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Make Sure Your Ads Speak Clearly
 Before you create and publish that next newspaper, radio, TV, Yellow Pages, magazine, homes guide, billboard or Internet ad, you need to ask yourself an important question.
Regardless of how big the ad is, what it depicts, what its general theme or message is, the emotions it’s designed to generate, who it will appeal to, what photography and agency help will be used to produce it, and what it will cost to create and run it — stop and ask yourself this key question: “Why am I running this ad?”
What do you want to accomplish? What is the central message and intent of your ad?
If you can’t look at your ad and immediately and succinctly express what the central message is — not just what you intended it to be — how do you expect your consumers to understand what you are saying?
Unless you are conveying a specific message in your ad — through headlines, slogans, photos or copy — and your reader can understand this message quickly and easily, your ad will not be effective.
Forget about designing for style and beauty. Go for impact. Don’t sacrifice effect for affect.
If your ad ultimately wins an award for design or attractiveness, great. But don’t let that overshadow your main reason for creating and running your ad. You are spending advertising dollars to attract customers who will buy what you offer and not just show up to look — although that is the first step.
Focus on a Single Message
If you have more than one message, you can run more than one ad. However, rather than running a series of ads with various themes or messages, it is better to have your consumer identify with a specific message — at least in the short term (a month for instance).
You might have a limited-time opportunity for your customers to save money or make certain selections. Perhaps you have the premier location in your area. Or you might have award-winning floor plans or offer the most living area for the lowest price of anyone you compete against.
Maybe you are offering the best security program or have a complete range of family activities, your amenities may be the envy of other communities, your company may be a household name or you might have the best financing plans.
You might be the best choice for first-time buyers or the choice of the mature buyer. You might offer features not normally available in your price range, or you might allow for considerable customization in home design.
But your ad can’t say all of this. It must focus on a single message.
Decide which one of the many important selling points you want to use in your ad to attract customers — and then say it very clearly and distinctly. If you want to change your emphasis in your next ad, fine.
Don't Clutter Your Ad
And don’t be afraid of white space. You don’t have to fill every inch of your ad with copy, clip art, photos, logos or borders.
Go easy on the bold and other techniques to emphasize what you are saying. Too much bold or italics, mixed typefaces, ornate fonts, reverse print, banners and too many colors can clutter or obscure your message rather than clarify it. Such graphic techniques initially may get people to notice your ad, but unless there is a message there for them to grasp, you will have lost their attention.
Make Every Word Count
Act as if you are being charged by the word for your ad.
When you’ve finished designing or composing your ad, try taking various parts of your ad away, one at a time, to see what impact the omission has on your overall message. If removing it affects your central message, then it needs to part of the ad. However, if the ad and your message read perfectly well without it, perhaps it is not necessary and can be eliminated.
Let your ad bring your customers to you. Save the story-telling and the presentation until they arrive.
Steve Hoffacker, MIRM, is principal of Hoffacker Associates, a West Palm Beach, Fla. real estate sales and marketing consultancy that has been focusing on strategies and solutions for builders and salespeople for more than 25 years. For more information, e-mail Hoffacker, visit the Hoffacker Associates Web site, or call him at 561-685-5555.
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 Learn How to Develop Effective Ads
“Building Better Ads,” available through BuilderBooks.com, explains the ins and outs of advertising, including how to write and design effective ads.
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