Writing an Advertisement

1. The Basics

1.1 Your most important decision is choosing the right media to reach your target market.

See Advertising strategy.

1.2 Before writing anything, remind yourself of your objective.

• Who are the individuals or businesses that make up your target market?
• What are you trying to achieve?
• What are the one or two key benefits you can offer, and how do they set you apart from the competition?You need to be able to answer your target customer's primary question: 'What's in it for me?'

1.3 Your advertisement can have no effect unless it catches the reader's attention.

• A good headline is essential (see 2).
• An illustration can add impact (see 3).
• Big, colourful advertisements will catch the eye (but cost more).
• Good, clear design can also help your advertisement stand out from the rest(see 7).

1.4 Your advertisement needs to carry the right message.

• After the headline has captured the reader's attention, most advertisements use the main 'body copy' to build up interest, create a desire for the product and ultimately prompt the reader to take action.

1.5 If the advertisement is intended to generate a response, make it easy to respond (see 5).