Basic Principles of Good Advertising

Why you should STOP advertising!

So, you advertise and advertise and advertise… Business is slow, and you are realising you’re wasting time and money. Keep on reading if you want to know why your advertising is failing.

STOP advertising if it is BAD! How do you know it’s bad? Here’s a few basic principles for GOOD advertising and how to decide on the advertising platform best suited for your business.

You must have excellent content and good designs. If you do not have a clear message, you will not be able to grab the attention of potential customers. If you use poorly chosen artwork, you will look unprofessional, and no one will be interested in your product or service. David Ogilvy, the father of advertising, stated: “People ignore designs that ignore them”. This is where bad design can sink your whole advertising campaign.

Choose your target market correctly! You as a business owner should know by now who and where your target market is. Look for advertising platforms and publications directly linked to that market. It is a waste of money to advertise an upmarket boutique in a black-and-white newspaper.

How many issues will be printed? Don’t rush into thinking if a company prints 10 000 issues it is better than a circulation of 5 000. You also need to compare the distribution areas of the publications you want to advertise in. Is it relevant to your market?

Where in the publication will you be featured? I once received a refund because my graphic design promotions advert landed up in the livestock auctions section. No way this is acceptable! 

By keeping this in mind, you can now decide on a medium.

Newspapers are daily or weekly. Therefore the ‘shelf-life’ is very short-term. So, you’d want to use it for specials and promotions, the information you want to spread quickly. Also, keep the poor quality in mind. A huge pro is the circulation and distribution of newspapers. You still can’t go anywhere without seeing a newsletter lying around. It reaches a lot of people!

Magazines and other print mediums are for more in-depth information. People spend more time paging through a magazine. This works for introducing your company and should have good content! Again, also a very clear message. Speak your customer’s language and engage with them on an emotional level.

There are tons of other platforms for advertising - TV, radio, outdoor, online, etc. And it can be very scary and very expensive if not done correctly. It takes determination and patience. Let me help you make this important facet of your company less daunting. I can supply you with a full breakdown of an advertising campaign and discuss advertising and marketing in more detail.

Remember, advertising is an investment - not a miracle!

Written By: Joh-Mari van Heerden