Tips for Successful Newspaper Advertising
* Make sure you have a strong headline. If the headline doesn't grab them, the rest of the ad won't either.
* Emphasize the word FREE and repeat it when possible.
* Show a picture of your product or service in action.
* Include testimonials
* Make an offer. You need to ask the reader to act in some manner. Add a sense of urgency to your offer by making it valid for a limited time or limited quantity. Get those sales now!
* Put a border around your ad. Borders help small ads act like big ones.
* Try adding color to your ad. Red, blue and brown work well. You can't do this with tiny ads, but some newspapers allow color in
their larger ads.
* Don't change your ad because friends and family are sick and tired of looking at it. You will get tired of your ad a long time before your prospects will. Repetition and reinforcement are the keys to successful newspaper advertising.
* Don't be afraid to use lengthy copy. It's been statistically proven time and time again that ads with more copy draw better than those with less. You want to give the reader as much of the story about your product or service as possible. Tell a story that will compel them to buy.
* Say something timely in your ad. People read newspapers for news, so your message should tie in with the news when it can.
adapted from the Guerrilla Marketing Handbook by Jay Conrad Levinson
and Seth Godin
