TOPIC 5

CREATING POSTERS AND ADVERTISEMENTS

Decide what information you'll put on the poster. This depends on what in particular you're
advertising. If you're advertising for your store or business, you'll want to include your location,
hours, and contact information. If you're advertising a group or organization, you should include
when and where you meet. You should include any information that viewers of your poster
should know.

Decide what demographic you're advertising to. Understanding your market is crucial for any
form of advertising. For you, understanding your market will determine where you place your
posters, as well as how you word your advertisement. For example, if you are advertising a
proofreading service for graduate students, the term "thesis" may catch their eye more than just
"essay." Decide what your target demographic is and then investigate phrases, graphics, and
other design strategies that will appeal to your intended audience.

Decide where you will place your posters. Part of this you will figure out while investigating
your demographic. For example, you wouldn't place a flyer for your punk rock band at a
preschool. But location also influences the design of your poster. When you decide where your
target demographic usually congregates, investigate the space.
Look at where you can place your poster so the most people will see it. Also keep in mind that
posters in places where people move, like hallways, tend to attract less attention than places
where people have to wait. For example, a bus stop is a place where people have to wait, and
their eyes will probably wander while they do so. A poster visible from a bus stop is more likely
to be noticed than one in a school hallway.[4]
Look at the colors and lighting of the area. You'll want your poster to stand out rather than blend
in, so pick colors and designs that will contrast with the surroundings.

Decide what message you want to convey with the poster. Advertising involves conveying an
idea about a particular product or group. In beer commercials, for instance, the product is usually
associated with having fun and going out. Decide what you want your audience to associate with
your advertisement. If you are making posters for your store, you'll probably want to show
pictures of people smiling while shopping, demonstrating that your store is a place to be
associated with good feeling

Learn the essential parts of an advertising poster. Like an essay, advertising posters have
three parts: headline, body, and signature. To design a great poster, make all three components
strong and eye-catching.[5]
Headline. This is the part that should grab the reader's attention. It is usually at the top of the
poster and is in the biggest font. It should be short- less than 15 words- or your reader will get
bored and walk away without reading the rest. Try to come up with a great phrase that conveys a
message about your product and makes the reader want to look at the rest of the poster.
Body. Underneath the headline should be one or two sentences that advertise your message.
They can be longer than the headline, but again short enough to keep the reader interested.
Highlight only a few key points that you want readers to know and to entice them.
Signature. Here is where you'll place your company, store, group, or whatever you're advertising.
Include all relevant contact information like address, phone number, email, social media pages,
websites, and hours of operation. It is usually at the bottom of the poster.

Find a computer program to help design your poster. Although you can hand draw your
poster, usage of specialized computer programs can open a lot of possibilities for your poster. If
you are trained in using Adobe products, you may choose to use Adobe InDesign or Illustrator. If
you are not well-trained, you may choose a template-based program, such as Apple's Pages or
ArtSkills.com's Poster Maker.

Design a logo. If you're advertising for a company or organization, you should consider
designing a logo if you don't already have one. This will not only grab your readers' attention,
but you can start building a recognizable trademark. If your advertisements make you successful,
you could even design posters with just your logo, because readers will already be aware of what
you are advertising. Coca-cola is a prime example of this.

Choose an effective size for your poster. Bigger is not always better when it comes to
advertising posters. While you'll be tempted to go as big as possible, this could actually hurt you.
Besides being very expensive, large posters in small spaces overwhelm readers. Readers will
probably be unwilling to read an entire poster if it is as tall as they are. For indoor posters,
11'x17' is usually fine. Save large posters for outdoor ads on buildings or billboards.[6]

Choose a few effective images. You don't want your poster to be too crowded- most great ads
are simple. Too many images will overwhelm and confuse the reader. Choose one or two good
pictures that really convey your message and place them front and center. Then design the words
around the pictures to ensure that words don't cover up any scenes that you want your readers to
notice.[7]
Always use high-resolution images. Although low-resolution images may look normal when they
are on your computer, they may look blurry or pixelated when they are printed.

Use colors that will stand out. After deciding on images, decide which colors will match that
image well. Use colored paper to further accentuate text. Colors that usually work well are white
text on red paper and black text on yellow paper. Avoid neon colors, though, as they usually
overpower the text.[8]
Don't go crazy with colors. The same way as too many images will overwhelm the reader, too
many colors will also overload them. Three or four colors is usually enough to attract attention
but not so much that readers will be overwhelmed

Use text that is readable from several steps away. Remember that people might be moving
when they see your posters, so make sure the text is legible. When evaluating your poster, hang it
up and step back about 15 feet. If you have trouble reading it, consider revising the text. You
could do this by making text larger, using a different color, or both.[9]
Try to use only three different fonts on your poster- the headline in the largest, the body in the
next size, and the signature in the smallest. Too many sizes will bore the reader and they will
probably stop reading the poster.

Make several drafts before picking a final choice. Just like your writing needs proofreading
before it is ready for publication, your poster should be reviewed several times before you print
it. Make a few versions and consider if it is eye-catching, simple, and conveys the message you
want it to. Ask others for their opinions as well- another set of eyes will see things you may have
missed. Revise the poster until you feel it is as strong as it can possibly be.

Print your poster. When you've designed a poster you're happy with, you have several choices
for printing it. You could print it right from your computer at home if you're on a budget.
Computer paper, however, isn't very durable, and colors and pictures don't look as good as they
could. Printing shops, however, can use heavy-duty paper and give your posters a vibrant glow
that will attract readers. Printing can be very expensive, however, so keep your budget in mind.
Make the choice that is best for you and your situation.

ACTIVITY

1. Create a poster presentation to reveal the overall idea of Samyakh Program

2. Create a poster presentation on a technical fest you have attended recently.
 ADVERTISEMENTS

Advertisements

Advertising is a type of communication whereby people promote or persuade customers to

utilize their services. There are two types of advertisements:

1. Classified advertisements
2. Display advertisements
Classified ads will be our subject in this article. Classified ads are called CLASSIFIED ADS
because they are CLASSIFIED into different type of categories depending on their functions.
Classified advertisements are advertisements used by the general masses to promote or use
services. They are generally text-based ads where newspaper agencies generally charge on the
number of words used. So, you can very well imagine that there is no place for precise English
sentences here and the only concern is to get things noticed with as minimum words as possible.
NOTE: Classified Advertisements should be enclosed in a box.
Word Limit
Classified ads should be very well covered in a range of around 50 words. Marks will be
deducted if the student jumps the word limit. So exercise caution in this regard.There are several
type of classified ads, which are as follows:
1. Situation vacant
2. To-let
3. Sale and Purchase of Property/Vehicles/Goods
4. Education institutions promotion
5. Missing persons
6. Tour and Travels
Now let’s highlight what to include in each type of classified ad.

1. Situation Vacant types

1. Always begin with WANTED or REQUIRED
2. Name of the organization must be always present
3. Number of vacancies and the post for which advertised should be clearly stated.
4. The age and gender of the candidate required.
5. Qualification and requisite experience needed for the post.
6. Pay scale, perks and also the mode of applying (E-mail, postal, etc)
7. Contact address and phone number for correspondence
2. To-Let ads
1. Begin with WANTED or AVAILABLE
2. Type of accommodation should be mentioned.
3. Rent expected
4. Give proximity to markets and also indicate whether it’s sun facing, etc.
5. Contact address and phone number

3. Sale/Purchase of Property/Assets
1. Begin with FOR SALE/PURCHASE/WANTED
2. Brief physical description
3. a. Property – Number of floors, size, number of rooms, location and surroundings.
b. Vehicles – Colour, model, accessories, year, modifications (if any), price, mileage and
condition.
c. Household goods – Condition, price offered or expected
4. Educational institutions
Name of the institution

1. Past record
2. Courses offered and their durations
3. Eligibility criteria an details of admission test (if any)
4. Facilities and fee structure
5. Scholarship information
6. Last date for registration, etc
7. Contact address and phone number.
5. Missing person
1. Brief physical description of the missing like height, complexion and built.
2. Name, age and any health related issues about the missing person
3. Clothes, accessories or any other identifying features.
4. Tell about the place last seen
5. Details of reward if any
6. Contact address and Phone number
6. Tours and travels
1. Begin with PACKAGE AVAILABLE
2. Name of the travel agency
3. Destination and duration
4. Price and special discounts, if any
5. Contact address and phone number