Basics
Determine the purpose of the advertisement.
Determine anticipated audience.
Decide who are imagined users of the product advertised.
Decide who is the assumed authority on the product.
Determine What are some of the explicit values and attitudes assumed to be shared by the readers/viewers.
Determine what are some of the more implicit or taken-for-granted points of consensus.
Determine the basic design of the advertisement.
Determine if a photograph will be used in the advertisement.
If there are figures in the ad (people, animals), determine what they are like.
Decide what symbols and signs will appear in the advertisement.
Decide how the language will be used.
Decide on the basic themes in the advertisement.
Your Ad
Create ad for the correct target audience.
Communicate a simple and easy to remember message to your customers.
The simpler the headline, the better.
Every other ad element should support the headline message, whether that message is price, selection, quality, or any concept.
Find one style and personality and stay with it for at least a year or more for your ads.
Avoid targeting your competition or being negative about them.
Be credible.
Provide easily visible information in the ad for potential customers to buy.
Examine competitive ads in the media that you are planning to advertise in.
Make sure your ad stands out from competitive ads.
Make sure the ad looks professional.
Check your ads for spelling and gramatical errors.
Have a couple "sets of eyes" review the ad before it finally runs.
Be acurate and truthful in the ads you create.

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