The test of a great ad

Customer's are famous for placing their name at the top of an ad in huge type. They then like to fill the every remaining square millimeter of the ad with 6 point copy. The end result is a grey blot on the page. Customers will argue at they can read everything in the ad. This is true when you are focusing on the ad in the paper or on a print out. This does not replicate the experience of your readers. They are flipping through your paper or reading through the line ads. To attract their attention the ad must shout out what it is promoting. A way to simulate this is to hold the page up and walk 8 or 10 feet away. Can you easily recognize what the ad is selling? Does the art or the headline tell what it is about? Holding the ad at a distance simulates the experience of the reader hurrying through the paper or just glancing at the ads. If you can't immediately identify the subject of the ad at a distance the typical reader will miss it as well. Try this with your customers. (It is a good idea to have some examples of good ads picked out so you can demonstrate the difference)

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch