Last week, while helping a new client fix an underperforming ad, I was reminded of several advertising myths and one especially large lie that ad execs often drop on unsuspecting business owners and entrepreneurs.

This fib is likely responsible for millions of dollars in unnecessary spending. Of course, ad execs don't want anyone spilling the beans on their dirty little secret. But you need to know the truth.

If you've done any print advertising, you've likely heard the following statement:

Readers must see your ad multiple times before they remember and respond it.

Please, from now on, ignore this advice when you hear it. The ad execs tell you this only to pad their pockets. The truth is ...

If you use a bad ad, you won't get responses whether you run it 1 or 1,000 times. An ineffective ad can't magically become effective, regardless of how many times you use it.

Listen, both my kids hate eating spinach. If I put a plate of the green leafy stuff in front of them tonight, they won't touch it. If I serve the same plate tomorrow ... the following day ... the next 30 days ... or even every day for the next year, I'll get the same response.

Your ad is no different.

That's why it's critical you make changes to your ads until they generate the leads you need. If a publication insists you run the same ad over and over again, stop advertising with them.

When I started with the client mentioned earlier, the newspaper's printing deadline made it impossible for us to incorporate even a fraction of my recommended changes.

Therefore, the only text we could adjust was the headline

So what happened?

The ad generated seven leads the first time it ran. Again, all we changed was the headline.

The previous weeks the ad ran it only brought in two leads -- total.

Now I'm anxious to see what happens later this week when the new ad I created runs in the same publication. I can't reveal all my recommendations, but you might be surprised to know two major changes.

First, I encouraged the client to run a smaller ad because he previously used a full-page spread. I also recommended he stop using color and move to black and white.

You see, a bigger ad doesn't necessarily generate more leads -- and neither does color. The smart approach to advertising is to start small. Then, as your ad generates leads, you use the added revenue to move up sizes or test color.

Any other approach only wastes money.

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© Trey Ryder

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