What I'm about to reveal are myths that most people think
are 'true.'
They seem set in stone yet they are deadly to the
advertiser.
I'm certain you'll be surprised. Certainly you may even
doubt what I reveal to you. But I've discovered that these
myths must *NEVER* be followed - unless of course you like
throwing your hard earned money down the drain!
There are essentially five common 'Newspaper And Magazine
Advertising Myths'…
Before I go any further I have a proviso to what I'm about
to reveal to you about advertising. Here it is…
Everything I talk about here has one goal: To help you
make more money - substantially more, with your
marketing, sales, and advertising.
If you're looking for 'pretty' advertising or advertising
that looks good without getting you leads and orders then
you should look elsewhere.
So when you're reading through these advertising myths and
facts, be aware that I'm only talking about newspaper and
magazine advertising that makes money - plain and simple!
So let's get started…
****************************************
Advertising Myth 1: Your ad must first 'look good' before it is placed in any publication
****************************************
Many people (not your prospects by the way!) judge newspaper
and magazine advertising on the 'look and feel' of the ad.
In fact, one of the mysteries of the modern world
is having advertising awards for aesthetically appealing
ads. That's just plain nuts!
It doesn't matter how good your ad looks. What counts
is how much money you made from the ad!
Of course I'm not saying your ad cannot look good. What I'm
saying is your number one objective is to get the sale (or
at least a response.
Never forsake this goal for creating a good looking ad!
****************************************
Advertising Myth 2: Your company name needs to be prominent in the ad
****************************************
Regardless of how familiar your company or service is to
your prospects you should always place your company name at
the bottom of the ad. Never ever put your company name at
the top of the ad.
****************************************
Advertising Myth 3: You should never use a reply coupon because it looks 'unprofessional'
****************************************
Many design agencies frown on response coupons because once
again they don't look 'good.' A coupon has the ability to
*double* your response instantly.
You must therefore have a very good reason not to use a
coupon in your ads. (By the way I've never come up with a
good enough reason - unless of course you're restricted to
space!).
****************************************
Advertising Myth 4: You should use a design agency to create your ads
****************************************
Like all professions there are good and bad design agencies.
However, only use a design agency that uses 'direct response'
advertising principles.
All other design agencies will never get the results you
should expect with your newspaper and magazine advertising.
In almost every case you are better equipped to create
your own advertising rather than using a design agency.
You'll save thousands of dollars and almost certainly make
more money from the advertising you create.
****************************************
Advertising Myth 5: Your ad must not have too much copy (words) and have lots of white space
****************************************
This is the number one mistake people make with their
newspaper and magazine advertising.
You cannot ever hope to get a high response to your
advertising if you don't give people a reason (or several
reasons) to respond. This means that your ad needs to be
*FULL* of copy.
Contrary to popular belief an ad crammed full of relevant
and benefit written copy always *substantially* wins over an
ad without lots of copy.
***
So there you have it. If you want more sales and more
success from your newspaper and magazine ads you must step
outside the box.
You must break from tradition. You must forget about
creating good looking ads. Do this and I promise your
sales and profits will soar!
JAMES C. BURCHILL is a 20-year veteran entrepreneur and information technology executive who now provides strategic marketing consulting services to a select group of clients. He is a published author, a passionate advocate of technology and the Internet, as well as an avid study of classical advertising and marketing strategies (which he uses during ‘Internet alchemy’ experiments.) James is an expert in information and data management, Internet marketing and online networking. A self confessed 'information and technology enthusiast,' James brings a wide range of valuable skills to any venture. Of singular note is James' ability to assimilate complex subject matter and produce clean clear 'easy-to-understand' messages. James has been interviewed many times and caused quite the media buzz when a client ‘double-dog-dared’ him to prove you can get front page coverage for $0. The details and that ‘dumb stunt’ are now part of eBay legend. Currently James lives in Ontario, Canada with his wife and family, their Siamese cat and one very nervous fish. Visit http://www.JamesBurchill.com for details.
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