Page 171 - Duct Tape Marketing

Chapter 11

Creating Print Ads

In This Chapter

ᮣ Creating, producing, and placing newspaper and magazine ads
ᮣ Writing good headlines and ad copy
ᮣ Using signage and outdoor advertising
ᮣ Making phone book and directory ad decisions

For many small businesses, advertising means one thing: the Yellow
Pages. Others wade further into the world of print media by placing
newspaper and magazine ads. And especially in smaller towns — where bill-
board rentals are available at less than bank-breaking rates — small business
marketers turn to the great outdoors to display their headlines and logos.

If print advertising is the route you take into your prospect’s mind, this chap-
ter offers advice for negotiating, buying, creating, placing, and evaluating the
ads that carry your message to your market. Advice for broadcast ads follows
in Chapter 12. For Web advertising, Chapter 16 has information on banner and
text ads, along with all kinds of other information about putting the Internet to
work for your business.

If advertising isn’t your business megaphone — if you’re among the many
small businesses that turn to publicity, promotions, direct mail, and other
one-to-one vehicles to market your business — turn straight to Part IV, which
is packed with information on how to spread your marketing message with-
out advertising.

But if you’re a print advertiser, let the following pages serve as your guide.

Writing and Designing Your Ads

In the best print ads, the headline, copy, and graphics work together to cap-
ture attention, inspire the target market, promote the benefits of the product,
prompt the desired consumer action, and advance the brand.