Do you have an important message that needs to be shared with others around the world? Whether it’s discouraging tobacco use or promoting a new business, AllOver Media helps ensure your public service announcement (PSA) or government ad campaigns are seen and heard by those that matter most.
Learn how to create a PSA advertisement with our tips for a successful campaign!
How to Start a PSA Ad
Start with the content to make a public service announcement ad. Regardless of where members of the public first encounter your PSA advertising, the message is what needs to hit home. Start there, then build out the rest of your campaign accordingly!
Create a Focused Message
Creating a public service advertisement effectively includes keeping the message focused and concise.
Hook your audience in by delivering clear, direct messaging; then add the details to further engage them. Keep it short and powerful. That’s how you’ll make sure their attention is held.
Identify Your Audience
Who is your target audience? Public service announcements can typically be broken down by demographic details, such as:
- Age group
- Gender and/or sexual orientation
- Geographic location
- Job industry
- Interests and hobbies
Once you’ve figured out who your audience is, you’re one step closer to figuring out where your audience is and how you can best reach them. Market research is key in determining your audience’s abilities, resources, favorite media, and other interests. Use that information to gain valuable insight that will help you reach them in meaningful ways and better target your campaign.
Include a Specific Ask
Public service announcement advertising is designed to educate and inform Focusing on a specific action you want people to take is how you can make a good public service announcement that will have an impact!
Another way of thinking about this is to determine what you are trying to accomplish with this PSA. How is success being measured? How can you frame that as an “ask” to those who receive your message? Define success by measuring how the audience responds.
Packaging & Sending
Crafting a successful public service announcement ad can be tricky. From the correct file format to essential information, it’s crucial to learn how to create a public service announcement for media outlets and publishers. To ensure a maximum chance of publication, follow these helpful tips!
Discover What Each Media Outlet Wants
When it comes to PSA advertising, media outlets will have unique specifications of how they want information packaged. Research their requirements first — you’ll save a lot of time and energy by presenting your messaging in their preferred format.
Top Notch Materials
High-quality materials are likely to be given more exposure, so ensure your PSA looks and sounds professional and engaging. Since you’ll be competing with other PSAs, you’ll want materials exceptionally put together, so they stand out and receive plenty of air time.
Timing is Key
Proper planning is essential for launching a successful public service announcement ad and it takes time.
Designate an end date to create urgency and ensure your media contact knows when the campaign will go live. Additionally, highlighting this projected “go-live” date in your materials can emphasize its importance in achieving success.
Cover Your Bases
Make sure your messaging is consistent across all channels and track what resonated where and with whom.
Update Your Digital Content
In this digital age, online presence is key. Keep your website and social media pages updated so that they reflect expand upon your public service announcement advertising!
Also, a consistent color palette and messaging will help create brand recognition. That way, when they happen upon one of your PSAs or visit the associated website, there will be no doubt that it’s yours.
Don’t forget, visual elements can pack a punch, so consider adding an image or infographic to your materials to grab your audience’s attention.
Track and Analyze the Campaign
As your public service announcement advertising is running, and particularly after the campaign is over, you should gather as much data as you can to determine how well the campaign performed.
Don’t just look at the data as a binary answer – success or failure. Dig a little deeper to get useful information, such as :
- Did this campaign resonate with certain groups (based on age, location, etc.) more than others?
- Were there any unintended results , good or bad, that can be traced back to the campaign? (For example, maybe sales didn’t increase, but you had an influx of calls about the product, indicating the campaign was raising awareness.)
When you begin your next campaign, you can take some of your learnings and apply them where applicable. Over time, you’ll be running extraordinarily efficient campaigns!
Spread the Word With AllOver Media
Need help getting your public service announcement out into the public sphere? Whether your message works best with quickly-updated digital out-of-home advertisements or tried-and-true door hangers, we’ve got you covered.
Get your message out with AllOver Media. Our team can give you the perfect platform to reach and engage your audience. Reach out today for more information on how to make a PSA advertisement.
