Ad size and ad placement matters when it comes to building readership.
When it comes to building readership through print and online advertising, ad size and ad placement are important to consider. Advertising professionals study and test the effectiveness of these elements. Studies show that print readership is on the decline, and businesses want the best deal for their limited budgets. With internet marketing options such as social media riding high, the advertising representative's job is to relay to the potential advertiser that print advertising still draws revenue for businesses.
Size and Frequency
Advertisers who purchase full-page ads definitely have the edge over an advertiser who buys smaller-sized ads. But, equally important is the frequency of the advertising. For instance, a business that purchases a half-page ad that runs two months will have a greater impact on readers than the advertiser who purchases a full-page ad that runs once. Therefore, advertising sales representatives often encourage potential advertisers to run ads several times, especially if one advertises in a weekly publication. Readers are creatures of repetition.
The Look
It is also important to consider the design of the advertisement. Readers are drawn to advertising that is colorful, displays strong typography and features catchy words and photos. Research shows that ads that include color are more likely to attract readers. With the advent of online advertising, there are other elements that can deter views or draw readers to an advertisement. For example, online advertisements usually run in rotation on websites. If a promotion is too flashy, the reader could pass on viewing the ad and the webpage.
Sections
Section placement shows how readership and advertising come together to draw readership. If advertising salespeople know the most read section of the publication is sports, they are more likely to sell advertising spots in that section. In addition, advertisers know the competition for high readership slots exist. Therefore, they can increase the cost of ads in certain sections, especially larger, full-color ads that will attract readers. This also holds true for online advertising. Large, rectangle ads placed at the top of high-traffic pages of a website usually cost more and prove to be more effective at attracting readers.
Additonal Factors
There are certain ad placement schemes that do not matter when it comes to increasing readership. In print, the number of ads on a page and the position (left or right) of the ad on the page are examples. Studies show pages with few ads receive the same amount of readership as pages with several ads. Also, ads placed in the front are as effective as those placed in the back, and ads on the left-hand side get as much readership as those placed on the right-hand side.
