| *********** Creating effective Ads | | | | content of the Ad. The content should be such that |
| *********** Today's article deals with a subject that | | | | it clearly distinguishes your product or service from |
| we all need to read, study and | | | | your competitors'. Have a catchy headline. The |
| understand…how to create an EFFECTIVE ad. | | | | headline is probably the most important part of the |
| Online advertising on the Internet leaves a lot to be | | | | Ad - It is the customer puller. Step 5: Formulate the |
| desired. We have ads that emulate Windows-warning | | | | specific promotional messages that correspond to |
| boxes. We have pop-ups and pop-unders. All of | | | | your goals The promotional messages should |
| these are developed with the intent to make people | | | | concentrate on the major selling points of your |
| notice them. However, most of them only end up | | | | product or service and have a strong call-to-action. |
| irritating them. Advertisers, especially those with small | | | | Step 6: Make the desired action clearly visible This |
| budgets, can't afford to waste money on ineffective | | | | certainly doesn't mean the desired action should |
| buys. In order to optimize your advertising buys, you | | | | necessarily blink, bounce or do flips, but it should be |
| need to concentrate on improving your creative. Here | | | | visible within an accepted format for the media |
| are some tips that might help: Step 1: Define clear | | | | you're using. In the case of the Internet, underlined |
| goals of your advertising campaign The most | | | | text links, "click here" text entry boxes, and |
| important aspect of any advertising campaign is to | | | | pull-down menus are all ways you can make the |
| have a clear objective in mind. You may be targeting | | | | desired action clearly visible. Step 7: Design the ad so |
| a specific group of people, your initial aim may be to | | | | it looks like it belongs on the sites where you're |
| target at least 1000 internet surfers and so on and | | | | advertising For instance, you may want to use the |
| so forth. Have a well defined, clear purpose. Step 2: | | | | site's font faces in your text, color schemes in your |
| Identify the most effective sites for achieving your | | | | background, font color choices overall, and emulate |
| goals Sites that are most relevant to your product or | | | | images where appropriate. Try to conform to the |
| service will, more than likely, be your best bet; but | | | | environment so potential customers visiting the site |
| also consider larger sites or networks that can target | | | | don't gasp in shock when they see your ad. Step 8: |
| the audience you're trying to reach. They can be | | | | Produce multiple versions of each ad Create three or |
| very cost-effective. If you have multiple products or | | | | four versions of each ad, changing the promotional |
| services that appeal to various target markets, you'll | | | | message, call-to-action, font faces and color schemes. |
| have to consider sites that reach all those various | | | | This is especially important if you're doing price |
| segments. Step 3: Craft your message to fit the | | | | testing or gauging reaction to specific promotions. By |
| needs of the audience you're targeting This comes | | | | splitting your advertising buy among the various |
| down to understanding the audience of the sites | | | | versions of your creative, you can then start to |
| you're advertising on. The message you use on a | | | | optimize your buy based on the message that works |
| technology site to appeal to technologically savvy | | | | best. With these tips, you will not only be able to |
| customers won't have the same appeal for visitors | | | | create an ad, but you will be able to create an |
| on a small-business site. Focus your campaign. Step 4: | | | | effective ad that does what it is supposed to do - |
| Content of your Ad Pay particular attention to the | | | | sell your products and services. Talk to you soon! |