16.1 Introduction
This module will describe in detail the two most effective and important
types of advertising: print and online.
While print is one of the oldest forms of advertisement, we will find out how
online advertisement, which is a new platform, compares to this traditional
method.
16.2 Producing Adverts for Print Media
Print advertisements were first made
in the 15th century, which means that they have greatly evolved over the
centuries.
A print advert is a traditional form of advertising that gives out information
to the readers in a detailed, yet highly effective way.
Print advertising includes newspapers, magazines, billboards, and banners.
These ads offer information to the readers in a printed form and are quite
effective in capturing their attention. Print adverts are different
to television, radio, and digital adverts because they are tangible. Let's
take a look at how print adverts are produced and what their main components
are:
Headlines
Every print advertisement has one thing that is of utmost importance: a
headline. Headlines are vital for print ads because they must grab the
attention of the audience. This means that it is the headline that advertisers
need to put the most effort in. This headline sells a product or service in a
creative and attention grabbing way.
The headline must be written so that it instantly makes the viewers look at the
advert. What is most important is that this headline cannot be too long. Short
and impactful headlines should be used in print adverts. The headline shows how
creative the advertiser is and how they make a brand look. By reading just the
headline, the viewers can make an image of the brand in their minds. If an
advertiser gets the heading right, then their adverts have a high chance of
being successful.
Illustrations
It is not just the headline that matters. An advertiser must closely look at
every single aspect of their advert. Once the advertiser has grabbed the
viewers' attention with the headline, it is time to show them that their
attention was worth it. Illustrations in a print advert should always connect
to the headline because headlines and illustrations are the first things that
viewers see.
Not only should the illustrations be connected to your headline, but to your
product or service as well. And last but not least, the illustrations must be
catchy and should be able to grab viewers' attention. Using the right image in
a print ad can build a solid image for the brand. Advertisers should try to
capture the audience by presenting amazing visuals to them. When the viewers
get a positive experience from viewing an ad, that is when they can give
attention to the brand and its offerings.
Body Copy
When it comes to body copy of a print ad, it is important that advertisers
write something that is not only unique and interesting, but also informative
for the readers. When reading adverts, readers want to find useful information
for themselves. They look for things that would benefit them. Therefore, the
body copy needs to reveal the true benefit that the product or service offers.
The copy of a print ad should also be convincing so that the readers are
willing to buy the product or service being promoted. The advertiser can also
add more text in the body copy because it is the part where readers get their information
from.
Company Details
Company details are important for every advertisement. Elements such as the
name of the brand, logo, tagline, website, and social network pages come under
company details and are essential for brands to ensure that every print ad that
they are promoting contains these vital elements.
These elements not only make the viewers remember and recognise the brand, but
are also essential for opening the doors of communication with them. Without
adding a logo in the ad, advertisers fail to make an impact on the audience and
waste their efforts on something that is anonymous for the audience.
Furthermore, not adding contact details results in zero interaction with the
audience.
Although print advertisements are
hundreds of years old, they still hold a lot of respect in the advertising
industry.
People often find it easy to read advertisements that they can touch and feel.
Print advertisements are still a major part of advertising. Even though many
people believe that they are 'old news', this is far from reality and print ads
are still very relevant, today.
16.3 The Benefits of Print
Advertisements
Research has suggested that a campaign that contains print and digital
adverts is the one that gets 25% higher response than a digital-only campaign.
This research clearly tells us how effective print ads really are. Let's take a
quick look at the benefits of print advertisements below:
Print Adverts Are Tangible
The greatest thing about print adverts is that they are tangible, which means
that they can be touched and held in the hands. This property of print adverts
makes them forever alive. Alternatively, ads that appear on television or
digital platforms have a very short life. However, the ads that are printed in
newspapers and magazines stay with the readers for as long as they keep them,
and in some cases this is for years.
Print Adverts Keep Readers Hooked
When it comes to print ads, they are excellent at getting the reader's focus.
Digital adverts, on the other hand, do not always do this.
Print Adverts Are Highly Targeted
Print advertisements are highly targeted and, unlike digital adverts, they
reach out to the right audience. Newspapers and magazines are divided into
different sections that target different groups of people. So, if a tech
company needs to advertise, it can place an advert in the tech section of the
newspaper or magazine and deliver their message to their appropriate audience.
No matter how advanced the medium of advertising becomes, print advertisement
will not lose its worth. With these benefits in place, the majority of brands
still target print media to promote their products and services.
FACT
82% of people believe that newspapers have 'power and influence' over their
readers
Source: newsworks.org.uk
16.3 The Benefits of Print
Advertisements
Relatively new to the face of advertising, online adverts are really making
businesses sell…big time.
Due to the advancement in digital technology and increased number of people
drawing towards this medium, advertisers found a great opportunity to deliver
their messages to the world. Digital advertising offers many perks to
businesses that are looking to grab a greater market share and involve the
audience in a much more interactive way.
In order to create a perfect online advertisement, advertisers need to ensure
that the ad has all the necessary elements required to capture audiences'
attention. Let's take a look at the most important elements that make up an
online advert:
Online Adverts Are Not Overly
Crowded
Online ads should be simple and to the point. Adding too much text or
information in an online ad will fail to grab viewers' attention. People on the
online forefront have a lot of things to look at. There are so many visuals and
information that potential customers cannot direct their focus to just one
thing unless it is attention grabbing. Advertisers must ensure that their
online ads are short, but send out an effective message to the audience by
using appropriate words and images.
Online Adverts Are Visually
Attractive
Online ads need to be visually appealing to catch the eyes of the viewer. When
a user opens a website, they want to see content that they visited the site
for, and if they find unnecessary ad placements, they feel irritated. This
means placement of the adverts is also important.
Online Adverts Require
Precision
Online ads cannot include random copy about your brand or product. These ads
are smaller in size and do not have the space for a lot of copy. Furthermore,
when a user is scrolling through a site, they only have a few seconds to look
at the ads surrounding the content of the site. Therefore, it is important for
advertisers to ensure that their online ads are precise and to the point.
Online ads should only include the message that the advertiser wants to send
out to the audience.
Online Adverts Must Have a Call
to Action
No matter which type of ad an advertiser is producing, a call to action is a
must. Online ads need to have a call to action to direct the audience to take
the desired action. If an advertiser wants more users to visit the website,
then they should make the users do so using an enticing call to action button
at the end of the advert.
Online Adverts Must Have a
Noticeability Factor
Online adverts should be highly attractive and easily noticeable by the users.
When users browse online, they pay attention to those things that are enticing,
and they just scroll through pages to find the information that they are
looking for. However, if there is an ad that is extremely attractive, they will
take a second out to look at it.
An online advert needs to stand out from the clutter and in order to do so,
advertisers need to keep in mind all the elements that make for an amazing
online advert.
16.5 The Benefits of Online
Advertisements
The advancement in digital technology has taken advertising to the next
level.
Online advertising has become an essential part of every business' advertising
and marketing campaign. The reason that so many businesses are targeting this
platform is that it offers a number of perks that businesses cannot enjoy on
other advertising platforms. Let's take a look at the benefits that online
adverts offer to businesses:
Online Advertisements Offer a Greater
Reach
The reason that so many businesses are opting for online advertisements is that
they realise that it is a global platform which reaches to the world. When
it comes to traditional forms of media, they target a limited number of people
based in certain geographic areas. However, when it comes to online ads, they
can be seen by the world and attract many new customers from across the globe,
enabling businesses to expand their reach.
Online Adverts Are Cost Effective
Online adverts are designed and produced by both big and small brands because
these ads are quite affordable. Ads can easily be placed on different platforms
with a Pay Per Click or Pay Per Median model. The cost of the placement depends
on the number of clicks users make, which is a win-win situation for
businesses. Many online platforms also help businesses promote their brand for
free.
Online Adverts Offer Improved
Targeting
Another great benefit of advertising on the internet is that businesses get a
chance to reach out to their exact target market. When an advertiser places a
billboard ad, it can only reach those who pass from that area. Online ads, on
the other hand, can be placed on business related websites and get the
attention of the appropriate audience.
Let's say a company that wants to sell make-up places advertisements on a
make-up blog, then all the make-up lovers from around the world will see these
ads. This is what other advertising medium fail to achieve.
Online Adverts Offer Better Customer
Interaction
The best thing about online ads is that they offer greater interaction between
customers and businesses. These ads are not only visually more appealing, but
they also offer users a chance to communicate with the business. Furthermore,
online advertising can be easily measured by sending out surveys and
questionnaires to customers. Businesses can also post their questions on
their social network to get relevant answers from their audience.
If a brand posts their advert on their Facebook page, they can easily get
comments from the audience and learn a lot about their views, likes, and
dislikes, which helps them become better.
Mobile Targeting
When it comes to reach, nothing can beat online adverts. Print, television,
outdoor, and radio commercials can only reach the audience in specific
scenarios and places. Online adverts on the other hand can reach everywhere the
customers go. With the help of mobile technology, advertisers are able to get
their adverts viewed even when the customer is not on their traditional
computer. There are so many mobile technologies, including tablets,
smartphones, and laptops that people take their internet along with them, which
increases the chance of businesses reaching out to them 24/7.
Online adverts are visually appealing and offer a greater reach to businesses
looking to expand their scope and grab a greater market. With the help of
online advertising, businesses have become more active in targeting their
customers where they like spending most of their time.
16.6 Making Print Media Work for a
Business
If you are considering a print media marketing campaign for a business, it
is imperative that you take some time to plan ahead, and you must know exactly
what you want your adverts to achieve.
Once you know this, you must figure out what you need to do to reach your goal.
This is where the pros, such as professional copywriters and marketers, can
come in to help. Remember, most print adverts are not designed for selling a
product. Instead, these adverts are meant to give target audiences a way to remember
or discover a brand.
The next time these people are in a shop, for instance, you want to ensure that
your brand is within the field of vision when they are inundated with products.
It is always a good idea to feature a web address on these adverts, as then you
can easily kill two birds with one stone. Repetition is the key here, and the
more ads you can get out into the public eye, the better off you will be.
By making sure potential customers
see your advert with regularity, the higher the odds that they will remember
your brand. In general, it takes a person approximately 7 times to fully act on
an advert after seeing it.
Though it is true that print advertising is not as popular as other forms of
advertising on the market, it may be the most loyal. It is not necessarily
flashy or sexy, but it is reliable and familiar. However, it is limited, so it
may be best to use a combination of both print and online advertising when
possible.
16.7 Making Online Advertising Work
for a Business
To make online advertising work for your business, you must make sure that
you are using it correctly.
Here are some tips:
Target the Audience
When you are creating an ad, make sure that you are identifying the type of
consumer that you are targeting with the advert. There are several audience
targeting options, such as behavioural or geographic targeting, that allow you
to narrow down the groups that you focus on.
For instance, if
you are targeting a specific area, such as York, you will target the
ads to people who live and access the internet in their York area home.
Audience targeting will allow you to specify the type of people who see your
online adverts, which will, in time, give you more impressions for your
investment.
Create Banner Ads That Compel the
Audience
If you want a banner ad to reach your target group, make sure that it is a
compelling and neat design. Bring these adverts to life by using graphics and
images that represent your business name and concept. This helps a person
immediately know if your business services are relevant.
Also, you must design a banner advert with bold fonts and colours, as you want
to make it stand out. Remember, you only have a small space for this advertisement, so you
must use short, impactful copy and emphasise the value of the message you are
conveying to your customers.
Create a Call to Action
The call to action is the most important part of a display advert as it tells
your target audience what to do. If you do not add this to an advert, you could
potentially lose a lot of customers. A customer will only see your advert
briefly, so you only have a short time to grab their attention with a
compelling call to action. For example, offering an incentive such as a coupon,
a free estimate or download can help to entice a customer to click your
advertisement.
Here are some ways you can also help
your call to action stand out:
Highlight a Benefit - Make sure to state the value that a customer
will get when writing a CTA. For instance, saying 'Sign Up for a Free
Trial' or 'Get a Free Quote' are persuasive.
Emphasise Your Design - Draw attention to the action you want a
customer to take by formatting the CTA in an easy-to-read, large font, and
a colour that is noticeable, just make sure it complements the rest of the
advert.
Include Something to Click - Finally, make sure that your customers
have something to click on your advert, such as the CTA. This further
reminds your customers to take action.
Optimise the Landing Page
A landing page is also an important page of any online advertising campaign, as
it provides the information that customers require. There are ways that you can
optimise this page to boost the conversions you get when people visit your page
via the display advert.
One of the crucial steps is to ensure that the landing page is consistent with
the display advert that is associated with it. The landing page should not
contain a similar design, but it should feature the offers that are mentioned
on the display ad. Keeping up on the message and design will allow customers to
easily correlate the advert with the landing page.
Track the Leads
Finally, you should make sure that you are tracking the activity that occurs
due to this banner advert. This will help you to determine the effectiveness of
the advertisement and how well it does at driving new leads. Tracking these
metrics will help you make changes and will help you determine what is working
and what is not. You should also be tracking other actions, too, such as any
conversion that comes from a telephone conversation, email, or other forms of
advertising.
Module Summary
When looking at print and online advertising for your business, you are
essentially combining old and new into an effective campaign to attract and
keep customers. Print advertising is the tried and true method, but online
advertising can bring a lot of good in its own right.
Creating a solid combination of print and online advertising works well for
most companies, but as with any form of advertising, what works for one company
does not necessarily work for another, so it is worth the time to start out
slowly, do your research, and test these forms of advertising when possible.
Only then will you find out what combination, if any, works best for your
business.
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