Pointers For Advertising On A Tight Budget

A few days ago, I made adjustments to a print ad layout for a friend. The ad was to come out on an expat magazine, which exactly caters to the establishment's target audience. The advertiser is a year-old fine dining restaurant that specializes in Indonesian cuisine. I share here what I imparted to my restaurateur friend.

First, a little disclaimer. I am not what you might call an advertising expert. However, I do believe that common sense goes a long way to maximizing the impact of your ad initiatives.

With that, here are some pointers on getting the most out of your advertising efforts especially when you are on a shoestring budget.

1. Size matters. The bigger the ad the more expensive it is but you can get better mileage out of your ads if you know that you are reaching your desired audience. In the case of a fine-dining shop advertising on a magazine with a wide readership of foreign expatriates, splurging on a large format ad once in a while makes total sense.
   
   Like I told my friend, you want to come off stating clearly, "You are welcome here". On the other hand, a rather small ad space merely whispers "psst, hey you, were over here." You don't want to send that kind of message. Go as large as your budget will allow.
   


2. Think "Action". With a business-card sized layout, message comes before design. Ask yourself, "what do I want the audience to do?" The answer will lead you to decide on what relevant information to put in to maximize your ad space. You do not want the readers to send you a fax, so don't put in your fax number. This gives you more space to promote your phone number so people will "know how to act" prompting them to call and inquire how to get to your shop, or to make reservations.
   
   Use short action words like "call", "visit us" or "enjoy here" - you get the idea. Get to the point - it is ok to tell people what you want them to do.


3. Keep it simple. You have limited advertising space. You want people to visit your place. Not to mention that the publication is printed in black and white. So why the heck will you employ an 8-color ad design with layers of images? Often times you will find that you can do away with the brilliant backgrounds as they do not lend to readability in small spaces.
   
   
   
   

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   Also, script fonts totally do not work in point sizes smaller than 12 or 14. Use simple text fonts instead. You would want to use a "contrasty" design - perhaps a light on dark motif or a thick border line. This will help attract people to your tiny corner of the page. Alternately, you can opt to use a short direct text copy along with the shop's logo and make it "float" on white space for that minimalist look. It's true what they say - sometimes less is more.

As a parting shot, remember that while your advertising budget for print may be rather restrictive, the Web can offer better and more affordable (even free) alternatives for providing exposure for your business. From appending a simple e-mail signature, to getting your own domain and website, to getting listed on online business directories - combining a print campaign with a web-based solution can multiply your business' advertising results a thousand-fold.