According to an article printed in Time, the average American is exposed to 3000 ads per day. Three Thousand!  Getting your business to stand out in all that mess is challenging at best, and like a child's tantrum in a grocery store (fellow parents, I know you've been there too), standing out for the wrong reasons can be worse than getting no attention at all.  Study after study identify two elements in addition to ad size and placement that, if taken advantage of, draw the most positive attention to your ad--an effective headline and a great photo.

"Wow" Headlines

Instead of focusing on their name Oasis focused on a customer need.

Try browsing your local paper--which headlines catch your attention?  In my experience, boring headlines, even if followed by fascinating articles, get passed by, while dynamic or intriguing headlines draw me in.  Print ad headlines are no different.  If you can catch their attention with the headline, they'll keep reading, but if your headline is boring or unoriginal, you just missed out on a great opportunity.   

In most cases you shouldn't use your name as the headline.  You probably think it is exciting to see "Joe's Plumbing" at the top of your ad, but the consumer doesn't.  In yellow pages especially, consumers with a name in mind usually go to the listings.  Those with a need in mind browse the ads.  Some needs-focused headlines that caught my attention lately include "We'll Be There Within the Hour", "We Answer the Phone!" and "Best Price Guarantee!"

Story-Telling Photos

Good photos tell a story and elicit emotion.  Take an ad for a vinyl fence company I noticed recently.  The fence looked nice, but the two beautiful, strong horses running behind it told the story.  The picture showed the fence was durable as well as attractive and cost effective.  When I browse carpet cleaning ads and see a photo of clean carpet, I think about carpet.  Add a happy baby playing on the carpet, and now I think "Carpets cleaned with safe chemicals protect my family."  Truer to life, stick a mangled, melted candy bar in the baby's fist with evidence of finger painting all over the carpet.  That says, "This guy understands my problem and can fix it!"  

Including a baby's face (or any face--even cartoons and animals) carries another strong advantage: Our brains are hard-wired to seek out faces.  Our eyes are also drawn to what is different, so make sure your story is original--if every competing ad boasts a photo of a guy in front of his van, a photo of almost anything else will help you stand out.  

The yellow pages are one of the only places besides the Super Bowl where people go to look at ads on purpose.  Stand out in the phone book, and you'll have a great chance of breaking through the 3000 ad circus when the consumer is ready to buy.

Thanks for your business,

Reed