itate a bridge.

This is a classic case of assuming too much. If you go to the trouble and expense of placing an ad - unless you do all of your business by phone or e-mail - it should include your business location.

Newspaper ads are not free, or even inexpensive. Be sure each includes the important details. If you've handed over your information and asked the newspaper to set up your ad, ask to see you a proof before they run the ad. Otherwise, you might as well take th

What should you assume about your audience?

When you're writing to professionals in any field, you can assume that they know the terminology. You can also assume professionals know why they need the equipment they use every day - so you can get right down to showing why your product is best.

But should you assume that they know who you are, and where you are?

An advertisement in our local newspaper today was a prime example of assuming too much.

I need to back up just a bit. Ours is a very small town, located about 30 miles from a slightly larger town. The half-page ad in today's newspaper was for rental space available in a commercial building in that larger town.

Now, most of the people who have lived here for at least 20 or 30 years know the building and its history. So when the ad said that rental spaces are now available in the "Cedar Street Bridge" and showed a large photograph, most long time residents would know automatically that it is not in our town - but in the next town down the highway.

But nowhere in the ad did it say that

Should the advertiser assume that only long-term residents would want his rental space? In this community, quite the opposite is true. His most likely prospects are people moving into the area, bringing their businesses with them.

Our small town weekly newspaper is mailed out all over the United States. People who are thinking of relocating to our area subscribe, as do past residents. Since the ad doesn't say otherwise, most of these people will assume that the building is in this town.

I can envision people reading this ad and thinking "Wow, when did that get built?" or "That looks like the perfect spot for my small boutique." I can also envision people driving all over trying to find the Cedar Street Bridge. There is a Cedar Street in this town, but it has no large commercial buildings, and it has no water to necessitate a bridge.

This is a classic case of assuming too much. If you go to the trouble and expense of placing an ad - unless you do all of your business by phone or e-mail - it should include your business location.

Newspaper ads are not free, or even inexpensive. Be sure each includes the important details. If you've handed over your information and asked the newspaper to set up your ad, ask to see you a proof before they run the ad. Otherwise, you might as well take tha

ck up just a bit. Ours is a very small town, located about 30 miles from a slightly larger town. The half-page ad in today's newspaper was for rental space available in a commercial building in that larger town.

Now, most of the people who have lived here for at least 20 or 30 years know the building and its history. So when the ad said that rental spaces are now available in the "Cedar Street Bridge" and showed a large photograph, most long time residents would know automatically that it is not in our town - but in the next town down the highway.

But nowhere in the ad did it say that

Should the advertiser assume that only long-term residents would want his rental space? In this community, quite the opposite is true. His most likely prospects are people moving into the area, bringing their businesses with them.

Our small town weekly newspaper is mailed out all over the United States. People who are thinking of relocating to our area subscribe, as do past residents. Since the ad doesn't say otherwise, most of these people will assume that the building is in this town.

I can envision people reading this ad and thinking "Wow, when did that get built?" or "That looks like the perfect spot for my small boutique." I can also envision people driving all over trying to find the Cedar Street Bridge. There is a Cedar Street in this town, but it has no large commercial buildings, and it has no water to necessitate a bridge.

This is a classic case of assuming too much. If you go to the trouble and expense of placing an ad - unless you do all of your business by phone or e-mail - it should include your business location.

Newspaper ads are not free, or even inexpensive. Be sure each includes the important details. If you've handed over your information and asked the newspaper to set up your ad, ask to see you a proof before they run the ad. Otherwise, you might as well take th

cally that it is not in our town - but in the next town down the highway.

But nowhere in the ad did it say that

Should the advertiser assume that only long-term residents would want his rental space? In this community, quite the opposite is true. His most likely prospects are people moving into the area, bringing their businesses with them.

Our small town weekly newspaper is mailed out all over the United States. People who are thinking of relocating to our area subscribe, as do past residents. Since the ad doesn't say otherwise, most of these people will assume that the building is in this town.

I can envision people reading this ad and thinking "Wow, when did that get built?" or "That looks like the perfect spot for my small boutique." I can also envision people driving all over trying to find the Cedar Street Bridge. There is a Cedar Street in this town, but it has no large commercial buildings, and it has no water to necessitate a bridge.

This is a classic case of assuming too much. If you go to the trouble and expense of placing an ad - unless you do all of your business by phone or e-mail - it should include your business location.

Newspaper ads are not free, or even inexpensive. Be sure each includes the important details. If you've handed over your information and asked the newspaper to set up your ad, ask to see you a proof before they run the ad. Otherwise, you might as well take th

area subscribe, as do past residents. Since the ad doesn't say otherwise, most of these people will assume that the building is in this town.

I can envision people reading this ad and thinking "Wow, when did that get built?" or "That looks like the perfect spot for my small boutique." I can also envision people driving all over trying to find the Cedar Street Bridge. There is a Cedar Street in this town, but it has no large commercial buildings, and it has no water to necessitate a bridge.

This is a classic case of assuming too much. If you go to the trouble and expense of placing an ad - unless you do all of your business by phone or e-mail - it should include your business location.

Newspaper ads are not free, or even inexpensive. Be sure each includes the important details. If you've handed over your information and asked the newspaper to set up your ad, ask to see you a proof before they run the ad. Otherwise, you might as well take th

itate a bridge.

This is a classic case of assuming too much. If you go to the trouble and expense of placing an ad - unless you do all of your business by phone or e-mail - it should include your business location.

Newspaper ads are not free, or even inexpensive. Be sure each includes the important details. If you've handed over your information and asked the newspaper to set up your ad, ask to see you a proof before they run the ad. Otherwise, you might as well take that money out in a windstorm and let it fly away.