Display Ad Design Tips

05/26/2003

"If you think you can do a thing, or think you can't do a thing; you're right." –Henry Ford

DISPLAY AD DESIGN TIPS

The November 1982 issue of Child Care Information Exchange offered these ad design tips from Exchange's own Bruce Schon:

"There are countless detailed, often conflicting, theories on what makes an ad effective. For the infrequent advertiser, the following generally agreed upon basic guidelines may suffice:

* Seek to capture the reader's attention with the headline and layout. Your first goal should be to hold the reader's attention for at least three seconds.
* Keep your copy simple, concrete and direct. You want the reader to invest an additional 20 seconds reading your copy.
* Avoid making the ad too loud. An ad filled with bold print conveys a low price, bargain basement image. A large amount of white space, on the other hand, often connotes quality.
* Stick to the buying points (the reader's viewpoint), not the selling points (your viewpoint). Try to convey one or two of your major buying points in a single ad.
* Strive for consistency. Use the same basic design for all your promotional materials. This increases its recognition value.
* Call for action. Make it clear how you want the reader to respond.

For more ideas on promoting your program, check out the Exhange best seller, On-Target Marketing, in the Exchange Bookstore at www.ChildCareExchange.com.

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.