The 5 P’s of Print Advertising

Making an (Im)Print

Print advertising comes in many forms, from adverts in magazines to direct mail campaigns and even leaflet drops, and can be a highly effective form of increasing brand exposure, as well as generating direct response. That is – of course – if it’s good. With that in mind, we’ve put together the 5 P’s for an effective promotional print campaign (try saying that after one too many in the local pub).

1. Product

The key thing to understand about print advertising is that, more often than not, you’ll be quite restricted in terms of space and character limitations. When you’re placing an advert in a newspaper, or perhaps designing a leaflet to be handed out on the street, you need something that immediately captures the reader’s attention, meaning large stretches of text are off-limits. With this in mind, it pays to be selective with what information you include, and make sure the product (or service) remains at the core of the design.

2. Photography

Yes, we know it doesn’t fit in with the whole alliteration thing, but in our defence it does begin with P, and it’s been a long day. It might be a cliché, but images and product photography really do speak volumes – so investing in a professional service might well be a profitable decision. It’s a great idea to work out what you’re trying to get across in words, and see if you can’t express that same message through an eye-catching, professional image – your response rate will reap the benefits, we assure you.

3. People

Any good marketing campaign has people (i.e. the ideal consumer) at the centre of its planning and implementation. Who is your target audience, and what are they likely to respond best to? How far along in the conversion process are they; is this the first time they’re hearing about your brand, or have they dealt with you before? Most importantly, how will they interact with you after having read the ad, will it be over the phone, using your website or perhaps through your social media? It’s imperative that you keep all of these questions and more at the forefront of your campaign in order to maintain a steady response rate.

4. Place

On the back of this last point, how exactly will you reach your ideal consumer? If you’re targeting home owners or renters, perhaps a leaflet drop is the best tactic. Alternatively, it might be worth considering investing in data lists (addresses, telephone numbers) for a comprehensive direct mail campaign. The question of placement will affect your campaign at a conceptual level, dictating the form, content and aesthetic of each piece you publish.

5. Paper

Well – you’re going to need something to print it on, aren’t you?

Chat to SO Marketing online today about our creative print advertising solutions, and through gripping graphic design and commercial copywriting, we’ll develop your brand, and direct response rate, in no time.