Creative Digital & Design Agency, London, Essex

Most businesses we come across are spending money on some form of print advertising but it seems that not all are happy with the results.

So why do businesses keep pumping money into something that is not working for them, and more importantly why is it not working?

Well in answer to the first point the biggest reason seems to be “Because everyone else is”. While this makes sense on some level – you don’t want to be left behind – it is worth thinking that if isn’t working for you it might not work for them and you could just be throwing your money away.

So why is your print advertising not working?

What you have to remember is that the average consumer is exposed to thousands of advertising & branding messages every day. Just think how many brands you come across from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed?

So to make your print advertising stand out in this brand heavy environment you really need to follow some simple rules.

Give yourself a fair run

Most people expect a huge rush of response from a single advert. As a rule of thumb you should be booking a minimum of 3 ads in a weekly or monthly title and at least 5 in a daily. Anything less and you might simply be overlooked.

Book the correct space

There is a reason that certain ad positions are worth more than others. If you can’t pick up one of the covers, always push for a right hand page it makes a big difference, and bigger is better. Remember you are the buyer so you can negotiate with your sales rep.

Know your audience

The worst mistake that many advertisers make is to use the same ad everywhere regarding of the audience. Make sure the message is tailored for the audience to increase your response rate.

Test your message

One way to test the effectiveness of your advertising messages is to set up a Pay Per Click campaign on google. For a small budget you can test a variety of messages and landing pages that will give you a valuable insight into your brand message.

Beware of the sales rep

If a sales rep knows you are unhappy they will try to help…by encouraging you to book more space or bigger slots, while there is some truth in what they are saying remember they are sales reps, and their comission is more important that your response.

Design your ad effectively

Make sure you have a professional advert design. Nothing screams amateur more than a cheap looking advert. A good advert design will ne visually attractive as well as leading the the viewer into a call to action eg request info, visit website, make a booking.

If you are serious about promoting your business with print advertising seek the advice of a professional advertising agency. They will be able to advise you on the most effective design and approach for your business and will be able to make the most of your budget.

Advertising agencies will have relationships with media owners and are likely to get better positions for your ads and at better rates. A win win situation.

If you have a campaign coming up have a chat with us and see how we can improve your results.