Let’s set the scene: You need leads, so you carefully research options and place an ad for your company. You then wait patiently for the phone to ring, but nothing happens. What gives?

A lot of time and thought typically goes into deciding where to place ads, but how much time do you spend thinking about the actual ad itself? It can be difficult to know what needs to be included, especially if you are new to advertising. Combine this lack of confidence with tight advertising deadlines, and many business owners throw something together quickly or outsource the design entirely to an individual who may or may not understand the brand or target audience.  It is crucial that an owner have the ability to recognize an ad that aligns with the overall business objectives, no matter if that ad is designed by the owner, a marketing manager, a vendor or a freelancer. To do so, owners should look for three elements: language targeted to a specific audience, a call to action and a tracking number.

Knowing Your Audience

The first element is that all ads must address the specific target audience in language that appeals to that segment. This is arguably the most important piece of every ad because if an ad does not jump out to an individual, he or she is likely to simply skip over it and move on. You have to capture their attention quickly and explain why your product or service can help them in one way or another. Does your audience need a new roof for their home? Are they planning a summer vacation for their family? Do they need a new dentist? Whatever the answer is, make the ad about the audience. Do not use precious ad space to tell the entire history of your business and then put a logo in the corner with a phone number. Use an ad to capture attention and explain why the audience should contact you to learn more. For instance, let’s say you are designing an ad to reach individuals who need replacement windows for their home. The first headline option may be “The most trusted name in windows since 1985”, and then the ad could have a picture of the owner and his family, have a short paragraph about the business, and close with a phone number and business address. Now let’s consider a second option. The potential headline may be “Did you suffer with cold, drafty windows last winter?”, and it then goes into the energy efficiency ratings of the windows and includes a testimonial from a happy customer. The ad closes with an offer (Free Installation if they call before the end of the month) and a call to action (Call us today to schedule your appointment). At first glance, both ads are targeting individuals looking for new windows. However, the first option talks about the business and not how that business can solve a problem for the reader. The second option targets a specific problem (cold, drafty windows) that many homeowners have and then details how the business can solve that problem. Everyone is inundated with ads throughout the day, whether from TV, Facebook, Magazines, or some other channel. Therefore, people pay attention to ads that address something relevant to them. Otherwise they simply move on. Your ad needs to speak to your audience directly and immediately answer the reader’s question of “how does this help me?”.

A Strong Call to Action

Once you have developed an ad that directly addresses your target audience, you need to include a call to action (CTA) in order to direct the reader to the desired next step. It is not enough to simply list a phone number or a website. You have to spell out the action you want the reader to take. Call Now. Click Here. Visit our Website. Schedule an appointment. Regardless of the wording of the call to action, it has to be there. Offers typically go hand in hand with a call to action. Listing a sale price or discount valid for a limited time, combined with a “call now” CTA creates a sense of urgency and reasoning for people to call you today rather than let that magazine ad sit on their counter for another three months. You may think that listing a phone number is evidence enough that you want consumers to call you. However, as mentioned previously, consumers are overwhelmed and have short attention spans. You need to be as direct as possible and clearly articulate the action you want the reader to take.

Tracking, Tracking, Tracking.

The third element to look for in a successful ad is tracking capabilities. This is key to understanding the return a specific ad generates. How do you know if that flyer/newspaper ad/website ad was successful? Do you know how many phone calls or clicks you got from the campaign? If not, how can you truly determine your return or whether to use that ad or medium again? It is crucial to track the results of every ad in order to determine its success and potential for future use. Tracking does not have to be overly complex, and there are many companies who will help you set up tracking numbers and even record the calls so you can review later. Tracking phone numbers should have a local area code if possible, as most people prefer local numbers instead of toll free or national (888, 800) numbers. If it is a print advertisement, you can create a special landing page for that ad and feature that URL in the ad. Then you can use your website analytics to monitor the traffic to that specific page. Digital ads are slightly easier to track as they will appear as paid/social traffic in your analytics. If you (or someone in your organization) are not checking your website analytics at least monthly, you are doing yourself a disservice and potentially missing traffic sources to capitalize on. If you have a company that updates your website, they should be able to share regular reports with you so you can remain informed. While phone calls are more obvious, it is important to track online traffic as well since most people will look for you online regardless of where they originally saw your ad.

A good advertisement tells a story and makes potential customers want to take action and learn more. Utilizing the three elements discussed here (tailoring the ad to your audience, including a call to action, and utilizing tracking numbers) will allow you to create and/or identify a strong ad that aligns with your company brand AND the objectives you want to accomplish. Marketing budgets are finite, so it is important to take all the steps necessary to make every dollar go as far as possible. It may seem time consuming but creating strong ads does get easier over time and is absolutely vital to lead generation and to the success of your business.