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How to Write and Design a Newspaper Ad
Newspaper ads can be effective, if done properly. If not done properly, one of the worst possible things is that it won’t be effective. This article takes a look at one of the proper ways to lay out an effective ad.
This is quite important because people read ads in a particular way. Usually readers scan from the headline, to the first sentence, down to subheadlines, and then to the final sentence. Notice I said scan. Most ads don’t get read or even noticed. Those that do usually scan the ad to see if it is of interest. A scant few will actually read it.
By following these few simple rules you will maximize the chance your ad will be seen and read.
Use a picture first in the upper half or upper part of the ad. Use a picture in your ad that illustrates what the ad is about. Don’t try to be clever by showing pictures of unrelated items in your ad to try and grab attention. For example, a newborn baby with an ad showing how your record is as pure as a newborn.
Instead, have the picture accent what you are trying to stress in your ad. If your ad is about how you want to improve job creation by improving the local economy, show a picture of a distraught man on the phone with his wife (or vice versa) with a caption saying he lost his job in cutbacks due to a down economy. If you’re running to stop a garbage dump from being placed in a neighborhood, run a picture of an existing dump with houses in the background with a question similar to, “Is this what you thought you’d have as a view from your backyard?”
Whatever you choose, make sure the picture is consistent with your overall campaign theme and message and is relevant to the ad.
Use a headline to that grabs your readers’ attention. A headline is perhaps the most important part of your ad. Research suggests it is 25% to 50% of the ad. Legendary advertiser John Caples provides insight on how to and how not to write a headline. Here’s Caples’ Five Rules for headlines:
- Appeal to the readers’ self-interest.
- Provide your reader news.
- Arouse curiosity. However, the curiosity headline is best avoided if it can’t be done properly.
- Avoid negative headlines or headlines that paint a gloomy picture (unless you’re running an attack/comparison ad).
- Try to suggest a quick, easy way to get what they want.
Caples further advises to make sure the headline conveys a quick, complete idea so the reader gets the gist of the ad whether he or she reads it or not.
Don’t try to be clever. Try to convey accurate, timely information to voters.
How to write copy that moves your reader. Caples, again, provides six guides to writing the first paragraph. After the first paragraph, you should be able to finish your ad.
Have an interrupting idea. An interrupting idea is a startling statement or a twist that breaks through the boredom barrier.
Have a shocker. This is similar to the interrupting idea above.
Provide news. Provide news for your reader that he or she may not have known about, whether it be a startling statistic or something not covered by the mainstream media.
Give a preview. Summarize the article in the first paragraph and then elaborate on that paragraph throughout the remainder of the ad.
Quotation. Provide an interesting quote, whether it be from the President, your opponent, yourself, a voter, etc. A quote that drives home the point you’re trying to make.
Tell a story. Tell a story of what’s happening in the community and how you want to change it. Try to humanize the story. Don’t write about groups of people with statistics. As Republicans, we tend to be more rational and logical than our Democratic counterparts. I firmly believe we feel people are like us, more often than not. I’ve learned they are not. Joe Sixpack, your target, cares about one thing: what’s going to happen to him and his family in the next few days. Once you start throwing around statistics with group identifications, Joe’s eyes glaze over and he turns his attention to something else. Humanize your story so that Joe Sixpack can relate and identify the story.
For example, instead of writing: “A 22% tax cut will put an extra $500 in five million Americans’ pocket” you could write, “This tax cut will put $500 back into your pocket. No more money for bureaucrats off the backs of the working people. You’ll have an extra $500 to buy clothes for your children. Or go on the vacation you’ve been wanting and haven’t been able to because of the higher tax on your income. Or contribute to your favorite charity, which can help the truly poor far better than any bureaucrat can. Or maybe take that class you’ve been wanting which could improve your chances at a promotion at work.” Humanize and appeal to their self-interest.
Use sub-headlines that break apart the text. Use sub-headlines to break apart the main part of the text of the body. Summarize the main idea you will present in each part or use a sub-head to emphasize important parts of the copy. However, don’t go overboard. Merely emphasize the points you are trying to make so the reader can skim over them and still get the gist of the ad.
There are many other great sources on designing ads, including John Caples’ Tested Advertising Methods and Jay Conrad Levinson’s Guerilla Advertising. By using these basic rules, you’ll be one step ahead of your opposition in communicating with your audience. And one step closer to winning your office.
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