An effective ad is actually not designed to tell the world about your greatness. An ad isn’t about you; it’s about your prospective customers. Your ad should deliver a compelling message that causes the reader to call you. Don’t un-sell your services with the wrong kind of ad. Here are some common mistakes typically found in print ads that inspectors have made (or have paid an advertising rep to make for them):
- a poor logo created by the inspector or an enthusiastic amateur;
- the company name hogs precious ad space (name recognition without sales = bankruptcy); an unappealing color scheme;
- a mix of several different fonts; a silly pun in the ad copy (as if consumers demand witty inspectors);
- technical buzzwords like ePerm or stachybotrys (which the average person will not understand or care about);
- manufacturers’ logos like FLIR (you’re paying to promote yourself, not someone else);
- the phrase “Discount prices” (consumers who want quality will call someone else);
- the phrase “Best Prices”;
- a weak premise, such as “Here’s a great deal!”;
- the lack of an attention-grabbing, compelling headline;
- no solutions proposed for common issues;
- no list of features or benefits of your services; no sense of urgency (why not just say “Please call us sometime”?);
- no call to action; and the phrase “Satisfaction Guaranteed” (as if you’re bragging that you won’t make the customer unhappy).