Tips for Increased Response from Your Ad in Natural Awakenings

If you own a business then you probably need to advertise. But just what makes a good ad? You want to be sure that your advertising dollars are well spent, so here are a few tips.

Hire a professional 

Our staff are professionals in creating ads, copy and imagery that attract attention and create results. If you are willing to put your message, product or service in front of readers, draw from the experience of professionals to ensure the readers respond to your ad. As a service to our advertisers, we offer a discounted ad design rate.

Considerations on creating your own ad

In an ad you have a limited amount of space and only 5 to 10 seconds to catch the attention of the reader. So how do you make the most of that space? The first thing you need is a headline that catches the eye. The number one rule in advertising is to draw attention to your ad and stop the reader from turning the page. Most ads have the name of the advertiser and/or business and phone number as the most prominent features of that golden space on the ad. However, if the reader has never heard of your business, then you may not catch their attention and they may not read the ad. And, needless to say, if they don't read it then it doesn't matter how prominent your name and phone number is on the ad! So the number one order of priority in a good ad is a headline that catches the eye and piques the interest of the reader.

What makes a good headline? 

Think about what would make you stop and take notice? Would a headline like this work for you? Alternative Health Associates. This might not be intriguing enough to make you want to stop and find out what they do. The headline gives some clue, but it could be much more powerful.

Would this catch your attention? Need Help Sorting Through the Holistic Health Maze? We can help!

Now this just might intrigue someone enough to read further. So the second rule of an effective ad is to clearly spell out the benefits of what you are offering. You should never list every single benefit or service that you offer - touch on the most important services or highlights. However the headline should be intriguing enough to get the reader to read the entire ad and call and ask questions. This is referred to as the FAB approach - Features, Advantages and Benefits.

If you want to try your hand at writing a headline for your ad, just keep these ideas in mind. Your headline needs to promise a benefit and/or provoke curiosity. Also, people buy two things: Solutions to problems and implied postive experience. Think of these two criteria next time you write a headline for your ad.

The response you get to your ad has everything to do with how effectively your ad "speaks" to the reader. Does your ad convey a benefit or evoke curiosity about your business? Do you ask the reader to call you and tell them why they should?

Do I need a visual element?

Yes, this is usually a great idea. A photo with the headline under it can be very compelling and helps grab attention of the reader. You should also include any logo that you may be using for your business. If you don't use a visual element, the actual font used in the ad and the over-all design can be just as powerful if well executed.

White space sells.

Budget for repetition

It’s common knowledge — and common sense — that the advertisers who get the best results are those who advertise consistently. Regular advertising lets our readers get to know you over time as someone who is established and successful. The same amount of money, whatever your budget, is much more wisely spent running a smaller ad every month than on running a larger one only once or twice. Because you should get the best results using the strategy of repetition, we offer substantial discounts for advertising over periods of six or twelve months.

Set your intention

Tips to Effectively Utilize the Monthly Calendar

Readers and web-visitors utilize our monthly calendar to find events that educate, inspire and promote health, inner growth, creative expression and sustainability. Here are a few tips to ensure readers and web-visitors respond to your listing.

• Offer "free," low cost or "introductory" events.
• Have an effective event title that peaks the interest of our readers and web-visitors.
• Keep descriptions concise.
• Ongoing events must be consistent and suitable for "drop-ins." 
• • Our experience has shown that events requiring pre-registration or a significant investment of time and/or money are not suitable as standalone calendar listings. As such, we've created an event ad package that has proven to be effective for promoting events. 

   

Ten Answers to "Why advertise in Natural Awakenings?"

1. You offer a product or service that deals with natural methods of health, healing, inner growth or creative, earth friendly living.

2. The U.S. marketplace for goods and services focused on health, the environment, social justice, personal development and sustainable living is conservatively estimated to be $209 billion and growing every day. This is the market that Natural Awakenings taps into.

3. Your advertising is targeted straight to the people who are willing and able to buy or use your products or services.

4. A free publication means that only people who are interested in healthy living will pick up the magazine. This means less wasted paper and wasted money. Our comprehensive companion website keeps our eco-consious target marketing initiatives moving forward.

5. Targeted to LOCAL residents interested in healthy living - you are not paying extra to advertise to Detroit, Ann Arbor and other parts of Michigan or even the country – though we can arrange that for you by contacting our sister magazines. Plus, our daily web stats show that our popular website offers superb local, regional and national exposure. We’ve got you covered.  

6. Quality articles and content each month keep readers and web-visitors coming back for more. The seamless integration of features by nationally known holistic leaders and local experts and events is unique in the market.

7. A comprehensive community calendar means that readers will keep their copy and refer back to it over and over and bookmark our website for 24/7 access to local events and resources. 

8. Natural Awakenings works! Read the Testimonials from some of our satisfied clients.