This document provides tips for writing effective print and digital advertising. It recommends using conversational language and focusing on benefits to the reader. For print ads, it suggests using a one-line summary, news/demonstrations, stories, sermons or outlines. For web ads, it recommends considering font size, legibility and bandwidth. It describes different types of web ads like banners, logos, tiles, pop-ups and buttons. The key is providing value to the reader and directing them to a clear call to action.

1. OUJ3700
Print and Digital

2. Writing tips
• Every second counts; therefore, every
word counts.
• Speak to the audience the way you would
speak to your friend at a restaurant. Be
more conversational.
• Contractions are your friend.
• This is the “Tell Them” part of the
equation.

3. Writing tips
• Jargon is lazy.
•Conveniently located….
•Now that (insert season here) is in the air….
• The friendly folks at….
•But wait, there’s more….
•Don’t miss out….
•Huge selection….

4. Get rid of jargon
• Active
• Alive
• Brimming
• Captivating
• Lively
• Secluded
• Vivid
Paint a picture and help the person understand what your
place is like if they have never visited there before.

5. Get rid of question
lead ins
• Are you looking for a great
way to cool your house?
• What if the answer is no?
• You lose your audience.
• Question lead in=one letter
grade deduction….

6. Avoid generalizations
• Yuck: We have dozens of
suits on sale.
• Yeah: We have blue, black,
single-breasted, 5-button
and powder blue suits.

7. Avoid if
See my question point.
If….half a letter grade….

8. Watch prepositions
• At Dan’s Suitshack, we have
alterations.
• Dan’s Suitshack has alterations.
• Think SVO

9. Two other thoughts
• Don’t go negative
• Think active present tense

10. Thinking about art
direction
1. Write your copy the way it will appear as
the finished product. If you are writing
16x9, format your screen that way. It will
save you lots of time.
2. Remember a column of ad copy is
usually 30-50 characters wide.
3. Adjust words so the copy breaks
naturally.
4. Talk about type and font.

11. Print principles
1.One liner
2. News/Demos
3. The Story
4. The Sermon
5. The Outline

12. THE FASTBALL
70-75% of the time

13. Print principles
The One liner
• One simple sentence that says it all.
• If you have a good commitment
statement, you’re really close to having
your copy read.
• The visual delivers much of the
communication.

14. The one line doesn’t
have to be words.

15. Example of a one liner

16. Example
one liner

17. Print principles
News/Demo
• When ads have worthwhile info, we are more apt to read
it.
• New information (price, use, sale) is a good time to run an
ad.
• Your challenge is to not make it seem like the same old
story.
• Differentiate why it is news: (Think contrast before/after)
• Demonstrate your advantage (side by side, new/old)
• Good deeds matter. Cause marketing is becoming a big
deal.

18. News example

19. THE breaking ball
20-25% of the time

20. Print principles
The story
• Think testimonials
• Thinks case studies
• Establish characters and conflict
• Have your hero be the product and
save the day.

21. The story examples

22. The story examples

23. Print principles
the sermon
• Act as an authority.
• Act as a friend.
• Tell them what you’re going to tell them.
• Tell them.
• Tell them what you told them.
• Think of the art as a visual aid. If we are talking
about drunk driving, I would to see an accident.
If I’m asking people to listen, ears help.

24. sermon example

25. Sermon example

26. Print principles
the outline
• These have lots of copy.
• Subheads tell the story.
• Small illustrations guide the story.
• Make sure you have a call to action
at the end.
• Think infographs.

27. Outline example

28. Web ads

29. Web writing tips
• Think about font size.
• 14 font
• Think about conversational writing.
• Think about legibility. I think dark text on
a light background is easiest to read.
• Think about bandwidth.
• Remember mobile.
• Don’t see the ad for as long…

30. Web advertising
types of ads
• Banner ads
• Logos
• Tile/Cube ads
• Pop-Up ads
• Button ads
• Intermercial
• Keyword Ads

31. Web advertising
banner ads
• Thinks online billboard.
• It’s in a boxed environment to the side of
the article or website you are visiting.
• They can be static or moving.

32. Banner ad

33. Web advertising
Logos
• If you have a strong brand or are looking
for just name retention, these work well.
• You can connect these to conversions
and allow the web host to get a part of the
profit. This can reduce cost.

34. Web advertising
Tile or Cube Ads
• These are more square in nature.
• You don’t have much copy, if any to use.
• They are at the bottom and sides of
pages.
• Big and bold helps here.

35. Cube ad

36. Web advertising
Pop Up ads
• They appear on screen for five seconds
when you visit a page.
• They can feature audio and video.
• Not everyone has their speakers on when
online.
• Focus on a dirt simple, must do now
conversion step.
• Anticipate backlash on social channels.

37. Web advertising
Button ads
• These are also square in nature.
• The action step is to download software.
• Anti-virus people use this all the time.

38. Button ad

39. Web advertising
intermercial
• It’s an interactive pop up ad.
• The best ones try and work through some form
of gaming theme.
• Make sure the visual work, because people tend
to mute or keep speakers off when videos
appear without prompting.
• If you make people click to play the video, I think
it’s much more effective.
• These don’t have to be :30