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• PRO

  Geoffrey King June 21, 2010 at 8:42pm

  Go on someone, have a look, please.
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  Shadow Hall June 21, 2010 at 8:56pm

  I like it is it a full page add? It seems to have all the neccassary info. I would recomend updating it and changing the information regularly as people tend to become familar with a repeated add and it ends up being overlooked.
  I also write articles for a local free magazine, no customers so far but apparently they get lots of good comments. I also advertise in another local free mag and change the content this has produced more work. Good luck with the new house and your ad.
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  Nick Steele June 21, 2010 at 9:08pm

  I think it's a bit vague - I'd prefer to have more specifics about exactly what you're offerring, and the costs - like, initial consulatation free of charge (or whatever). People are often very nervous about when the charging starts (and so might not call at all) and also often need leading by the hand - so tell them exactly what you can do for them.
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  David Channon June 21, 2010 at 9:42pm

  Needs more "you" and less "us or we".
  Looking at it, I know what you think of yourself and your offer but I'm less clear on what you can actually do for me.
  
  Try: "You can afford Landscape and Garden Design.....Treat Yourself, its cheaper than you think"
  "You can have coaching in how to keep your garden looking its best"
  "You can have a team in to help with the backbreaking work like weeding and mowing for surprisingly little money"
  Make your offer Specific, Meaningfull, Realiseable and Costed
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  Bigyin June 21, 2010 at 10:17pm

  Agree on more detail on what you're offering. The call to action at the top is good but repeat just above the phone numbers "Call now for a no obligation chat". Suggest get printed as an A5 flyer and push through likely letter boxes. Your mag might be able to do them for you cheaply.
  
  David Channon said:

  Needs more "you" and less "us or we".
  Looking at it, I know what you think of yourself and your offer but I'm less clear on what you can actually do for me.
  
  Try: "You can afford Landscape and Garden Design.....Treat Yourself, its cheaper than you think"
  "You can have coaching in how to keep your garden looking its best"
  "You can have a team in to help with the backbreaking work like weeding and mowing for surprisingly little money"
  Make your offer Specific, Meaningfull, Realiseable and Costed
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  Graeme @ BGS June 21, 2010 at 10:34pm

  I liked it but do agree with the other comments. How about adding the LJN logo?
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  T & S Plants June 21, 2010 at 11:32pm

  Hi Geoffrey
  
  Whilst my background is print and production in publishing, for the last 8 years I have been full time in Horticulture.
  
  I am not going to comment on the content of your advert as you know your business best. What I would like to do is to give you some ideas that I have on improving the look of your advert.
  
  I assume that this is currently A5 format looking at your proof, which works well as an advert or a flier.
  
  What if you turned the page round so rather than reading as a portrait ad it was a landscape ad, i.e. turn it round 180 degrees. With your current design this would be a more effective use of 'white' space and would avoid 3/4 lines of your tag line for more impact.
  
  I would have your tag line across 1 line max if possible for impact. You could then have the middle section for your pics. A little tip - a fine box rule (usually black) around your pics would give them better definition.
  The bottom section should be for your contact details and possibly logo.
  
  Visually, I think you need to have a second look at the type sizes that have been used. They appear either in your face or too small. What do you want to shout about, what does your business do better than others?
  
  Is it possible that you could go and sit beside whoever produced this proof for you and ask them to play with some of these suggestions rather than you being lead by them. It's your business and not theirs.
  
  Please never sign off any proof until you are 100% happy with it. I am happy to help as I do understand a lot of the lingo, as I have worked in the print industry for many years.
  
  Regards
  
  Tina
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  Lawncare-4u.co.uk June 22, 2010 at 1:38am

  are you ask-ing ? im garden-ing lol
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  Lawncare-4u.co.uk June 22, 2010 at 1:41am

  'pickering gardening' lol it looks ok to me , nice and colourful
  
  Gardens4u.co.uk said:

  are you ask-ing ? im garden-ing lol
• PRO

  Geoffrey King June 22, 2010 at 8:02am

  Thanks for your responses.
  Although this appears massive in PDF it is a quarter A5 size. Reduce to 100% to get correct size.
  
  Our name 'Ask-King 4 Gardening' is something that has been debated at length, and although we have come close to changing it, we have decided to stick with it.
  
  We are looking to start growing 'herbaceous perennials' next year and my partner Fiona who is developing this, thinks 'You Grow It' sounds good. We have domain names that support this.
  
  Our existing website, has a shop, which is not open, no goods to sell, LOL but we have considered 'Your Garden Desires'
  
  Or we could just use 'Ask-King 4 Plants' or 'Flower Garden Perennials'
  
  Having moved from York, but with most of our clients in and around York, geographical gardening names are something we've always steered away from.
  
  See below our attempt at a leaflet in yellow & pink and then how this has been altered.
  
  The proofs need work on them before signing off, for sure.
  
  The two fonts we typically use are 'Verdana' & 'Berlin Sans' I personally don't like the font that's been used for the 4 bullet points on the ad.