Marketing Tip of the Week - Advertise Strategically

[Frank Gomez]

OK, so you hare networking, blogging, being seen too. Should you advertise too?
Advertising can be very expensive. Take care not to advertise where it doesn’t pay off. Think about what medium the donor or client in your target market views, reads, or listens to most. That is where you should spend your money.

I strongly recommend that you hire a graphic designer to make sure you develop a consistent, attractive look so you and your business will be remembered.

In print advertising, unless you are paying for a full-page ad, ask for your ad to be placed in the upper left or lower right hand corner of a two-page spread. Most production managers won’t promise anything, but sometimes they will accommodate you simply because you asked. Others will charge extra for special placement. If the charge is minimal, do it! It is not worth the risk of having your ad buried in the fold.

Unless you are buying a full-page ad, select the odd sizes or shapes instead of a half or quarter page. Readers get used to those half and quarter page “boxes” and (their eyes) skip right over them. The sizes that catch people’s eyes are usually 1/3 or 2/3 of a page. Column ads are very effective too, but make sure the publication places it on the outer edge or center of the page, never in the fold.

Frank Gomez is a freelance Graphic Artist in Sarasota
His website is www.FranksDesigns.com and you can call him at 941-374-7711