The wide world of advertising: tips for making ads that work.

• Author: Martin, Michelle J.

Advertising stimulates demand for a product, service or idea. Advertising serves to increase sales, market share and public awareness, giving product information while enhancing image. Astute businesses continue to invest in advertising and promote their business in a consistent manner. An advertising investment and a planned advertising campaign can help a company increase its volume of business. Commercial advertising media includes billboards, flyers, radio, television advertisements, magazines and newspapers. Advertising occurs in media where sponsors pay to deliver messages about products.

Determining desired demographics for a business is the best way to conclude what will be successful advertising. A television commercial is considered one effective mass-market advertising format, but cost varies widely for airtime depending on programming. If the advertising budget is limited, a print advertisement is a better place to start.

Newspaper ads are effective for businesses marketing retail products and services locally; a lane number of people can be reached and specific interests targeted. Magazines allow you to target hundreds of special-interest groups. Magazines have a longer shelf life than newspapers; they are often read for months after publication. Therefore, an ad may have an audience for up to six months after initial publication. Readers spend more time per sitting with a magazine than a newspaper, so there is more of a chance they will see your ad.

Determine what your business is trying to accomplish with the advertising budget. Is it a new business that needs to build awareness, or a well-known business increasing exposure? With a new business, the advertising copy should stay the same with the first several ads to allow readers to obtain a sense of the overall business, whereas an established business can successfully run new body text in each subsequent advertisement. In either case, a design template must be developed for your company's print ads that is easily recognized and recalled. According to research on print advertisements, a two-page spread attracts one-quarter more readers than a one-page, and a full-page ad attracts one-third more readers than a half-page ad. Research also shows people respond better to illustrations or photos showing the product in use, rather than stationary. Finally, advertisements with people in them attract more attention than those without.

Repetition allows advertisers to concentrate on...