Larger ads should have the reading matter and the cut changed frequently, but it is always well to use some design, or a name (see [Chapter XII]), which stands out boldly in relief so that it will flag the attention of the reader immediately he turns to the page where it is displayed. The rest of the ad must then be catchy enough to induce him, or her, who sees it to read it, and last of all it should contain some gem or germ of knowledge which he, or she, will carry away and think over and always to the end for which your ad was written and designed—and that is to buy your product.
Writing alluring ads requires inventive ability but of an order very different from that which produces a new machine. Hence there are inventors who make a specialty of writing ads but they are content to call themselves originators.
Should you have a product that you intend to give wide publicity to, whether it is your intention to sell to the consumer direct or to sell to him through the retail trade, it is a good plan to engage the services of an advertising firm to conduct the campaign for you.
If you are going to spend $1,000 or $100,000 on making your product known among men and women and popularizing it so that everybody will buy it, or wants to buy it, it is well to have an advertising agent or firm get up the ads, place them in the papers where they will do the most good—in a word engineer the whole thing for you while you are superintending your factory and your partner is taking care of the orders—then all you have got to do is to count the shekels that roll in or out as the case may be.
CHAPTER X
THINGS FOR YOU TO INVENT
All through this book I have done my best to nickelplate you in the bath of my own experience and I believe I have made everything clear unless it is just how to get the big idea.
And even if I could give you a hard and fast rule for thinking up new and novel things I have grave fears I would be tempted to keep that bit of information to myself and start up an idea factory in opposition to Edison.
But while it is not yet possible to lay down a law for the creation of an original idea it may prove of some value to tell you something about what is needed both small and large and this in itself may serve to stimulate your thought centers to activity.