print ads - magazines sbm 338 lanny wilke. magazine ad formats spreads usually two facing pages...
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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