In order to promote your business you have to advertise. It does not matter if you are an affiliate, have your own product or are offering a service, you have to let your market know you are out there and ready to serve their needs. However, with all the different types of advertising bombarding consumers, your ad is in danger of getting lost in the crowd. This means that all your advertising dollars are being wasted and your competitors are getting the edge on you.

What is the solution? You must not only get your ad out there, but it must stand out and grab your readers' attention. How do you do this? Here are 5 points:

1. Captivating Headlines It is said that 4 out of 5 people only read headlines, and that you've got about 3 seconds to make every word count. If you don't grab your readers' attention in the headline they'll click off or turn the page and you'll have lost them. More to the point - they're not coming back. You are guaranteed to get your prospects' attention if you write your headline focused on their wants and needs and offer a solution.
2. Highlight Your Competitive Advantage One of the keys to all advertising is to accentuate the pros of your company -- those factors that give you your competitive edge. Too many ads are clever, but fail to sell the specific benefits of the featured product or service. Unless you highlight these benefits, your ad delivers no value to potential customers.
3. Editorial Advertising When placing a print ad in a newspaper or magazine, a great attention-getting strategy is to model your ad to look and feel like the editorial copy in the publication your prospect is reading. Even though they're aware it's an ad, people are still going to read it because it's in that style of the editorial that they are familiar with. Subconsciously they know and trust the publication, so you have an added level of endorsement that you just don't get in a straight ad.
4. Go After Your Target Audience An advertising campaign should be geared toward your niche market. It is a common mistake to create generic ads that do not speak the language or grab the attention of your potential customers. Ask yourself what kind of customers you want to attract, and make sure your ads speak to them on a personal level.
5. Spend Money To Make Money There are ways to save money, but advertising is typically not the place to cut corners. Doing so will affect sales, and that affects the bottom line. Successful advertising may cost some money, but that is because it works. Spread your advertising dollars around by choosing a variety of suitable media for your audience and budget.

Now that you are aware of specific ways to enhance your advertising, here are 5 ways that will ensure that your ad goes ignored:

1. Lack of Image You can recognize the McDonald's arches while whizzing by on the highway. Likewise, there are plenty of products that you recognize by their packaging or logo. Image counts when it comes to advertising and promoting your business. Too many advertisers do not work to build a consistent image, and they're missing the chance to make an impression on prospective customers.
2. Advertise in the Wrong Places Many people make the mistake of sending their advertisements to their favorite magazine, radio station, or even television program without thinking of their audience’s interests. Research your target market to understand who they are and determine what they read, watch, and listen to. Then advertise in the appropriate media to ensure that you reach your target market.
3. Non-diversity It is all too common for business owners to choose the best place to advertise based on price and potential rate of returns, and then stop. As is the case with investing, you do not want to put all of your eggs in one basket. Spread your advertising dollars around by choosing a variety of suitable media for your audience and budget.
4. Try to Be Everything to Everyone No product or service will appeal to everyone. Many business owners, including corporate executives, try to come up with ways to reach every market. Typically, this does not work. It can spell disaster for small businesses, who cannot afford to spread themselves too thin. Therefore, find your market and be everything you can be to that audience.
5. Not Advertising Enough Most of your target audience won't buy or take action after the first time they come across your advertisement. It takes a consistent advertising campaign to capture their business and catch them at a time when they are most receptive to your message. One-shot advertising may trigger a response, but it likely won’t be the greatest response.

As you can see, there are many do's and don'ts when it comes to effectively advertising your product or service. Most importantly, be seen and recognizable as a prominent brand to the right audience. It may be that trusting the skills of marketing experts is the best way to help you secure a successful advertising strategy.