 Use of Font
Curves & soft shapes appear more comforting, approachable and appealing to target audiences. Use colors that are easy on the eyes and really portray your message. San serif fonts are easier to read and studies show that readers are more likely to comprehend ad copy when a san serif font is used over a serif font.
 Use of Imagery
Use imagery that your readers can relate to. Show “your customers” in your ads using your product or service or show a benefit of use of your product or service. Use great product images. Hire a professional photographer, remove distracting backgrounds, add complimentary objects. Make it visually appealing in every way. Spend more money on one or two quality photos instead of going for cheap photos that every other business is using.
 Use of Cathy Headline
Use a catchy headline. Grab your readers attention by appealing to their emotions. Emotions are stronger than logic. Forget about your product features, always sell the benefits. Example of feature: Saves three hours. Example of benefit: Three hours to spend with your kids.“Not sure what headlines work best..try a few and track them. Adjust as necessary. Write at a grade 6 level - 90% of people understand at this level.
 Use of Interactivity
Use of animated gif or flash to draw the eye to your ad or even better have your ad created with true interactivity. Some ads even go as far as to have selectable fields or choices, and depending on your choices will take you to a solution based on the customers selection.
 Use of Size & Layout
General rule of thumb - use of thirds. One third headline, one third imagery, one third for copy. Balance, organized, easy to read, natural flow. Keep it Simple - simple layout, simple copy & simple imagery. Easy to read from top left to bottom right. Buy the largest ad size you can afford. Research shows that doubling the size of your ad yields a 45% increase response.
Additional Tips
- Track, track, track. Use promo codes, track-thru software, coupons, giveaway, etc to track which ads are effective and which aren’t. You’re spending a lot of money on advertising, be sure you know what works and what doesn’t. If you get a poor response rate from one media, it might not be the media, it might be your ad.
- Get opinions on the ad. If your friends & family “don’t get it”, then rework it until it is immediately understood.
- Be consistent. Customer retention is key to effective advertising. Keep your message and your look consistent. Changing things too often or too drastically will erode any customer retention you gained from past ads.
- Hire a professional designer. With the proliferation of desktop publishing tools, many small business owners have started creating their own ads. Don’t do this unless you are very proficient. The reason is simple: be an expert at what you do best. Do you really have the time to keep up-to-date and educated on all the latest design software? The money you save on design fees is nominal compared to what running a bad ad costs you.
Things Not To Do With Your Advertising
- Don’t use popup ads. People hate these. They are very annoying and people tend to close them without even considering a glance.
- Don’t state the boring facts. People don’t have a lot of time to read details. Don’t spend valuable ad space on telling people your postal code. Give them clear, simple information that they can digest quickly and eaily.
- Don’t use your logo as the primary design element or message. People don’t buy logos. People buy benefits. What’s in it for them? How are you solving their problem?
- Don’t use “hype”. Copy such as “industry leader”, “leading edge” or “the best” gets overlooked. They don’t care if your an industry leader, they care what the product will do for them.
- Purchase your most important media first, and make sure you budget for it over time. Don’t buy anything else until you fully fund your primary media. Do not spread your business advertising thinly across different media. Do not try one-shot ads. Do not sporadically advertise. These are formulas for failure.
- Don’t be too conservative. Conservative ads don’t get attention and you need attention. Stand out from the other ads on the page.
The Psychology of Color in Advertising
Red is for excitement in advertising design. It is commonly used for automobile and food advertising. Red is passion and sex, danger, velocity, and power.
Yellow is a great attention grabber in advertising design. It is sunshine, warmth, and happiness. It is the first color your eye processes.
Blue represents reliability, trust, security, and technology. This is why businesses often use blue, green, teal, or gray in their advertising. Blue is also coolness and belonging.
Black represents sophistication and strength. It is elegant and seductive. For the right product, black is a great color.
Green is a cool, fresh color. It is nature and spring.
Purple is royalty. It is dignified and refined.
Pink is soft and feminine. It is security and sweetness.
White (white) is for cleanliness and purity in advertising design. It is youthful. But that doesn’t mean it is for young people. Young people [teen and tween] prefer more trendy colors, like mauve and teal.
There is also white space to consider in advertising design. Without white space, you can’t read the text. Photos lose their impact, and the ad loses balance. White space may be the most important component of your advertising design.
Gold is expensive and high class.
Orange is playful. It is autumn leaves, warmth and vibrancy.
Silver is prestigious. It represents cold and science.
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