7 Easy Ways to Improve Your Print Advertising
1. Make your business name prominent and easily readable. Many businesses have logos that are pretty to look at, but not easily readable by those who don’t know you. If a stranger can’t tell the name of your business in the first few seconds, you’re losing business because they see your ad but don’t know whose ad it is. Think about the day after the Super Bowl when people are talking about the ads but can’t remember the name of the business. It’s wasted exposure.
2. Make your address and phone number larger. Many times, graphic artists are tempted to make your business name and contact information small at the bottom of the ad. They don’t want to detract from the artistic qualities of the ad. Unfortunately, they miss the main point, which is to get the reader to contact you, come into your business, and buy. The only way they’re going to do that is to associate the ad with your business, not just the pictures in the ad.
3. Give a specific call to action. Just listing your phone number or email isn’t enough. If they’ve seen your ad and like what they see and read, tell them what to do next. Don’t use ambiguous statements like “by appointment only.” Say, “Call or email us today for a personal appointment” or “To ensure that couples like you get all the personal attention you need and deserve, appointments are required, so please call or email today to schedule yours.” Always follow the call to action with your phone number and email. Don’t make them look for it after you tell them to call or email. Make it easy to contact you.
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4. List your website address prominently. If you have a website (and who doesn’t these days), list the address in your ads. You have to accept that today’s couples and the ones coming up next are Internet-dependent. They’re going to look to the Internet for information, so you need to be there. You don’t have to have the most expensive or technically advanced site, but you do have to be competitive. Buying wedding services is still a very personal experience, and couples will want a professional like you to help them find the solutions for them.
5. Buy the biggest ad you can afford. Bigger ads are usually placed further forward in the magazine or section. Getting at least a full page will eliminate any competitors from your page. There are only two kinds of advertising, “expensive” and “inexpensive,” and it has nothing to do with cost. Expensive advertising doesn’t get you a return greater than the investment. It could be a $50, $500, $5,000, or $50,000 ad. If you get back more than you invested, it was inexpensive. Buy the value of the ad the way you want couples to buy you for the value of your services, not just because you were the least expensive vendor they’ve spokes to. I often say “Invest in yourself if you want couples to invest in you!”
6. Use co-op advertising to supplement your other efforts, not as your only advertising. Some industries, such as fashion and jewelry, may have co-op ad dollars available for you. Sure, it’s nice to split the cost with the designers, but you’re sharing the spotlight too. Couples reading those ads aren’t thinking only about you; they’re thinking about that one designer. If you carry more than one designer, you want your prospects to know that. Since co-op ads only talk about that one designer, you’re limiting your exposure to the couples who are attracted to that one designer rather than letting them know about everything else you carry. That’s why you need to supplement that with your own advertising, where you’re free to talk about your full range of your products and services.
7. Less isn’t always more. Some people think that just showing beautiful pictures and your contact information is enough to get the sale. It’s not. Of course, you don’t want a wordy ad, but you do need a little more. Use testimonial quotes to show why your couples love what you did for them. You simply can’t write anything as compelling or passionate as your customers do in their reviews and testimonials. What makes your business and its people unique is defined by those words. You don’t want to commoditize what you do by letting them think that it’s all about price, so give them more reasons to choose you. They can buy the same service elsewhere, so you need to let them know why they should come to you. No one wants to read a lot in an ad. You don’t, so don’t expect couples will either. A few well-written bullet points should suffice.
ALAN BERG, CSP
If you’d like to find out how Alan can work with you and your team, whether you’re a team of one, or dozens, reach out to him. He’s worked with businesses both virtually (phone/internet) as well as on-site at venues, bridal salons, entertainment companies, and more. To find out how he can help you, with sales training or a website review, email Alan@AlanBerg.com call 732.422.6362, international inquiries 001 732 422 6362 or visit his site www.AlanBerg.com
