Whether it is electronic or print media, the average consumer is exposed to roughly 3,000 advertising impressions every day. With all these impressions surrounding us throughout the day, it is imperative to design your advertisements in such as way that it generates the response you need, especially when it is newspaper display ads. All newspaper display ads must have three sections in order for them to be effective:

• First, define and describe – what is your product or service name? How would you describe it? What can you use it for? What kind of problems will it solve?

• Second, talk about the features and benefits – what are the components of your product or service? How will the consumer benefit from using it and why should they spend their money on that product or service?

• Finally, insert the CTA (call to action) – using one-time offers or OTO’s, special pricing, and time-sensitive factors lets the consumer know that they need to purchase that product or service right now.

Where newspaper display ads and other advertising media is concerned, the old rule of thumb still applies. Successful display advertising should generate at least $10 for every dollar you invest in it. Here are 4 critical steps for designing cost-effective newspaper display ads that generate the type of response you expect:

Create headlines that grab your target audience’s attention – the purpose of newspaper display ads is to draw the reader’s attention away from your competition. If your headlines are not "snappy" enough, the reader is going to pass your advertisement by and read some other one.

Put your ego on hold – the worst thing you can do as the owner of a business in your newspaper display ads is to talk about yourself. Potential buyers could care less about who you are. It’s all about what you have to offer and how it will solve a problem for them.

Spice up your newspaper display ads with an image or a photo – a single image or photo can be highly effective so don’t overdo it. If the image or photo is too large, there won’t be enough room for your advertising message.

Remember the call to action – as was mentioned above, tell the customer what to do so they will respond to your newspaper display ads. Keep in mind that if your ad has been effective to that point based on all the above, there should be no problem getting the consumer to respond.