Print Ads - Magazines SBM 338 Lanny Wilke

Magazine Ad Formats Spreads usually two facing pages Half-page spreads usually a horizontal format on both sides of two facing pages with editorial above or below the ad.

Half-page vertical or horizontal Usually the outside half of the page if vertical, usually the bottom of the page if horizontal. Quarter-page or third-page fractional Depending on the publication, could be in a corner or outer edge of the page.

Island Floats on the page surrounded by editorial Advertorial Inserts

Creating The Ad Ads sell by persuading, informing, even begging for action. Keep your positioning and creative approach in mind.

Structure and Style An effective print ad will…. 1. Get attention 2. Build interest 3. Create desire 4. Motivate action 5. Make sales

The beginning of your ad will… Establish the context – are you selling cremation urns or potato chips? Need to get the attention of the person who’s looking for what you sell. By establishing context, you say “This ad is for you.”

In that critical first paragraph… You start from what your customers know. Then you build interest in the benefit your product or service offers. Remember, people are motivated by the benefit – what the product will do for them. Your copy has to start with a promise, not a claim.

One Possible Approach Headline Art Copy Tagline Closing

Where to begin Your positioning strategy defined and prioritized your key benefits and helped you find your big idea. Look back at the benefits you listed. The priority you gave those benefits will keep you focused and remind you how you distinguish yourself in the minds of your customers.

Your creative approach helped you define tone and audience, and the big idea which is your hook. Remember the elements of an ad strategy: One thought to take away Response offers The must-have list

Skillful writing adds: Credibility Shifts attitudes Educates Informs Persuades

How long should the ad be? There is no right answer. Depends on… The media The size of your ad The product or service you are offering

Finding Your Copy Approach First thing – find your verb Action is the heart of any good story Think about adjectives Look for ones that clarify, inform, or intensify your message. But beware of hyperbole Best are adjectives that support your creative hook.

Tried and True Advertising Copy Approaches Seven reasons why Simplest to write Ask yourself, “Why would I want what you sell?” Write out the answers. Write as many reasons you can think of in about 10 minutes.

You are trying to change perceptions. How persuasive are the answers you’ve written? Edit your first draft. Look for your action verbs. Critique your benefit statements and rank them in priority. Arrange them to follow the outline: get attention/build interest/create desire/motivate action.

These ads work because readers know what to expect. Informational tone inspires confidence.

Demonstration Ads Takes a benefit statement and uses an example to dramatize that claim. Comparison An idea that demonstrates a product feature You don’t have to demonstrate the solution-you might choose instead to demonstrate the problem dramatically.

You’re doing a good deed when you bring valuable info to your customers. Look for the action verb again. Tell real news and you’ve got an ad that will motivate action.

Humor Popular in advertising but dangerous in the wrong hands. Can help a small budget make a big impact. Ways to make ads funny Use a pun Exaggerate Use incongruity

Storytelling With the “grazing” patterns of reading, this approach isn’t wise for most situations. A case history or a testimonial may sometimes take a story approach, set a scene, establish characters, or dramatize a benefit.

Summary: The Copy Approach If there’s real news about your product, even if it’s important to only a narrow target market, this might be for you. Choose your publication carefully. Whatever approach you choose, keep it simple.

As you write, look for familiar combinations of words. Avoid jargon. When you’ve written a few sentences, review them for phrases that can be shortened or deleted. Keep it simple, keep it brief. Try reading it out loud. Does it sound conversational?

The more you hone and tighten your copy, the better it is likely to be. Choose the style you feel is appropriate for your ad. Write a draft Refine it by comparing it to the structure outline. Critique it.

It’s a good ad if, sentence by sentence it… Targets your consumer. States your benefit to that consumer. Relates that benefit to a specific product feature. Repeats this cycle through each feature you want to discuss. Mentions your product or service by name. Makes a call to action.

Style of Language Style Keep it as quietly correct as you can. Good grammar is unobtrusive, but ads shouldn’t read like a school text, either. Most common grammatical liberty is the sentence fragment. For drama, for punch, for brevity.

Verbs Keep an ear out for bad verbs. Hunt down passive verbs and translate them into active ones. Adjectives Check your adjectives. Are you adding clarity or excitement, or just making claims?

Pronouns Be consistent. Choose the second person whenever possible. Every rule has its exceptions: The story-telling approach lends itself to first- or third-person writing.

Parallel construction Builds good ad copy. If your thinking is logical, your ad should come out that way, too.

Remember to follow the layout guidelines.

When to Change an Ad The ad is no longer cost effective A different ad or a different version of the same ad has proven more effective. The only excuse for a failed ad Attention Retention motivation