The things we see around us impact our decisions, actions, and words in ways we unconsciously know of. Out of the thousands of advertisements we encounter online and in our daily lives, most people would only notice 5 to 10%. Today, many businesses utilise online marketing because of technology’s important role in people’s lives. However, printed ads still play an essential role in business marketing.
If you observe your surroundings outside, particularly in cities and urban areas, you’ll notice how printed ads surround you. The goal of billboards, posters, and banners we see is to influence us as consumers. Many businesses spend so much money on professional photo printing services for their print ads because of their efficiency in marketing.
If you plan to work on a print ad design for your upcoming business promotion, this post is for you. Here are some dos and don’ts to ace your advertisement.
Do’s
1 – Do know your print ad’s specifications.
One of the helpful ways to design a pleasant ad is by creating assets that perfectly fit and complement the print ad’s specifications. Many ads use the wrong size and resolution because they fail to design their content based on the print ad’s size.
Often, the print ad’s outcome has differences from its digital copy. That happens more if you mindlessly use font size, spacing, and image quality that do not support or are incompatible with your print specifications. That’s why creating designs that are in line with your print ad’s size and print specifications is a must.
2 – Do choose colour pairs that complement each other.
One characteristic of a great and catchy print ad is its use of colours. Sometimes, even though the message and design of a print ad are great, if its colours contradict and are not a good pair, the overall quality of the ad diminishes.
When designing an ad, choosing colour pairs that complement each other is helpful. I recommend referring to the colour wheel for inspiration if you struggle to choose complementing pairs. There are also many great colours that you can use to boost your ad’s design. But if you’re creating an ad for a brand, use their colours and incorporate them widely in your design.
3 – Do maximise the usage of font size and style accordingly.
Aside from colours, font size and style is crucial. The great thing about designing your print ad with the help of software and applications is you have a wide range of font styles to choose from. Today, minimalism and elegance matter when designing marketing collaterals.
To help you create a simple yet classy ad, you must choose a classic font style that complements your ad’s design. Sometimes, choosing Arial or Helvetica styles is the best choice to be direct with your message. Using striking and stylish styles may not be the best choice if you want your ad to be straightforward. If you look at the ads of famous brands, you’ll notice how they apply and follow this rule.
4 – Do get straight to the point if you have limited space for your messaging.
An impactful print ad can be one of two things or both. It either has an impactful visual image, a witty and intriguing message, or both. You’ll rarely find a print ad with too many images and words at once.
If you want to stir curiosity and grab people’s attention with your ad, it’s critical to get straight to the point with your message. You don’t need to maximise every space in the print to include unnecessary images or words. To make an impact, let your image, catchphrase or sentence do the work for you.
Don’ts
5 – Don’t use unhelpful images and words.
This first ‘don’t’ connects to the last ‘do’ I discussed previously. When designing an ad that you want to catch people’s attention, you must avoid using too many images and words that don’t benefit your ad.
As I mentioned in my fourth point, using only one impactful image is enough to make your ad work for you. If a word, image, or phrase is unnecessary, remove it immediately and don’t use it just to take up space in your print.
6 – Don’t display your print ad in areas your target audience doesn’t frequent.
One of the mistakes of some businesses is placing their print ads in areas where their target audience doesn’t frequent. Before creating an ad, you should already know the areas where you can find your target audience. If you’re making an ad for a beauty product, you’re likely targeting women in their late teens and working women.
If that’s the case, you should place your print ads in business districts or university campus areas to reach them. No matter how beautiful and catchy your ad is, it won’t be effective if you put it in the wrong place.
7 – Don’t use images and phrases that you don’t have permission to use.
When you use images and phrases that have the copyrights of a specific brand, you lose credibility with your ad. As a result, people will not likely build trust and confidence with your brand. Today, there are many online photos and words that you can use for free. However, not all images and phrases you see online are free to use.
That’s why when choosing an image or phrase for your print ad, make sure you have permission to use them if you’re planning to. At the end of the day, the best thing to do is capture your image and create an original catchphrase that people haven’t heard of.
A great ad is fresh, unique, and attention-grabbing.
Out of all the millions of advertisements we see online and in real life, only a few stick with us. Those that do are the ones that use a fresh design, unique messaging, and attention-grabbing image that stirs the curiosity of the public. These seven points I shared help to make one and will surely help you design an ad that will benefit your business.
Written by Bianca Banda
