How to Write a Good Ad for the Newspaper

To successfully sell your good or service, you must inform the public of your product and show them why they should spend their money buying what you have to offer. One way to garner attention is to purchase and design a newspaper advertisement. By creating an effective, attention-getting ad, you can let people know about your product and make it clear why your good or service is something that they should purchase.

1. Top the ad with an attention-getting headline. A bold, well-worded headline will draw people to your ad. In the absence of a strong headline, newspaper readers will be more likely to just skip over your section of the paper. Create a headline of no more than five words that clearly communicates an important bit of information about your product.

2. Use a clear, easy-to-read font. Select a bold font in a simple print.
Consider the use of Arial or another clear font to ensure that an overly complicated font does not deter potential customers.

3. Include no more than two or three sentences explaining the good or service.
Do not overload your ad with text. You only want to include the most important information in two to three simple sentences. In these sentences, you should attempt to highlight why your good or service is preferable to others like it on the market.

4. Use simple vocabulary, and avoid jargon.
Potential customers are not likely to consult a dictionary to discover the meaning of a complex or overly technical word. Use easy-to-understand words so that all readers can understand your ad.

5. Add one or two prominent pictures.
Select a picture or two that is relevant to your product to feature in your ad. Do not violate copyright laws by using pictures that you do not have the right to re-print. Either purchase re-print rights, or use your own original photography to ensure that you stay within the law.

6. Avoid clutter in your ad.
You will likely turn off viewers if you fill your ad too heavily with pictures or text. Keep your ad clean to ensure that viewers are not overwhelmed.

7. Make factual claims.
Do not make promises you can’t keep. Do not claim that your good or service is the best without imperial evidence to support this fact. Instead of making grandiose statements that you can’t back up, keep your claims clear and factual, highlighting specific things that make your product special.

8. Include your contact information.
Your ad does no good if potential customers cannot reach you to purchase the advertised good or service. Include contact information, including your phone and any website that the customer could visit for more information to ensure that an interested ad viewer can easily buy the product he sees advertised.