Digital may be a big thing, but as an electrician, you’re probably working within a relatively small geographic area. People love to work with local businesses, and if they need an electrician, they most likely have to! Local papers often have reasonable rates for advertisements, so you can take advantage and advertise to the community most likely to need your services. Here are some tips on how to run a successful ad.

Target the Correct Audience

Before you start working on your ad, request a media kit from the newspaper you want to run the ad in. This will include information about who reads the paper, where they live, and other important demographic information you’ll want to know before you start working on your ad. You need this info so you can make your ad appeal to the kind of person who will read the paper. Slang words, for example, will probably not appeal to seniors. Offering ways to save money appeals to everyone.

When a person sees your ad in a newspaper, they’re probably glancing over it while they look for an interesting article to read. Your headline should catch their interest, and the body of the ad should be quick to read. Whether you’re doing the writing yourself or working with a writer, you should ensure your ad follows some basic guidelines.

Focus Your Writing on Benefits for the Customer

Instead of writing just about why you’re the best, think of the real benefit you offer customers. You help them save money, you provide peace of mind that their home is safe, you can get in and fix a problem faster than anyone around, etc. It’s ok to talk about your track record and years of service, but customers are more interested in how they’ll benefit if they put their trust and money in you.

Headline

Keep your headline short and to the point. If it doesn’t catch a customer’s attention, they won’t even get as far as reading the rest of the text. Focus your headline on something that will interest the customer. Whenever possible, think about the benefit you offer. Here are some examples:

● An ad that focuses on your track record, like “30 Years of Excellent Service,” or mentions an award, like “Voted Best Electrician 4 Years Running” makes you seem trustworthy and reliable.

● If you’re offering a discount, make it a dollar amount: “$50 off Your Next Service.” No one wants to do the math or call you to figure out how much they’ll save.

● An ad that shows a benefit is a great choice if you’re running a special or offer a unique and needed service. A headline like “Save $ on Energy Bills” will get many people interested, and your ad text can explain a bit about a special on making homes more energy-efficient.
Body Text

Keep your text short and be sure it’s all relevant. Explain your headline, include customer reviews, or offer a quick blurb on why it’s the best time of year for a certain service. Be certain not to forget to include your contact information!

Graphics

Graphics are important! Make sure you include your logo at the very least. Color is ideal if you can afford it. In a mostly black and white paper, color makes an ad pop and might be what makes a reader notice your ad in the first place.

How Long Do I Need to Run the Ad?

As long as possible. You need to run it a minimum of a month before you can expect to see much return, but if you’re going to invest in the ad creation in the first place, you’ll have the best return on investment if you run it for as long as you can afford. The more often people see your ad, the more likely they are to remember you.

It may feel a little old-fashioned, but for an electrician, especially, newspaper advertising is still a viable way to get your name out and let customers know you’re around. We’d love to hear from you! Do you advertise in a newspaper? How do you measure how successful your ad has been?

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