Welcome back to Marketing on Main Street. In this series, we focus on simple, practical strategies that help local businesses grow without overcomplicating the process.
Today, I want to take a minute to talk about design.
Logos. Fonts. AI-generated ads. All of it.
My journey in marketing started in graphic design. I created ads, laid out magazines, designed apparel, and later moved into producing the work other people designed. I have seen a lot of logos. A lot. I have also seen a lot of ads in print, digital, and social media.
Here is my plea.
Keep it simple.
Your ad does not need to say everything. It does not need five fonts. It does not need multiple colors fighting for attention. It does not need a “cool” font that no one can read. If it is hard to read, it is not cool. I promise.
Simple, clean ads perform better because they are clear. When someone glances at your ad for three seconds, they should know who you are and what you do. If they have to work to figure it out, they will move on.
Let’s talk about AI-generated ads for a moment. They are everywhere right now. Some of them look impressive at first glance, especially at larger sizes. But many are overly detailed, overly colorful, and difficult to read when scaled down.
We are likely heading toward a wave of ads that all look very similar because they were generated the same way. Stretched to fit spaces they were not designed for. Text competing with busy backgrounds. The new version of clipart.
Design still matters.
If your budget allows, hire a professional designer. This is a learned skill. A good designer understands layout, spacing, hierarchy, and how people actually read a page. Look at portfolios. Compare prices. Find someone whose style fits your business. Build a working relationship. Over time, that consistency will strengthen your brand.
If hiring a designer is not realistic, consider working with the publication where you are placing the ad. Many newspapers and magazines offer in-house design services for a fee. It is often more affordable than hiring an outside designer. Just understand that revisions may be limited and you may need to trust the process.
If you are creating it yourself, use a template and stick to it. Platforms like Canva, Word, and VistaPrint offer solid templates. Pick one you like and use it as designed. Do not add extra graphics. Do not stretch fonts. Do not randomly swap out colors. Templates work because the layout has already been thought through.
No matter how you create your ad, a few rules always apply:
Your ad must be the correct size for the space.
It must contain accurate information.
It must be consistent over time.
And above all, it must be legible.
Good design builds credibility. Poor design creates doubt.
You work too hard to let an unreadable ad undermine your business.
Life is too short for ugly ads.
Main Street marketing, done right.
Until next time,
Alice
