From networking with new clients, to even being introduced to a mutual friend, or a new starter at work, we make first impressions every day. We know that these first impressions count, and this doesn’t change in advertising. Studies show that a successful advert in a magazine grabs the attention of the reader in 3-5 seconds. So, think of your advert as the handshake at a beginning of a job interview: a strong handshake and you shine with confidence; a weak handshake and your confidence shrinks in front of the employer.

A good advert should be three things: clear, concise and compelling. Sounds easy, right? Well most advertisers forget one, two, or all the C’s in advertising. Include them all and you’ll be that step ahead of the rest.

Be Clear

Make it obvious what you’re selling. You can be clever, but too clever can confuse the reader and they’ll flick to the next page.

Be Concise 

People’s attention spans are short, our lives are getting busier and your advert should reflect that, being no longer than a few sentences. Imagery is a great way to grab a reader’s attention, although make sure the image is bold and bright, not a small image with several bullet points.

Be Creative

They say an image speaks a thousand words, and this applies to advertising too. An advert with strong imagery and shorter sentences will win the attention over an advert with a smaller image but cluttered with text. Let your imagery do the speaking and you’ll be sure to have a successful advert.

So always remember, adverts are like handshakes: a strong one will stick, whereas a weak one is hard to shake off.

Read more: The Benefits of Advertising within a Local Magazine 

Libby Toogood