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Is My Advertising On Target?

Before you go to the trouble and expense of running your ads, ask yourself these questions. Better yet, ask these questions while you are developing your ad. You'll end up with a stronger ad that gets better results.

Target Audience: Will the ad appeal to your target audience?
One Message: Did you clearly spell out the one or two messages you want your audience to take away? You can't tell people everything you want them to know in a single ad - focus on one or two key points.
Be consistent: Are you telling your target audience what you want them to know multiple times? People must see a message 5 to 7 times before they act on it. You'll be tired of your advertising and your messages long before your target audience is.
Taking Action: Is what you are asking the reader or viewer to do crystal clear? You won't get results if people don't know what you want them to do. Ask them to call, to buy, to request more information, to visit your web site - and make it easy for them to respond with clear phone number, web site addresses and forms.
Do the Best You Can with Your Budget: No matter how small your budget, make it look professional. It's tempting - but a mistake - to design a print piece or tape a broadcast spot that you can't afford. Better to choose an idea that can be executed nicely within your budget.
Good Design: Can you easily read the type - and have you limited the number of typefaces? Is the ad clean and easy to read - or is it cluttered with too much information? Does it carry the image of your organization - or does it look completely different from your other communication materials?
Production Quality: Are your photographs and finished ad high quality that will reproduce well? (Please - don't use the jpeg images you pull off your web site in print ads where they look blurry!) If you produced a radio or television ad, does the production look and sound professional?
Attention: Will your ad grab the attention of your audience? Will it stand out among all the other ads in the newspaper or on television?
Competition: Does your ad clearly communicate the things that set you apart from your competitors? If your ad looks and sounds like theirs, your audience will be left confused - and you may end up helping your competition more than you help yourself!
Don't Over Promise: Are your ads accurate and truthful? Play up your strengths and position yourself well, but make sure your advertising accurately portrays what you can do and who you are.