Print Ads - Magazines

SBM 338

Lanny Wilke

Magazine Ad Formats

Spreadsusually two facing pages

Half-page spreadsusually a horizontal format on both

sides of two facing pages with editorial above or below the ad.

Half-page vertical or horizontalUsually the outside half of the page

if vertical, usually the bottom of the page if horizontal.

Quarter-page or third-page fractionalDepending on the publication,

could be in a corner or outer edge of the page.

IslandFloats 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 attention2. Build interest3. Create desire4. Motivate action5. 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 awayResponse offersThe must-have list

Skillful writing adds:CredibilityShifts attitudesEducates InformsPersuades

How long should the ad be?

There is no right answer. Depends on…

The mediaThe size of your adThe product or service you are

offering

Finding Your Copy Approach

First thing – find your verbAction is the heart of any good

story Think about adjectives

Look for ones that clarify, inform, or intensify your message.

But beware of hyperboleBest are adjectives that support

your creative hook.

Tried and True Advertising Copy Approaches

Seven reasons whySimplest to writeAsk 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 AdsTakes a benefit statement and uses

an example to dramatize that claim. Comparison An idea that demonstrates a

product featureYou 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

StyleKeep 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.

VerbsKeep 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?

PronounsBe 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 constructionBuilds 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 adAttentionRetentionmotivation