| In this age of advertising overload... where people are | | | | front! Use a powerful headline to capture their interest. |
| being bombarded by hundreds of messages a day... | | | | And while the bulleted feature list does give the reader |
| having your advertising blend in with other ads is the | | | | information about what services you offer, just about |
| last thing you want to do. It's just too easy for a | | | | every other ad has the exact same information. |
| potential customer to overlook your "camouflaged" ad. | | | | These bullets don't tell potential customers how you |
| Yet camouflaging their ads is exactly what most | | | | stand out from everyone else. Give the reader |
| businesses do. They follow exactly what everyone | | | | benefits of going to your small business versus going |
| else is doing. | | | | somewhere else. Even if there are no real differences, |
| One of the primary ways most businesses market | | | | just pointing out the benefits of using your business is |
| themselves is through the use of display ads in | | | | different than anyone else is doing. |
| newspapers, magazines, or yellow pages. A display ad | | | | And finally, don't just put your phone number at the |
| is simply an advertisement in a box that could be any | | | | bottom. Give readers a call to action and include some |
| dimension, but is determined by the standard sizes for | | | | way you can track that they came to your store |
| a particular media. In addition to having ads that blend in, | | | | through this ad. Use something like: "Bring this ad in |
| almost all display ads are being done all wrong. At the | | | | today for a free month of mailbox service." Then keep |
| very top of the ad is the business name, or logo. Under | | | | track of these results so you know how effective |
| that they have bullets highlighting features of their | | | | your advertising is. |
| business followed by contact information. | | | | Improving your display ads and all of your marketing |
| First of all, never waste the top of an ad with your | | | | lets you build the kind of business you want. With |
| business name or logo. While this may sound harsh, | | | | effective marketing you can bring in not only more |
| customers just don't care about you yet. All they care | | | | customers, but the kind of customers who don't |
| about is what you can do for them. So tell them up | | | | consider price to be the most important thing. |