I was at a seminar for advertisers last week. Ms. Janet peters, an advertising consultant, presented a paper on how to plan an advertisement. It was an enlightening presentation. Ms. Peters explained that firstly, we have to have a product or service that we want to promote. Then, we must think about the purpose of the advertisement. An advertising company’s primary aim would be to inform and create an interest in the product or service.

 

It should also invite further enquiries about the product or service from potential consumers. This can be done when the advertisement provides contact information. One other purpose of an advertisement is also to influence the behavior and attitudes of its audience. Ms. Peters went on to talk about the target audience of an advertisement. Advertisers have to think about the audience they are targeting.

 

The product could target a specific age group-children, teenagers or adults. It could also target certain groups of people with specific interests such as gardeners or sports enthusiasts. According to Ms. Peters, the presentation of the advertisement plays a vital role in selling the product. Persuasive language and images that create an impact are ingredients that are necessary to gain the attention of the reader. She listed some tactics that can persuade the reader to buy the product or use the service that is being advertised.

 

The use of language that evokes emotions, respiration, text that encourages swift responses and instructions that involve the reader personally. In addition, colorful graphics and eye-catching fonts can be used to draw the readers attention.