In last week’s TurboTactic we reaffirmed that the advertisement itself is the cornerstone of any advertising campaign. And that you can create more successful advertising by paying attention to the basics and reviewing the checklist we provided.
This week we will look at five additional factors, apart from the advertisement content itself, which can influence the effectiveness of the advertisement.
The Size of the Advertisement. Naturally, the size of the ad will have a bearing on how much attention it will get. Don’t assume that large space advertisements will produce increased inquires in direct proportion to their size. For example, experience indicates a full-page ad will not bring twice as many inquires as a half page; it is more likely to produce about two thirds as many.
The Use of Color. If your newspapers offer color, be assured that the addition of color will increase attention value. You must be sure, however, that the color rate charge is not out of proportion to the additional response it can bring in.
When it Appears. Your goal is to run your ad when people are devoting more time to the newspapers they read. Research has shown that January, February, September, October, and November are the five most effective months. April and May are usually the poorest.
Position. The position of an advertisement in a newspaper is of major importance. You must be concerned with the position that your ad will occupy. You should also make every effort to obtain a right-hand page. When working with your newspaper space representative, inquire as to the available positions in the sections you’ll be purchasing. And, by the way, it is just as important to state where you don’t want to be.
Record Keeping. Probably the most important factor of all is keeping records of the results of your ad’s performance in each of the newspapers you use, as well as the location and section each was in. Doing this systematically and diligently over a period of time will cut down on costly mistakes and will tell you:
Which newspapers to continue using and which to drop.
Whether to use newspapers during the week or to use the Sunday paper only. This also goes for which sections to be in, and which locations to fight for.
When to run and how often.
What the best positions are.
If you are using two, three, or more ad layouts and ad sizes, which should be retained and which discarded.
We hope these last two TurboTactic emails were helpful to you and your marketing coordinator as you continue to develop and evaluate the use of print advertising for your practice.Advertising is an important part of your marketing mix, and, once mastered, can be a major component in increasing your practice revenue.
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Effective Advertising - Additional Factors
Effective Advertising - Additional Factors
