Use Ads Wisely

“Advertorials” allow you to speak to prospects creatively.

By Paul McGoldrick, CLU, ChFC, M.B.A.

I’ve been an advisor for 39 years in a small community in rural northern New England. When I started out, I was working with a general agent who had a penchant for using quotable quotes. This must have rubbed off on me, because a couple of years into the business, I started taking quotes and building ads around them.

But they weren’t just ads; they were “advertorials”—ads with content. I’d take a quote and write about how the quote relates to everyday life. For instance, a recent piece leads with, “Life insurance insures not only a life, it insures a way of life as well.” Then I write about people working hard to provide for their families and how important it is to ensure families can continue their way of life, regardless of what comes their way. It was a simple message that pointed to the need for, and the value of different types of protection.

The ads, or mini-columns as some people see them, appear in each issue of our weekly newspaper, which is read by nearly everyone in our town of 6,000, as well as by those in surrounding areas. The single-column piece includes my picture, contact and company information.

I’ve designed the ads to be thought-provoking and to encourage readers to call. And they do work. When clients call, they often mention something they’ve read in the ads—which is proof to me that they are being read and are making an impact.

At a Rotary meeting recently, I learned another thing about the ads—I need to update my too-many-years-old picture. That came to light when the editor was explaining the benefits of newspaper advertising. She said, “If you advertise with us, you’ll never grow old. Just look at Paul’s ads.” The universal and knowing laughter that resulted confirmed what I already knew: People see the ads and remember them.

Paul McGoldrick, CLU, ChFC, M.B.A. is an advisor with Northeast Planning Associates Inc. in Littleton, N.H. He is a member of NAIFA-New Hampshire.