How to Craft Successful Print Ads

Great print ads captivate a reader and effectively deliver a message. It’s important to recognize that designing a successful print ad involves more than just producing something that looks clean and professional. The ad must also be able to gain the attention of the reader and deliver the message your business is trying to convey. A compelling concept and solid composition are all it takes.

The average print ad has less than a second to grab a reader’s attention. What’s most important should be the most apparent element in the ad, and vice versa. Here are some key things to keep in mind when developing the concept and composition of your ad:

Competition:

Unless you have the back cover or a two-page spread in a magazine, your ad is competing for the reader’s attention with all of the others. There could be a vibrant article with high quality images or a bunch of smaller, busier ads that grab a reader’s focus. No matter what, that page facing your ad wants to win the reader’s attention. This is often hard to gauge because you don’t always know exactly where your ad will be printed in a publication.

Headlines & Subheads:

Nearly 100-percent of the time, your headline will be the most important element in your print ad. Be clear and concise. Don’t be too creative (this one is flexible, a little wit never hurts). It needs to be immediately understood, and where the headline is located can be just as important as what it says. It needs to dominate the other information in the ad. Don’t get lost in crazy fonts, too many colors, graphics or other visual elements. If it gets so busy that the reader can’t tell what the message is, he or she likely will just move on.

Subheads can house secondary information, so don’t forget about these when you’re writing a headline that’s too long. It can explain your headline further. Set it in smaller type than your headline.

Body copy:

This is your selling copy. It’s where you can explain your product, service and/or offer in greater detail. The biggest mistake advertisers make is too much body copy, since the average amount of time people give to text now is 3-5 seconds. Keep it brief, or possibly don’t have any at all.

Interesting, appealing visuals:

Visuals usually call attention to, or complement, the other elements in your ad. Use graphics to make your body copy interesting, and make sure they are relevant to what you’re trying to sell. Also, using an up-to-date logo keeps your business modern and trustworthy to the everyday consumer. Typography really does matter. Just like colors, fonts can give the ad a particular impact. It’s also good to know when to use photos and when graphics will better serve the ad. This depends solely on your message, business and brand as a whole.