It's winter: A time to hibernate after the holidays. Winter brings back memories of frozen mittens, snow packed boots, and mom's hot cocoa. Let's hope you are young at heart and that you still sled, ski, throw snowballs, or make angels in the snow. For many people, snow is just white space.
This brings us to this month's marketing tip- white space. In advertising decisions, make sure you remember that less is more. Ads are visual tools. They must capture your reader's attention in a few seconds, and they must leave an impression. If you have too many words and too many graphics, you will decrease your chances of ever winning a BOLI (Best on Long Island) advertising award.
When creating your ad campaign, it is important to know the personality of your company. What message do you want to convey? The more you know yourself and your message, the easier it will be for you to decide among type style, photos, and your tag line.
The most important tool you must capitalize on is white space. Leave enough room so that your message is not crowded. Think about some of the best ad campaigns. "Just do it." You know it's Nike. It's short, to the point, and gets the message across. How about..."Mmmm Mmmm Good." You know it's Campbell Soup. Once again, a great example of how less is more.
Before you invest your advertising dollars, look when you are reading. Pay special attention to what catches your eye. Researching "what's hot and what's not" in advertising, will help you focus on your own ad campaign. Whether your ad is created in-house with a desktop publishing system or by an advertising agency, remember two words: white space.
Let it snow.
If you would like to learn about some creative marketing techniques, look for my class in "How to Market and Promote Your Business" at Hofstra's School of Continuing Education (www.hofstra.edu/continuinglearner). It will being on February 26. For recommended reading, check out my book review column at www.liwomen.com.