Get Greater Results From Your Print Advertising
1. Headline: On the average, five times more people read the headline than the body copy. If consumers like the Headline they will go on to read the body copy. The Headline is what brings them in. The headline must be easy to understand and state the reason why the consumer should continue on and read the body copy.
2. News and headlines: People read consumer magazines and newspapers to get news. If you have genuine news such as product updates or new innovations by all means put it in the headline.
3. How many words in a headline? In headline tests conducted with cooperation from a big department store, it was found that headlines of 10 words or longer sold more goods than short headlines. In terms of recall, headlines between 8-and-10 words are most effective. In mail order advertising, headlines between 6-and-12 words get the must coupon returns. On the average, long headlines sell more merchandise than short ones
4. Speak to Your Prospects: When a specific group consumes your product; Flag them in your headline - mothers, bald people, business owners?
5. Purchasers Read Long Copy: Non Buyers quit reading by the 50th word, between 50 and 500 words are where you must sell the product to potential buyers. They will read longer into an advertisement. Get their interest with the headline, Give them a reason to buy in the copy. Make sure the copy sticks so they do not substitute brands when they get to the retail store.
6. Before and After Ads: Before and after advertisements get better than average readership. The contrast seems to work well. Consumers tend to comprehend them well.
7. Photos vs. Art: Photos work better than drawings most of the time. Consumers prefer to feel things are “genuine.” The photo should help pull readers in. It must be related to the benefit of to the goods you are selling. The photograph has to have story appeal.
8. Captions: Twice as many people read the captions under photographs as read the body copies. Never place a photo without a caption. Because Associated Press Style calls for captions under photos people expect it.
9. Editorial layout vs. Addy Layout: The more the ad looks like the editorial in the magazine generally the higher the readership. The addy layout is much easier to get approved by the CEO of the company you are representing. A good ad agency will take the time to explain to the CEO that they know much more about their product that the consumer.
10. Test and Retest Readership has been known to increase with repetition. Continually test new ads against the old ones and run the winner.
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