Sarah Russell 27th November 2024

Why less is usually more when you want your ads to attract the right people.

Image of a roadside ad. Black text on a white background that says: Llanarth Cricket Club, Senior and Junior Players. WANTED, Contact Peter and then a phone number which has been hidden.
You can often see great ads in unexpected places

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every year, just before the start of the cricket season, this ad appears on the side of the road near to where I live. Its brilliance always makes me smile.

Here’s why it’s so good.

  • It speaks straight to its target audience: cricket players
  • It’s specific: they want junior and senior players
  • It’s plain black text on a white background so is easy to read
  • The design is straightforward with no bells and whistles to distract or confuse the main message
  • The copy is to the point, so it’s easy to take in as you drive by
  • It’s on a corner at a junction, where people are slowing down, so they have more time to read it
  • It has one clear call to action: contact Peter on… (I took out the number to protect him)
  • It has a name, Peter, which makes it personal and means people are more likely to call
  • It has emotion: the word WANTED in block capitals makes you feel their need

What your ads need to do

It can be easy to think that advertising has to be ‘clever’.

After all, how many ads do we all see every day – or more to the point fail to see – that are full of complex messaging and design?

But the purpose of all advertising is to make people do something, whether that’s buy a product or service, think about something they hadn’t considered before – or join a cricket club.

So when people see your ad they need to answer three questions:

1) Are you talking to them? For this ad it’s cricket players, or people who’d like to be cricket players

2) What difference can you make? For this ad it’s give people a team they can join

3) What they need to do next. For this ad it’s call Peter

Often, to get this message across, we just need to say it like it is.

Hello. I’m Sarah Russell, a freelance copywriter from near Cardiff in south Wales.

I can help you get straight to the point and attract the people you need to reach.

Call me on: 01873 776 153

Email me at: info@sarahrussellwriting.co.uk

Connect with me on: LinkedIn

Thank you for reading my blog. I hope you found something in it to help or inspire you, or to make you smile. Please feel free to share it.