When it comes to creating effective print ads, strategic and thoughtful design is key. Print advertisements offer a highly valuable and targeted technique compared to their digital counterparts.
Rather than constantly bombarding the target market with spam emails and other digital marketing material, print offers a more curated approach. Since print ads use tangible, physically printed media, it’s especially important to take the following design considerations into account to ensure your business is delivering the most effective advertisement possible.
Make Sure Copy is Clear and Concise
Skilled copywriters know how to communicate your message in a clean and concise manner. Stay away from needlessly ornate language and convoluted sentence structure that is not suitable for most advertising mediums. Ensure your ad copy is free of spelling and grammatical errors for a result that is clear and professional.
Don’t Be Afraid of White Space
When designing an effective print ad, the graphics and structure are just as important as the copy. Many businesses feel they must occupy all of the white space of an ad with informative text and imaging, but this can feel overwhelming to prospective consumers. Having a proper white space ratio makes print ads more visually appealing and reader-friendly.
Use Headlines Effectively
While print advertising is far less saturated than the digital space, it’s important to use powerful headlines to grab the reader’s attention – persuading them to continue reading. Your main title should be simple and short, as you want to pique the curiosity of your target consumers without listing facts about your business. Also, if your ad is on the longer side, it might be helpful to use subheadings to break down the information. This way it’s more organized and easy to comprehend.
Simplicity is Key
You want to avoid choosing fonts or text styles that are overly fancy. Most newspapers and magazines tend to follow a specific format – they use a plain font, avoiding anything overly serifed, and use black standard size text on a white background. While you can be more creative with your titles, stick to something simple for your body text to maintain ease of reading for your potential customers.
Consider Images Carefully
Many people are visual and possess relatively short attention spans, so ads that are exclusively textual may be off-putting. For this reason, using images and/or graphics correctly can help communicate your message. Avoid using generic photos purely for decorative purposes and make sure any visual imagery works alongside your copy. Keep in mind that original photography often works better than stock photos and of course, don’t go overboard.
Create a Call to Action
A lot of print ads tend to start off strong but then fizzle out towards the end. When designing your ad, try to create a sense of urgency at the end by creating a call to action. Perhaps you want to provide a coupon with an expiry date, encourage them to sign up for a newsletter on your website, or offer a complimentary quote or consultation.
Be Unique
What stands out about your product or service? Embrace your brand in your print ad, the text and design should help create a feeling that is unique to effectively demonstrate what sets you apart from competitors. This is known as a “Unique Selling Proposition”. While your product or service does not have to be the only one on the market, it’s best to promote it from a unique angle.
Describe the Benefits
It’s important to describe the features of your particular product or service. Ask yourself: what makes it different from competitors? Be sure to focus on the solution you provide to a particular need rather than focusing on the problem itself. You may also want to include testimonials from previous customers describing outstanding service or satisfaction with the product.
Ensure Contact Information Stands Out
Make sure your contact information isn’t buried in the ad and try to provide various avenues of getting in touch (phone number, website, address, etc). This ensures the customer has options, so they’ll be more likely to contact you.
Investing in your business’ marketing strategy is fundamental for creating brand awareness and driving sales. Direct Response Media Group offers top-notch print design solutions for all your shared media products and print advertising needs. Contact us to learn more!
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