Before you decide anything about your advertising, you need to know your target market. Without a clear picture of these customers, you’ll waste valuable time and money.

Once you know who your customer is, you’ll be able to decide what medium delivers a qualified customer to you at a competitive cost per contact.

Your advertising focus needs to be on:

1. The type of medium to effectively reach your target audience

2. The type of advertising campaign you will run (to promote a new product, to place a familiar product or company name in front of the audience, or to promote a special service or activity)

3. The advertising style that best suits your products and/or services

4. How you can reach the most people (within your defined market) for your advertising dollar

Regardless of your choice of medium, experts suggest four main elements of an effective ad.

1. Headline: The most essential element of an ad. You have only one or two seconds to get their attention. The message in, and treatment of, your headline accounts for as much as 70 percent of the readership of your ad. Avoid the temptation to start with your name or logo. The best headline emphasizes the service, not the source.

2. Reader’s self-interest: Headlines and body copy should appeal to the reader. Don’t talk about “We’re the best at …” or “We can do …” This is ego advertising and doesn’t serve you well. Instead, tell them how your product/service can help them.

3. Call to action: Always tell the reader what you want them to do. “Call today.” “come to the store by Aug. 15 to take advantage of this 30 percent discount.” “Return this postcard for a chance at our fabulous giveaway.” Never assume the reader knows what call to action you want.

4. Visuals: Use visuals that have a high degree of stopping power. Photos are better than illustrations. Images that help tell your story are great bridges.

Apply the following criteria to test the effectiveness of your advertising message:

1. The ad intelligibly and simply states a single message.

2. The ad evokes a specific and acute emotion.

3. The ad is presented in a space where it will be noticed.

4. The overriding message is clearly evident.

When you advertise, you are investing in your business. Become an expert observer. Watch other ads. Are they effective? Can you identify their target market? What was it that made you want to read, open, listen, etc? Use your observations to make your own ads memorable.

Jimmie Wilkins is the director of the Chemeketa Small Business Development Center. The Small-Business Adviser column is produced by the center and appears each Sunday. Questions can be faxed to (503) 581-6017, e-mailed to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or phoned in to (503) 399-5088.