Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 64, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 April 1907 — Page 7 Advertisements Column 2 [ADVERTISEMENT]

HOW TO ADVERTISE EFFECTIVE METHODS THAT WILL BRING RESULTS. SHOULD TELL THE PRICES Generalities Are Meaningless tooths Public—Why the Mail-Order Man Wfjns—Try the Plan. N If you, Mr. Merchant, would compete with the mail-order houses there are three main essentials to success —the goods—the prices—advertising. The last of these is quite as essential as either of the others. In the great majority of cases the local merchant has the goods, and he makes the prices, but in very many cases he either fails to do the advertising, or what he does do is not effective in the same way that the mailorder man’s advertising is effective. The writing- of effective advertising is not an art, it is not a business that requires years of study to learn. A few hours of study and comparison will give you every essential detail that you will need. It is comparatively safe to say that 75 per cent, of the advertising carried by local merchants in the local papers is worded in generalities only. Such advertisements as the following are found in every paper: CO TO BLANK’S FOR Hardware, Stoves and Tinware —- BEST GOODS LOWEST PRICES The mail-order man’s advertising is different. It is specific, and while the glowing descriptions given are often

By the aid of the editor the home merchant can ride the mail-order magnate out of the home community on the rail of publicity. The moral Is advertise; advertise systematically and persistently. Tell the pubiio what you have to offer, and tell it so they will understand.

misleading—a thing which Blank’s advertising should never be —they attract the attention of the reader and possible purchaser because they tell about some one thing that he may possibly want. The mail-order man makes a run on a few things which he is willing to sell at a close margin of profit in order to attract trade in his general line on which heavy profits are made. Blank should advertise hardware in much the same manner the mail-order man advertises hardware, and he has this advantage—he can Invite the people of the community to visit his store and see the goods for themselves so they will know just what they are buying. If, instead of expressing meaningless generalities in a two-inch space, Blank had used a little more space and properly displayed an advertisement something like the following he would have been sure to have attracted attention to his store, and in all probability would have been surprised at the drawing power of his advertising:

WASHDAY BARGAIN SALE BLANK’S EVERYTHING NEEDED FOR WASHDAY AT BARGAIN PRICES During Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week 1 tor a j year guaranteed best quality Clothes Wringer, the King of Wringers Solid rubber rolls, steel spring and patent guide board. Cl iS for a good American clothes wringer, >o inch roils, hardwood frame., *1 AC * or ® enu ine "No Sag” Curtain Stretchers. / Center brace and will not sag. nftf’ for ultra heavy copper rim and bottom wash boilers. ■ if for 5 dozen of the first quality Clothes ■4 C PinalAc for J° foot white Cotton Braided Clothe* lOC Line. SOC for hardwood folding Clothes Bar of exceptional size for the money. <»-yf for full sized very best quality Wash Boards. eye c ,CT medium sized galvanized Iron Wash Tubs. •y.AC f° r t s-qt. heavy galvanized iron water or ■*4 V ' scrub pail. A CC ,or hrst quality fiber Water Pail of exceptional merit. for an excellent quality of ironing boards •y w that will not warp. CAT for an extra large heavy willow Clothes 54 w Basket. The prices given here are of course mere fiction, but the prices Blank