1. Make your store name prominent and easily readable.
Many stores have logos that are pretty but not easily readable by those who don’t know you. If a stranger can’t tell the name of your store in the first few seconds, you’re losing business because they see your ad but don’t know whose ad it is. Think about the day after the Super Bowl when people are talking about the ads but can’t remember the name of the business. It’s wasted exposure.

2. Make your address and phone number larger.
Many times, graphic artists are tempted to make your store name and contact information small at the bottom of the ad. They don’t want to detract from the artistic qualities of the ad. Unfortunately, they miss the main point, which is to get the reader to contact you, come into your store, and buy. The only way they're going to do that is to associate the ad with your business, not just the pictures in the ad.

3. Give a specific call to action.
Just listing your phone number isn't enough. If they’ve seen your ad and like what they see and read, tell them what to do next. Don’t use ambiguous statements like “by appointment only.” Say, “Call today for a personal appointment” or “To ensure that brides like you get all the personal attention they need, appointments are required, so call today to schedule yours.” Always follow the call to action with your phone number. Don’t make them look for it after you tell them to call. Make it easy to contact you.

4. List your website address prominently.
If you have a website (and you had better these days), list the address in your ads. You have to accept that today’s brides and the ones coming up next are Internet-dependent. They’re going to look to the Internet for information, so you need to be there. You don’t have to have the most expensive or technically advanced site, but you do have to be competitive. Buying wedding services is still a very personal experience, and brides will want a professional like you to help them find the solutions for them.

5. Buy the biggest ad you can afford. 

Bigger ads are usually placed further forward in the magazine or section. Getting at least a full page will eliminate any competitors from your page. There are only two kinds of advertising, "expensive" and "inexpensive," and it has nothing to do with cost. Expensive advertising doesn’t get you a return greater than the investment. It could be a $50, $500, $5,000, or $50,000 ad. If you get back more than you invested, it was inexpensive. Buy the value of the ad the way you want brides to buy you for the value of your services, not just because you were the least expensive vendor she spoke to.

6. Use co-op advertising to supplement your other efforts, not as your only advertising.
Some industries, such as fashion and jewelry, may have co-op ad dollars available. Sure, it’s nice to split the cost with the designers, but you’re sharing the spotlight too. Brides reading those ads aren’t thinking only about you; they’re thinking about that one designer. If you carry more than one designer, you want your prospects to know that. Since co-op ads only talk about one designer, you’re limiting your exposure to the brides who are attracted to that one designer rather than letting them know about everything else you carry. That’s why you need to supplement that with your own advertising, where you’re free to talk about the full range of your products and services.

7. Less isn’t always more.
Some people think that just showing beautiful pictures and your contact information is enough to get the sale. It’s not. Of course, you don’t want a wordy ad, but you do need a little more. Use some bullet points to let them know about your unique selling proposition. What makes your business and its people unique? You don’t want to commoditize what you do by letting them think that it’s all about price, so give them more reasons to choose you. They can buy the same service elsewhere, so you need to let them know why they should come to you. No one wants to read a lot in an ad. You don’t, so don’t expect brides will either. A few well written bullet points should suffice.

This article from The Knot Market Intelligence (TKMI) is another way that we are working to support you with education, information, and market research that are beyond the reach of most small businesses. ©2008 The Knot Inc.

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