include the details – effective dates, product  / event photos, and sale prices / costs. Research has proven that ads that include details get more attention than generalized ads. Don’t assume that the consumer will pick up the phone to find out more information. Give as much detail as possible in the ad to gain the consumer’s interest.

Kara Starcher is a freelance editor and designer and can be reached at 304-377-3941.

In a previous post in our advertising series, we talked about the purpose of advertising. We said that every ad falls into one of three categories — to inform, to sell, or to build name recognition. Based on those categories, what should you put in your ads?

Regardless of the purpose of your ad, always include your basic information — company name and contact information (address, phone number, website, email). Next, include your business hours. (Tip: Noon is 12 p.m., not 12 a.m.) Third, if you sell a product/service or have a store, try to include the forms of payment that you accept. Some businesses use a generic statement like “cash and credit cards accepted.” Others use the actual credit card logos.

All of the above should be included in the “signature” area. The signature area is typically at the bottom of the ad and also where many businesses tend to put their logos. Create a standard signature and encourage the publications you advertise with to use your standard signature (same typeface, style, and placement of individual pieces of information). Even though your ads may appear in different publications, they should be cohesive. (It’s all about building name recognition.)

Tip: When choosing an advertisement size, make sure the size has enough depth to include the signature. While seemingly obvious, a lot of advertisers forget about the signature and concentrate on the ad message. If you don’t plan enough room for the signature, the rest of the ad will look squished, and the ad probably won’t be as effective in catching someone’s eye. When in doubt, add an extra half-inch or inch to the ad depth. A little white space is better than no space.

The next two pieces to include are the main headline and artwork. Think visually. Again, these pieces apply to any type of ad (informative, sale, or recognition). The artwork should draw the reader’s eye to the ad, and the headline should make them want to read the smaller print.

If you sell a product, include a photo or clipart of the product. (The artwork doesn’t have to be exactly like your product but should be close.) And if you do include a photo or clipart, include a price. You can name specific prices, use a general statement like “starting at $9.99,” or offer a discount like “25% off original price.” (If you choose the discount option, include in fine print what the original price starts at.) The more information you give your potential buyer, the better chance you have of closing a sale. 

For a name recognition ad, use your company logo as the artwork. Most companies run name recognition ads that are smaller than sale ads, so making the company logo larger will help draw the eye to the ad.

Not sure what to say in your ad? Think about what would attract you to your product / service if you were in the market to buy. Highlight that feature in the ad. Key words to consider are reliability, quality, durability, and economical. Is your product better than another one on the market? If so, state what makes your product better. Selling a service? Talk about what you are proud of — low cost, deadline buster, efficiency, etc.

The rumor in the media world is that newspapers are a dying breed. While arguments can be made either way, the newspaper and magazine industry has been the backbone of small business advertising for years. Television and radio ads are often pricey and can eat up a small business advertising budget.

So, can a business still run an effective print advertising campaign? Yes, if done correctly.

I’ve worked with print advertising (newspaper and magazines) for quite a few years now as a designer, and more recently as a sales representative. From my perspective, all advertising breaks down into three basic purposes. These categories are applicable to print advertising as well as online advertising….

• To inform — This type of advertising is primarily used for events, such as cancer walks, fundraisers, and concerts. The advertiser’s goal is to let as many people as possible know about the event.
• To sell a product / service — This ad will talk about a product / service and why you need that product. This is probably the most popular form of advertising.
• To build name recognition — These ads generally don’t include specifics, such as pricing. Their purpose is to let people know about the business and contact information. How does name recognition work? When a pipe bursts in the middle of the night, Joe Plumber gets the call because his ad has been in the local newspaper for the past three months, and his name immediately comes to the homeowner’s mind.

The next burning question is what should your advertising purpose be?

If your business is new, concentrate on name recognition. You want people to know that you exist. Mix in some product / service advertising to draw more customers.

If you are well established in the area, go for a product / service ad. In my rural area, everyone knows who the hometown jeweler is, who the pharmacy is, who the florist is, who the car dealer is. The name is recognized, but that doesn’t mean potential customers are beating down the doors. Highlight products for sale. People are impulsive. They see, they want, they buy. They need to see your product in your ad as much as possible so when they need it, they go to you.

Next week we’ll look at what other information should be included in the ad depending on the ads purpose.