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Most companies who use print media advertising, be it magazines, newsletters or the newspaper, cannot afford to always use full-page ads. In fact, the vast majority of them never use a full-page ad. Partial-page advertising, or a fractional ad, can be very effective. But all too often they are done badly, and good money goes down the drain.

If you’re doing print advertising on a budget and need to utilize fractional ads, remember these tips.

• You cannot fit two tons of potatoes into a one-ton truck. Without a doubt, the most common mistake made is trying to pack too many images and too much text into the ad. Let white space help you emphasize your key message. Which means you need to allow for some white space.

• They have to be able to read it to get it. Reducing the size of the type is only practical to a point. Don’t go smaller than 11-point type.

• Visually, less is better. Don’t try to cram six photos into a fractional ad. Use a single visual that tells the story. That way you can make it bigger, which will attract the readers’ attention.

• Bullet. Air. Bullet. Air. Bullet points are great, but you need to leave a little air between each one, otherwise they just look like a block of text, and you’ve lost their power.

• Use color for emphasis. Color can help the reader get the main message at a glance. It will also help the eye follow the flow of an ad, increasing readability.

Don’t let the lack of budget minimize the effectiveness of your ads. Fractional ads can be very potent when done well. Use these pointers and you are on your way.

Drew McLellan is Top Dog at McLellan Marketing Group and blogs at www.drewsmarketingminute.com. He can be reached at Drew@MclellanMarketing.com. © 2008 Drew McLellan