Advertisement Ideas: How To Use Print Media Effectively!!!

Many times as I present the opportunity to do advertising in a magazine like La Bonita Kidz and Teenz I will hear I don’t do print advertising or print advertising doesn’t work for me or print advertising is dying. These statements concern me as it shows me that business owners are missing out on what is still a viable way of communication. True the trend over the last 10 years has been to focus more on an internet/social media based campaign as more and more people are seeking information via the internet. However there will always be a segment of the population that turns to print media as they enjoy reading. The trend in the last 5 years has been for advertisers to find the niche newspapers and magazines that reach their desired target demographic and instead of using the shotgun approach to use the single bullet approach.

The first question you must ask is to use print media effectively is what is my target audience reading and what do they respond to. I am always surprised when a business owner tells me their target audience is everyone. This is a big fail because you are not going to appeal to everyone and when doing your strategic marketing plan you need to know who your most desirable client is and what they are reading. For example if you want to reach a 25-54 year old mother, earning 100K+ annually living in a 200K+ home you want to check out www.labonitakidz.com. Knowing who your target audience is will help you use print media effectively.

The next question to ask is what message do I want to deliver to use my print media effectively? I can not tell you how many times I have seen ads thrown together and thought what the heck were they thinking. In print you have 3-5 seconds to capture the audience so your message must be clear from the start. One major mistake I see everyday is people trying to fit to much into their ad. Ad design can be very simple and effective by knowing your message. For Example when someone sees La Bonita Kidz and Teenz Your Voice In The Community along with a phone number and website they are curious and will visit the website. When they see the name in print they associate it as a resource for mothers. This is all part of the branding process.

The next question to answer in order to use print media effectively is What Sets Me Apart From Everyone Else? How can I convey this in my print media campaign? I was looking through a magazine designed for parents the other day and it had many ads for Karate Schools and they also said the same thing, none of them told their story. I immediately thought they need to be speaking with me and learning that stories sell. Most consumers think Karate is Karate and don’t know the different styles so it is up to the Sensei to educate the reader and stand out amongst the competition. When you are designing your print media campaign remember that facts tell but stories sell.

Advertisement Ideas: JDOGG’s Top 10 Effective Print Campaigns!!!

10: McDonald’s has built a strong brand and continues to promote through print advertising stressing value. Many times I receive coupons in the mail from McDonald’s and as a result I visit my local McDonald’s. Now I know you may not have a McDonald’s type budget, however I ask what are you doing to effectively drive traffic.