How to design and place ads for the highest ROI

Print advertising falls into a few well defined catagories, Newspaper, Magazines, Yellow Pages, and other (meaning anything that's not the three others)

Each year billions of dollar are spent on print advertising. Generally that means newspaper and magazine and to a lesser extent yellow pages. The advertising in print media traditionally falls into one of two forms, Image Advertising or Direct Response Advertising. Both are viable and have their place, but for reasons we will discuss later, neither is completely appropriate for healthcare professionals.

To help you better understand the differences, we have defined each below:

Image Advertising

Image advertising is what most people think of when they see ads for major corporations. Nike, BMW, Volvo, Coca Cola, and more have a tradition of great image ads. What sets Image advertising apart is its narrow focus on the cultivation of a product or company's name, image or idea. Automobile manufactures have used image advertising for years to promote brand recognition and to cultivate certain ideas in the mind of consumers. For example, Volvo's Image advertising has been extremely effective in promoting the vehicle's reputation for safety. Likewise, BMW has been effective in creating the idea of the "Ultimate Driving Machine."

Image advertisements generally use large pictures, color and graphics to draw the reader's attention. The copy is generally short, effective information about the product and how it can serve the reader. Image advertising may provide 800 numbers, web sites or mailing addresses for consumer questions or inquiries. However, this is not the primary focus or purpose of the ad and any consumer follow-up is not monitored in such a way as to effectively tie the response back to the ad itself.

Direct Response Advertising

In contrast to Image advertising, Direct Response advertising is often text intensive, uses graphics and images that portray a specific audience, uses language that is designed to gain an emotional from readers and most importantly, tracks reader response back to an advertising source.

Direct response advertising is about results. It is scientifically based and relies on the science of advertising as much as the art of design. All ads are tested, manipulated and retested to improve and study results.

Since Direct Response advertising is about results it always incorporates something to elicit responce and track response. Common ways to track results include 800 numbers, discount offers, internet orders, specials and more.

In addition, Direct Response advertisers often use codes that specifically identify the source and where the telephone call originated. This allows the advertiser to know where the call came from and which magazine, newspaper or ad is performing the best.

The Combo Approach

There are benefits to both Image and Direct Response advertising that benefit the private practice. Image advertising sells images that make you special and direct response uses words to back up the images. It also gives you tools to track your results.

By combining these approaches, we get results you can track and an ad that does more than just offer a cheap price for your services. It offers a reason to value what you do, why patients should come to you and directs them to get ahold of you in a timely manner (or the discounted services you offer will expire).

Timing is everything

Timing your advertising is extermely important. The fact is, that when you are the busiest with new patient consults is when you should advertise the most. People have a propensity to buy services at particular times of the year. For orthodontists, spring, summer, and early fall are generally good, winter is generally bad. However, it is best to judge your practice by your own seasonality. So place ads when you are the busiest, and place them in publications that attract the type of reader you want. Advertising in a health and fitness magazine may be great for general dentists, but not so great for orthodontists. make sure that whatever publication you purchase, its demographics match the ones you want in your practice.

For newspaper advertising generally Sunday, Monday and the day which has the food coupons are the best days to advertise for private practices. Use different ads and different offers to track results and discover which one works the best.

Yellow Page Advertising

YP advertising is effective is some markets and not so much in others. To determine the effectiveness of your directories, cut the cover off of each of the local books. Laminate them and out them at the front desk. Ask every person who comes into the practice to tell your front desk person which they use and approximately how often.Keep it up for 3-4 weeks.

From this survey you can get a good idea of what your patients are using and how often, and buy your ads based on those results. A good rule of thumb in yellow page advertising is to go as big as you can afford. The first 6 ads generally get the most calls. If you can;t be one of the first 6 try an in-column ad, its very cheap and will get some response.