As a person who understands the need to market yourself or your business, you will appreciate that bigger is better when it comes to advertising.

Indeed I was speaking with Dr Steve Carey last Friday. He's the owner of the Academy of Hypnotic Science in Melbourne. We were meeting to finalise his next series of ads in LivingNow and he had a choice of a half page ad or a full – see the thumbnails of his new ads below, done by Bel, our graphic designer, but first his 'before' pic:

Both new ones (below) are good aren't they, but the full page is that much smoother, since it has the spaciousness.

Steve decided to run the full page ad for the next three issues at least, as that should be enough to tell him if the increased results are worth it.

At the end of the meeting, I asked him about his obvious success with the business and to what he attributes that.

He said that the first thing was to understand the need to promote the business and to believe in advertising. (He was a magazine man in a previous 'life' and knows the power of advertising.)

For instance his next available intake is not until August. However, this new series of ads will run from March through May. This will encourage early enrolments, will alert people to the possibility of studying with his college, and indeed, of studying hypnotherapy. It will put his college name in front of everyone in a very big way. This will not necessarily pay dividends today or tomorrow, but it is building for the not too distant future, when it absolutely will pay off.

Indeed, when he took over the business a few years ago, he immediately increased the advertising budget and within a few months had increased it to a half page. He now has plenty of time for a leisurely Friday afternoon coffee.

With love,
Elizabeth Jewell Stephens