Look for emotional words that attract and motivate, like free and new and love. Don't be afraid of long headlines. Research shows that, on the average, long headlines sell more merchandise than short ones. Look for story appeal. After the headline, a striking visual in the most effective way to get the reader's attention.
Photographs are better than drawings.
Look at your advertisement the way it will appear in print. Beautifully mounted layouts are deceptive. The reader will never see your ad printed on high gloss paper, with a big white border. It's misleading for you to look at it that way. Develop a single advertising format.