Are You Wasting Advertising Dollars on Ads That Aren't Pulling in Customers? Take a Few Tips and Watch Your Ads Strike Gold.
By Curt Berresford
Once you've written a great ad, you may find yourself wondering--Now What?
Placing ads may seem easy. But the best ad won't pull orders or inquiries if it's placed in the wrong market. And too many wasted advertising dollars could strangle your business into oblivion.
Here are some simple ideas to help ensure your home-based and business opportunity ads will strike gold, not strike out. For any sort of money-making offer, network marketing program or business or income opportunity, there are four key types of publications that are ideal for your ads. They are:
1. Ad Sheets--Typically one or two pages, with circulations from 100 to 1,000 or more.2. Tabloids--Newspaper style publications, most often with small circulations from 5,000 to 10,000.
3. Ad Magazines--Usually 8.5 X11 sheets bound by stapling into a magazine format. These magazines normally have circulations between 100 to 1,000 or more.
4. National Magazines--The traditional glossy news stand publications with circulation from about 10,000 to 300,000 or more.
You might be surprised at how many of these four kinds of publications are available. A new web site, www.BizAds.com, has comprehensive listings of all four kinds, along with full contact information.
Advertising costs vary widely among these four types of publications. In most cases, the least expensive are ad sheets, with one-inch by one-inch column sized ads costing from from $1 to $5 on average.
Tabloids have greater production and mailing costs, but normally offer larger circulations than ad sheets. One-inch ads are usually under $20.
Pricing for Ad magazines falls between ad sheets and tabloids. Since the circulation may be lower, ad prices are often less than tabloids. Prices of $1 to $10 (one-inch ad) are typical.
National magazines sell the most expensive advertising, with one-inch ad running anywhere from $50 to $300.
Here are some good guidelines to use when deciding where to place your ads. Having used all of these various publications for my own ads, I've found these tips can help you avoid wasting your advertising dollars.
First, take a look at a recent copy of any publication you're considering. If you're not pleased with the overall appearance of it, chances are others won't like it, either. If people don't like the appearance of something, they don't look at it. And that's bad news for your ads.
Next, see if the publication runs lots of ads. If others advertise there, maybe you should, too.
Now consider these three key factors:
A. How does your ad target your audience?B. Does the publication target that audience?
C. Does your ad fit the publication?
Your ad can appeal to your intended audience in many ways. Here's an example of three ad headlines all for the same offer:
"New Franchise Opportunity""Easy Home Business"
"Boost Your Retirement Income"
Many people feel franchises are costly and complicated. A person looking to pickup an extra $50 a week may not read an ad with that headline. The home business headline may appeal to many people, but not those looking for a $50,000 franchise opportunity. And if you're not retired, would you read an ad with the third headline?
Study the way your ad targets your audience. Envision the people your ad will appeal to, then consider Point B--Does the publication target your audience?
To discover the answer, REALLY read the publication, as an advertiser. Study each ad and ask yourself whether someone who would respond to that ad would also respond to your ad.
Don't assume. The most popular television program guide, on sale in supermarkets every week, occasionally carries a page of classifieds. The majority are for psychics, loans for people with money problems and get-rich-quick schemes. Glancing over other ads in that same publication would never give you a clue as to the depth of the audience. So study the publication's ads carefully and choose one that matches your ad's audience.
Finally, think about Point C--Does your ad fit the publication? If the publication contains many ads, which audience do most of them appeal to? Does your ad match? If necessary, you can always change your ad, rather than find a publication that's a better fit. But don't be afraid to do both.
There are many excellent, inexpensive advertising publications available. It's often worth running your original ad in a "perfect fit" publication, and also changing it to better fit a different publication.
Taking a little time to study publications can return great rewards, improve your ad effectiveness and increase your bottom line.
Curt Berresford is an author, business owner and webmaster. You may contact him by writing:
Curt Berresford 682 Third St. Beaver, PA 15009
You may also email him:
curt@paperdots.com
Get great FREE information and resources for your home-based, Internet or micro business at:
www.PaperDots.com
You will also find a comprehensive listing of print ad sources at:
www.BizAds.com
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