Methods For Creating Effective Advertorials

7 replies
During the last two years I've spent studying marketing and writing sales copy I've realized that writing good copy is something I'd rather "hire" With that said, I'm still interested in learning as much as I can about designing, writing, layout of effective advertorial ads(print)

Is there any source like a collier, kennedy, caples, ogilvy, etc that focuses on these types of ads ? Swipe files ? anything ?
#advertorials #creating #effective #methods
  • Profile picture of the author RickDuris
    Originally Posted by Dan Williams View Post

    During the last two years I've spent studying marketing and writing sales copy I've realized that writing good copy is something I'd rather "hire" With that said, I'm still interested in learning as much as I can about designing, writing, layout of effective advertorial ads(print)

    Is there any source like a collier, kennedy, caples, ogilvy, etc that focuses on these types of ads ? Swipe files ? anything ?
    There's a simple "secret" to the formatting and layout of great advertorials:

    You make the advertorial look as close to the rest of the newspaper or magazine as possible.

    This makes the reader believe he's reading editorial content, as opposed to an advertisement.

    Some publications like WSJ will chastise, but it never hurts to try.

    - Rick Duris
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2366732].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author rkiyosaki
      Hi Rick
      Is there any software package you could recommend for creating advertorials ?
      Regards
      rkiyosaki
      Signature
      ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,PROFIT SOARING methods With Facebook MARKETING -CAN YOU AFFORD TO LOOSE $1000,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2366834].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author maiskelin
    Indesign would be the classic answer. Easy to use, even for newbees.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2370068].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author RickDuris
      Originally Posted by maiskelin View Post

      Indesign would be the classic answer. Easy to use, even for newbees.
      There you go! - Rick Duris
      Signature
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2372489].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author gjabiz
    a "college" education on ADVERTORIALS.

    Here's the thing. When you go to Borders or any bookstore that sells magazines, or your local library, OR supermarket to pick up the checkout mags, including the tabloids, pick the pubs most likely to be like the ones YOU would use.

    If you are selling a fitness product, the WSJ may not be the best read. See what kinds of advertorials you'd find in fitness type magazines. Same for any subject.

    As Rick mentioned the "secret" is to get your ad to look like content, and even though many if not most publishers frown on you getting too close, you can still make it an INTERESTING TO READ ARTICLE

    which is the point of the advertorial. They are run in publications where the reader may have an interest in the product.

    So a golf product would be seen in Golf, Golf Digest, etc.

    ALSO, today, everyone knows it is an AD, you don't have to disguise it too much, but you want it to LOOK like a story, or content in Internet Speak, and give the reader some information and interesting subject matter, no matter how mundane the subject.

    In a health publication, would it be a good place for a vacuum cleaner? Well, maybe. If your vacuum cleaner was also an AIR PURIFIER which took out 99.9% of the irritants in the air. See?

    Make it relevant to the reader, if not niche or topic specific, then in a general appeal way with interesting story, pictures, facts, pie charts, graphs...just like a "real" article in the publication would use.

    We've discussed this before here, I'll search the archives, I know I've posted several examples of successful advertorials, and other's have too.

    gjabiz


    Originally Posted by Dan Williams View Post

    During the last two years I've spent studying marketing and writing sales copy I've realized that writing good copy is something I'd rather "hire" With that said, I'm still interested in learning as much as I can about designing, writing, layout of effective advertorial ads(print)

    Is there any source like a collier, kennedy, caples, ogilvy, etc that focuses on these types of ads ? Swipe files ? anything ?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2374312].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Dan Williams
      Thanks for the replies guys...I currently have a very talented guy writing advertorials for me...and he takes care of all that...I was just hoping to find some material to sit on the beach and read.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2374345].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author SamEnslen
    Ogilvy is of course a great jumping-off point for this type of writing. Other than that, I'd recommend reading widely--newspapers and magazines of all types--and really paying attention to the ads that you see. Which ones catch your eye? What ones pique your interest in a product? How are they written? Are there any patterns or trends you can see?

    Writing an effective ad can be more art than science. But it never hurts to see what other professionals are doing and to model your work after the best that you see.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2375627].message }}

Trending Topics