THE SAME, BUT ENTIRELY DIFFERENT, by David Margolis, President, Syndicated Ad Features

It is important to run the same basic advertising format repeatedly in order for readers to become familiar with (and look for) your advertisements. With this in mind, each one of our clients runs a new column in his or her local weekly newspaper that distinguishes itself from other advertising by virtue of its prominent display of the advertiser’s picture and byline, and an eye-catching headline in bold print. These elements help build our clients’ identity and create consumer awareness. Then, in order to keep readers coming back for more, we provide our clients with new informational copy each week, which is custom tailored to each client’s particular profession, product line, or service.

So, while advertising must be constant and consistent, it should never be repetitive or boring. To cultivate reader interest, each new column that we provide to our clients is full of carefully researched material on a different aspect of that client’s profession, business, or service that is selected to inform and enlighten. Each column provides readers with added insight into our clients’ lines of work. The goal is to make readers so familiar with our clients that nothing stands in the way of doing business  when the need to do so arises.

Let me put all of the above in simple terms. If you were to suddenly find yourself in need of a lawyer, aren’t you going to start your search with the attorney who has been writing the weekly law column in your local newspaper? You already know who he or she is, where the office is located, and how extensive his or her knowledge of the law is. After reading so many of his or her columns, you may even know what chance you have of winning your case.