Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-10-15

A somewhat close and careful obserVa.
ton of the science of adverlis ing, its meth
DDS and effects, leads us to fully endorse
the following article which we copy from
an exchange. The ideas advanced are wor-
thy OF consideration by all business men,
and all persons who have occasion 10 use
the columns of a newspaper:
No greater mistake is made by people
who advertise than in the value they set
upon editorial pu1ls in the newspapers.
What we mean by that is the style vi arti-
Giles iound in the local columns and "lead-
ed'' as editorial matter, and generally de-
scriptive of somebody's cigars, candy,
cocktails or cabUdges. Many people sup
pose these to be the most valuable advertise
ments, when in fact they are tue very poor
est. The public generally understand that
these paragraphs are paid for either in ia.
vors or cash, and estimate them according
ly. Some people ask the editor for puff,
and encourage" him properly too, more
for the purpose of reading his eNtravagant
language and witnessing his ingenuity in
the use of explosives than for the profit
they expect to derive. Some are too indo-
lent TO write their own advertisements, and
still others resort TO pun in order 10 get
dead-head notice. This is ali wrong. PuHs
are the most worthless of advertisements.
Some men arc willing enough TO pay for
printing ink, but they imagine that palpa-
BILE straight out advertising is not exactly
the thing. They want TO get it done in the
third person or 10 have the endorsement of
the editorial "we." That business man
who soonest educates himself out of this
delusion will have the most greenbacks.
A business mans advertisement in his own
language, over his own signature, and for
which he is plainly responsible, is In the
nature of an official document and receives
more considerate attention than puff in
the local column, and Is both more valua-
BILE and respectable. There is an air about
the responsible advertisement, which says:
~ want TO trade, aud will give you lair
bargain" The puff insinuates that there
is no responsibility in the matter. When
we have occasion to advertise our own
business we rarely make editorial mention
of it, but insert an advertisement. This
view Of the subject is not inconsistent with
the common practice of making editorial
mention of new advertisements-and the
largest papers cannot even do that-nor OF
local mention of matters that are constant
ly occurring in the business community,
by which any mans business may be call
ed into notice. One is a news item and the
other is an introduction as il were of a new
customer to the reading or business public.
To obtain the full value of printers ink,
advertise. Do it in your own language, or
If you cannot do that to suit you, get some
one better versed in the matter to help you,
or come TO the office with your ideas writ
ten down and we will help put them in
| shape. By all means advertise. Change
| often, and, when your business admits of
| it, make different features of it prominent
| in their turn; to-day one thing, tomorrow
| or next week another, and then something
| else. Let your advertisements have some
| thing of the dash in them, without great
exaggeraion. Hundreds of fortunes have
| been made by advertising, and yet rs an
| art il is but inper fecily understood.