Five top tips on how to write a magazine advertisement

Tip 1: Keep your advertisement simple - that might mean making a clear, bold offer like “10% off in October”. Alternatively, you might choose a single product or service to promote out of the range you offer. 

 

Most importantly, you need to show your potential customers why they might want what you have to offer. So, you will need to answer questions like “What problem will this solve?” or “What benefit will my customer receive?”. 

 

Tip 2: Make every word count - on average, people will only pay attention to your advertisement for about eight seconds which means they will only read around 30 words. So, your text should probably be just two of three sentences long. 

 

You will need a headline that really catches the eye. Once you have defined how you help your customers (see Tip 1) this step should be straightforward. Make sure you have a relevant image and choose good colours to complete the package. 

 

Tip 3: Clearly tell people what to do next - you will want people to do something after reading your advertisement. Make sure you explain what they should do and how they should do it. This is your call to action or CTA and, after catching people’s attention, it’s the most important part of your advertisement. 

 

You can give people a special offer code that they can redeem online. Alternatively, you could include a quick response (QR) code that people can scan to take them to a page on your website where they can download a printable voucher to use in your shop. You might want them to call to book an appointment or send you an email. 

 

Whatever you want people to do next, make sure it’s easy to understand. 

 

Tip 4: Include the important information - you might be surprised to hear that some businesses forget to include important information like telephone numbers, email addresses or websites in their advertisements. 

 

Even if you prefer people to contact you online, it’s still a good idea to include a telephone number because it confirms you want to be contacted. If you have offices or a showroom, include the address, because it shows you are local. 

 

Tip 5: Take advantage of testing potential - magazines are published regularly so you can test the most effective approach for your advertising in each edition. You can change your headline or your call to action, for example, to see which version is most effective. Just a word of warning; don’t change too many things at once, or you won’t know what made a difference. 

 

To be confident that your advertisements are delivering results, think about how you will measure them. You can simply monitor enquiries or sales to see if they increase during the week or month your advertisement appears. You can ask new contacts where they heard about you when they call or enquire online. You can also make specific special offers that are unique to your advertisement. 

 

Overall, a well-written and carefully thought-out magazine advertisement is an effective way to promote your business and increase your sales.