The How-To Guide for Common Advertising Projects

The How-To Guide for Common Advertising ProjectsThe How-To Guide for Common Advertising ProjectsA lot of mystique surrounds some of the jobs that professional advertisers do, and with good reason. It takes years of hard work, dedication, trial, and error to become an expert in this discipline. That doesnt mean you cant knock it out of the park if you have an understanding of the tasks involved in advertising and youre about to launch into a career in this field. And you might want to handle your advertising yourself if you run a small business- particularly if youre just starting out. Maybe youre curious as to whats involved and wondering if you really need a professional. Identify Your Audience A good advertising campaign starts here. Youre bedrngnis going to market fishing gear to a stay-at-home mom. Know who you want to reach. This is critical for making a plan to reach the appropriate demographic. Write a Creative Brief A creative brief is the foundation of any advertisin g or marketing campaign. Its the roadmap that outlines what youre going to do and when, and the results you hope to accomplish. Focus on the product or service youre providing, and grill your clientele for their input. This is important because your creative brief is an outline for how youre going to give them what they want. Its the basic outline of your plan. Write a Great Tagline Its important to understand what a tagline is and what its supposed to do so you can create a great one. A tagline is described as a catchphrase or slogan, especially as used in advertising. Youre ultimately going to weave it through all your advertising. Focus on what your business can do for your clientele and how you can make their lives easier. Keep it to five words or less- but make those words catchy and memorable. Some great examples of taglines are Nikes Just do it, and American Express warning you not to leave home without it. Write an Advertorial Advertorials are also known as long-form copy ads. Theyre the opposite of typical ads that feature 90% visual input and barely any copy at all. Advertorials are effectively a mini-publication, designed to look like a part of the publication in which they appear. You might not have to master this for your small business, but its an important component of the responsibilities of an advertising exec. Your advertorial should be an interesting read that explains all pertinent information about your product or service. And yes, it should include your tagline. Set a Budget Know how much you- or your client, if youre in the business- can reasonably spend to get the product or service out there to a receptive market. Keep in mind that a budget isnt just about what you can afford. You must also have a firm grasp of how much your chosen advertising approach is going to cost you. These factors obviously work in tandem. You might want to hit the radio airwaves, but your budget is telling you that youre going to have to begin with some flyers. Do your research on costs. You might have to go start out small. Create a Flyer That Gets Results A leaflet or flyer might be just a simple piece of paper, printed on one or both sides, but it can grab someones attentionand promote sales if its eye-catching and if its done right. plan and print quality are important. People see advertising messages every other minute, especially when theyre out and about on the streets, so design something that will have an impact. Consider including colorful imagery. You dont want the end result to be overwhelming, however. You dont want your potential clients or customers to wince and turn away before reading or taking a closer look. Create a Powerful Press Kit Its a digital world, and press kits fall into this niche. But while many opt for flash drives and online downloads, theres a lot to be said for a physical mailing. In fact, theres even moreopportunity for your physical, handheld kit to stand out in a marketplace clutter ed with quicker and cheaper digital kits. You have the chance here to get some great coverage for very little expense, whether your press kit is for a movie, a musician, an event, a product launch, or even a politicalcampaign. Do a Press Check You want the end product to be as close to your original design as possible when youre printing anything, whether its a small leaflet, a brochure, a newspaper ad, or a massive billboard. You really do want perfection, and the press check is your last chance to make aya you have everything correct and no errors have crept in along the way.