Writing Advertising Copy For DISPLAY ADVERTISEMENTS

A display or space ad differs from a classified ad because it has a headline, layout, and because the style isn't telegraphic. However, the fundamentals of writing the display or space ad are exactly the same as for a classified ad. The basic difference is that you have more room in which to emphasize the "master formula."

Most successful copywriters rate the headline and/or the lead sentence of an ad as the most important part of the ad, and in reality, you should do the same. After all, when your ad is surrounded by hundreds of other ads, and information or entertainment, what makes you think anyone is going to see your particular ad?

The truth is, they're not going to see your ad unless you can "grab" their attention and entice them to read all of what you have to say. Your headline, or lead sentence when no headline is used, has to make it more difficult for your prospect to ignore or pass over, than to stop and read your ad. If you don't capture the attention of your reader with your headline, anything beyond is useless effort and wasted money.

Successful advertising headlines - in classified ads, your first three to five words serve as your headline - are written as promises, either implied or direct. The former promises to show you how to save money, make money, or attain a desired goal. The latter is a warning against something undesirable.

EXAMPLE OF A PROMISE: Are You Ready To Become A Millionaire - In Just 18 Months?

EXAMPLE OF A WARNING: Do You Make These Mistakes In English?

In both of these examples, I've posed a question as the headline. Headlines that ask a question seem to attract the reader's attention almost as surely as a moth is drawn to a flame. Once he's seen the question, he just can't seem to keep himself from reading the rest of the ad to find out the answer. The best headline questions are those that challenge the reader; that involve his self esteem, and do not allow him to dismiss your question with a simple yes or no.

You'll be the envy of your friends is another kind of "reader appeal" to incorporate into your headline whenever appropriate. The appeal has to do with basic psychology: everyone wants to be well thought of, and consequently, will read into the body of your ad to find out how he can gain the respect and accolades of his friends.

Wherever and whenever possible, use colloquialisms or words that are not usually found in advertisements. The idea is to shock or shake the reader out of his reverie and cause him to take notice of your ad. Most of the headlines you see day in and day out, have a certain sameness with just the words rearranged. The reader may see these headlines with his eyes, but his brain fails to focus on any of them because there's nothing different or out of the ordinary to arrest his attention.

EXAMPLE OF COLLOQUIALISM: Are You Developing a POT BELLY?

Another attention-grabber kind of headline is the comparative price, headline: Three For Only $3, Regularly $3 Each! Still another of the "tried and proven" kind of headlines is the specific question: Do You Suffer From These Symptoms. And of course, if you offer a strong guarantee, you should say so in your headline: Your Money Refunded, If You Don't Make $100,00 Your First Year.

How To headlines have a very strong basic appeal, but in some instances, they're better used as book titles than advertising headlines. Who Else wants in on the finer things - which your product or service presumably offers - is another approach with a very strong reader appeal. The psychology here being the need of everyone to belong to a group - complete with status and prestige motivations.

Whenever, and as often as you can possible work it in, you should use the word "you" in your headline, and throughout your copy. After all, your ad should be directed to "one" person, and the person reading your ad wants to feel that you're talking to him personally, not everyone who lives on his street.

Personalize, and be specific! You can throw the teachings of your English teachers out the window, and the rules of "third person, singular" or whatever else tends to inhibit your writing. Whenever you sit down to write advertising copy intended to pull the orders - sell the product - you should picture yourself in a one-on-one situation and "talk" to your reader just as if you were sitting across from him at your dining room table. Say what you mean, and sell HIM on the product your offering. Be specific and ask him if these are the things that bother him - are these the things he wants - and he's the one you want to buy the product...

The layout you devise for your ad, or the frame you build around it, should also command attention. Either make it so spectacular that it stands out like lobster at a chili dinner, or so uncommonly simple that it catches the reader's eye because of its very simplicity. It's also important that you don't get cute with a lot of unrelated graphics and artwork. Your ad should convey the feeling of excitement and movement, but should not tire the eyes or disrupt the flow of the message you are trying to present.

Any graphics or artwork you use should be relevant to your product, it's use and/or the copy you have written about it. Graphics should not be used as artistic touches, or to create an atmosphere. Any illustration with your ad should compliment the selling of your product, and prove or substantiate specific points in your copy.

Once you have your reader's attention, the only way you are going to keep it, is by quickly and emphatically telling him what your product will do for him.

Before opening your Company you Need to decide upon the general Cost Level you expect to maintain. Will you cater to people buying
in the large, moderate, or low price range? Your choice of location, look of your establishment, quality of merchandise handled,
and services to be offered will depend on the customers you hope to attract, and so will your costs.

After establishing this overall price level, You're ready to cost Individual products. Generally, the purchase price of an item
has to cover the cost of this product, the other costs, and a profit. Therefore, you will have to markup the thing by a certain
sum to cover costs and earn a profit. In a business which sells few things, total prices can easily be allocated to each product
and a markup immediately ascertained. With a variety of items, allocating costs and determining markup might require an
accountant. In retail operations, goods tend to be marked up by 50 to 100 per cent or more simply to make a 5% to 10% profit!

Let us work through a markup illustration. Suppose your organization sells 1 product, Merchandise A. The supplier sells Product A
to you for $5.00 each. You and your accountant decide the prices involved in selling Product A are $4.00 each item, and you want a
$1 per item gain. What is your markup? The sale price is: $5 and $4 plus $1 or $10; the markup therefore is $5. As a percent, it
is 100%. So you have to markup Merchandise A by 100 percent to make a 10% profit!

Many small business managers are interested in understanding what Industry markup standards are for a variety of products.
Wholesalers, distributors, trade institutions and company research firms publish a massive variety of such ratios and company
statistics. They are useful as guidelines. Another ratio (in addition to the markup percent ) significant to small businesses is
the Gross Margin Percentage.

The GMP is similar to your markup percentage but whereas markup Refers to the percent above the price to you of every product you
have to set the selling price so as to cover the other costs and make profits, the GMP indicates the association between sales
revenues minus the cost of the item, which can be your gross margin, and your sales revenues. Exactly what the GMP is telling you
is your markup bears a certain relationship to your sales earnings. The markup percent along with the GMP are essentially the
exact same formula, with the markup speaking to individual item pricing and GMP referring to this product costs times the amount
of items sold (quantity ).

Perhaps an example will clarify the point. Your company sells Product Z. It costs you $.70 each and you choose to sell it for $1
per cent to cover costs and profit. Your markup is 43%. Now let up say you sold 10,000 Merchandise Z's Last month thus producing
$10,000 in revenues. Your price to purchase Product Z was $7000; your gross profit margin was $3,000 (revenues minus cost of goods
sold). This is also your gross mark for the month's volume. Your GMP will be 30%. Both these percentages use the same primary
amounts, differing just in division. Both are utilized to establish a pricing system. And both are printed and can be used as
guidelines for smaller firms starting out. Often managers determine what Gross Margin Percentage they'll have to earn a profit and
simply visit some published Markup Table to find the percent markup which correlates with that margin requirement.

While this discussion of pricing might seem, in certain respects, to Be directed just to the pricing of retail product it could be
applied to other types of businesses as well. For solutions the markup has to pay for selling and administrative costs in addition
to the direct cost of performing a specific service. If you're manufacturing a product, the costs of direct labour, supplies and
materials, components purchased from different issues, special tools and equipment, plant overhead, administrative and selling
expenses have to be carefully anticipated. To compute a cost per unit requires an estimate of the number of units you plan to
produce. Before your factory becomes too large it would be smart to consult an accountant about a cost accounting system.

Not all items are marked up by the average markup. Luxury articles Will take more, staples . For instance, increased sales volume
from a lower-than-average markup on a certain thing - a"loss leader" - may bring a higher gross profit unless the purchase price
is reduced too much. Then the resulting increase in earnings will not raise the total gross profit enough to compensate for the
minimal price.

Sometimes you Might Wish to sell a certain item or service in a lower Markup so as to boost store traffic with the hope of
increasing earnings of Regularly priced product or generating a large number of new support contracts. Competitors' prices will
also regulate your prices. You Can't market a Product if your competition is greatly underselling you. These and other Factors Can
cause you to vary your markup among items and solutions. There's no magic Formula that will work on each product or each service
all the time. However, You ought to remember the general average markup which you need to generate a Gain.

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