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Actual page size of an adsheet is usually
8.5 x 11 inches, the same as regular typewriter or
printer paper in the U.S. The ads above are
over-simplified, just to give you the general idea of a
typical page layout. Real ads should always give
as much location & contact information as possible.
Economy & Opportunity
The adsheet provides advertisers with an
economical way to communicate with potential customers
in a given area.
Without the adsheet, for example, the
advertiser might need to do their own special mailing,
or buy time on TV or the radio. Printing and mailing out
brochures are much more expensive, and may even produce
poorer results, since direct mail brochures often get
tossed immediately. An adsheet, believe it or not,
actually stands a better chance of at least being looked
over, and may be kept around for awhile if it contains
information or coupons of special interest to the
recipients. All the ads (and advertisers) benefit from
this added attention.
There are no laws or rules governing the
number of columns or the size and shape of the ads. You
can have one column, two columns, three columns, four,
and so on. Appearance and attractiveness are important
factors, however, as is the readability of the ads. If
people never look at the ads or if they cannot read
them, there will be no response. Without positive
results, advertisers will not continue to pay for the
ads.
Attention & Volume
Each ad must be able to draw attention to
itself. So the ad size (and type size, image size, etc.)
matters to the advertiser. Bold type, borders, solid
blocks of black or color, special fonts or images, all
play a part in drawing attention to each ad, and making
the over-all appearance of the adsheet more interesting.
In the same way, the number of columns
will matter to you, as a publisher trying to make a
living. It is generally better to have as many
advertisers as possible, so you will want enough columns
to make ad space available.
Benefits of Variety
Advertisers come and go, for all sorts of
reasons. If you only have two or three, you will be
impacted much more when one decides not to advertise. If
you have thirty, the impact will not be so great. Also,
the more advertisers you have, the more potential
interest your adsheet will have to readers in your
market. Try to have something for everyone.
Specialized Opportunities
The opposite is also true. You may look
into specialized adsheets, providing ads of special
interest to a particular industry or group of people in
your region. Real estate has always proven a good market
for advertising publications, for example. Used cars is
another good market, as are entertainment and dining,
sports, tourist and visitor information, outdoor
recreation, and so on.
Industrial areas may offer a good market
for employment opportunity ads, service ads, such as
carpenters, plumbers, electricians, painters, general
maintenance, janitorial, commercial landscaping, and so
on. Coastal or lakeside areas may be packed with boating
(boat-building, sales, repair, restoration, etc.),
cabins, and related ad opportunities. Rural areas have
agricultural markets, horses, hay for sale, cattle,
feedlots, feed stores, veterinarian, tractor sales, and
much more.
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