Here's a question that keeps most business owners awake at night:

"Should I run ads or write articles to market my business?"

The knee-jerk answer? Articles, obviously. Everyone knows people buy newspapers for the articles, not the ads, right?

Wrong.

Well, not always wrong. But definitely not always right either.

And that "obvious" answer could be costing you more money than a Durban July betting spree.

Let me explain why...

The argument for "advertorials" (ads that look like editorial content) seems bulletproof:

"People buy newspapers and magazines for the articles, not the ads. So if you make your ad look like an article, more people will read it."

Makes perfect sense, hey?

But like all marketing dogma, it ain't necessarily so.

Think about it: Lots of people buy the Wednesday Rapport specifically for the supermarket coupons. They grab the Sunday Times to check out the property ads. Hell, half the people at the Rand Show are more interested in browsing the stalls than listening to the seminars.

Sometimes people actually want the ads.

The problem isn't whether you choose ads or articles. The problem is thinking there's only one right answer.

My Advice: Don't Step in the Dogma

Here's the brutal truth: Anyone who has an ironclad rule about marketing can be proven wrong.

I've seen "guaranteed" formulas fail spectacularly. I've watched "proven" strategies flop harder than the Springboks in a World Cup final.

I constantly break one of the most respected copywriting rules about headline length. The "keep it short" brigade makes perfect sense... until I beat their short headlines with longer ones in split-tests.

Not often. But sometimes.

And "sometimes" is enough to make the difference between profit and loss.

Here's my approach when clients come to me with marketing questions:

• Can it be easily and cheaply tested?
• Is there a more reliable approach that'll work just as well?
• Is the potential benefit worth the cost of experimenting?

I know too much about what doesn't work to be dogmatic about what does.

The Real Challenge Is Getting Read in the First Place

Whether you're writing ads, articles, direct mail, or social media posts, here's the only rule that never breaks:

It can't sell if it isn't read.

Sounds obvious, right? Yet 90% of South African businesses completely ignore this fundamental truth.

They create marketing materials with a presumption of readership. They assume people will automatically read their carefully crafted messages.

Big mistake.

The smarter approach? Assume every person will try NOT to read your message.

Assume they're busy. Assume they're distracted. Assume they don't give a damn about your business.

Then work like hell to change their minds.

Walk through any shopping mall and you'll see it everywhere:

• Boring window displays that blend into the background
• Generic "SALE NOW ON" signs that nobody notices
• Brochures that look like every other brochure
• Social media posts that sound like corporate robots wrote them

They're all committing the same sin: presuming readership.

The business owners think: "I've got great products and fair prices. People should want to read about them."

Should want to ≠ will want to.

Your potential customers are bombarded with marketing messages every single day. From the moment they wake up to their phone notifications until they fall asleep watching Netflix ads, they're under constant commercial assault.

Your job isn't to add to the noise. It's to cut through it.

The best way to maximize readership isn't choosing between ads or articles.

It's targeting.

When you can speak directly to your ideal customer's specific situation, everything else becomes easier. The format matters less than the fit.

A perfectly targeted ad will outperform a poorly targeted article every single time.

But here's the rub: Sometimes you can't target. Sometimes you need to use mass media and fish from the entire dam, not just your favorite spot.

That's when format choice becomes critical.

When to Use Articles (Advertorials)

Use article-style marketing when:
• You're in a trusted publication where readers expect valuable content
• You have a complex story to tell that needs space to breathe
• You're building authority and positioning yourself as an expert
• Your audience is actively seeking information (not just browsing)
• You need to educate before you can sell

Example: A financial advisor writing a "How to Survive Retirement in South Africa" article in a local newspaper. Readers are genuinely interested in the information, and the advice positions the advisor as trustworthy.

Use obvious advertising when:
• You've got a clear, compelling offer that doesn't need explanation
• You're targeting people ready to buy (not just learn)
• You want to stand out from editorial content
• You're promoting time-sensitive deals or events
• Your target market actively shops for what you're selling

Example: A restaurant advertising "50% off all meals this weekend only" doesn't need to disguise itself as an article. People looking for dining deals want to find the ads.

Here's what we do with our clients:
1. Start with your audience. Who are they? What do they read? When are they most receptive?
2. Match your message to their mindset. Are they browsing or buying? Learning or deciding?
3. Test both approaches. Run the same offer as an advertorial and as a straight ad. Let the numbers decide.
4. Double down on what works. Once you know what your market responds to, scale it up.
5. Keep testing. What works today might not work next month. Stay flexible.

So, ads or articles – which is better?

The answer is: whichever one gets read and acted upon by your ideal customers.

Sometimes that's a cleverly disguised advertorial that educates while it sells.

Sometimes that's a bold, obvious ad that cuts straight to the chase.

Sometimes (here's the real secret) it's both, used strategically at different points in your customer's journey.

The businesses that win are the ones that refuse to get trapped by dogma.

They test. They measure. They adapt.

They don't ask "What's the right way?" They ask "What works for my market?"

Here's what to do right now:
1. Stop assuming people will read your marketing. Assume they won't, and work to change their minds.
2. Know your audience's reading habits. Do they skim or study? Browse or research?
3. Match your format to your goal. Educating? Try articles. Selling? Try ads. Not sure? Try both.
4. Test everything. What works for your competitor might flop for you. Find your own formula.
5. Focus on the fundamentals. Whether it's an ad or article, it needs to grab attention, hold interest, and motivate action.

The Bottom Line is that the format is never the problem. The message is.

A boring article will get ignored just as fast as a boring ad.

A compelling ad will get read just as eagerly as a compelling article.

Your job is to be compelling, regardless of format.

Stop worrying about whether you should write ads or articles.

Start worrying about whether your message is interesting enough to interrupt someone's day and valuable enough to change their mind.

That's where the real money is made.

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