How to create an effective ad.

There are too many variables and elements open to interpretation for anyone to guarantee the effectiveness of a particular ad. But if you know which areas matter most, you can often tip the scale in your favor.

• Establish an objective. Decide up front what you want the ad to do. Make the phone ring? Change a perception people have about you? Build interest in your new Widget 2000? Don’t get bogged down in side issues; focus your effort on meeting that single objective.
• Place the ad where the right people see it. Is this too basic? Sorry. But unless your ad is being seen by a reasonable number of people who are in a position to need, want and buy what you have to sell, it’s not going to be what you could call effective.
• Get their attention. Nothing happens until someone notices your ad. Sometimes you can do it with a provocative headline alone, but more often it’s going to take an unusual, startling, compelling graphic to break the stride of someone flipping through a magazine or newspaper. Try humor, an unusual angle or illustrative style, or juxtapose elements that don’t belong together. Breaking though into someone’s attention is harder than ever, so don’t be shy.
• Draw them in. If an ad is working the way it’s supposed to, the graphic stops the reader on the page, and the provocative headline strikes some responsive chord in his or her brain that pulls them on into the copy. Ideally, the sparkling, benefit-oriented copy is like quicksand – once they step into it, they can’t get out, until they’re presented with the call for action.
• Tell them what to do next. “Visit our Web site for an interactive demonstration”, “Send for a free information pack”, “Call to arrange your free consultation”. It doesn’t matter what the call for action is so much as you are clear – even blatant – about disclosing it.

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