On this page
- 01Key takeaways
- 02Why use a checklist?
- 03Audience: who will see it?
- 04Cost: what will it really cost?
- 05Tracking: how will you know?
- 06Terms and rules: what are you agreeing to?
- 07How do you score it?
- 08What does running the checklist cost?
- 09When can you skip it?
- 10What does this look like in practice?
- 11Next step
- 12Sources and further reading
- 13Frequently asked questions
Key takeaways
This advertising checklist has 20 checks in four groups: audience, cost, tracking and terms. Run it before booking anything, in any medium. A booking that passes 16 or more is worth testing. One that fails on tracking or audience should wait.
- 5 checks on audience and fit.
- 5 checks on the full cost.
- 5 checks on tracking and follow-up.
- 5 checks on terms, rules and timing.
Want a booking run through the checklist with you? Message us on WhatsApp.
Chat on WhatsApp →Why use a checklist?
A checklist protects you at the moment you are most likely to decide badly: on the phone, with a deadline and a discount. It asks the same questions of a Facebook campaign and a radio package, so the answer does not depend on who is selling.
Audience: who will see it?
Start with fit. An advert shown to the wrong people cannot work at any price.
- 1. Can you describe your best customer in one sentence?
- 2. Do those customers use this channel? Have you asked?
- 3. What share of the audience is in your service area?
- 4. Can you afford to reach them at least three times?
- 5. Does the message suit how they meet the advert?
Cost: what will it really cost?
Get the whole figure before comparing it with anything.
- 6. Is the quote inclusive of production and VAT?
- 7. Have you added your own time?
- 8. Have you compared at least two alternatives?
- 9. Do you know the most you can pay per customer?
- 10. Is this money you can afford to lose on a test?
Tracking: how will you know?
If you cannot tell whether it worked, you will face the same decision next year with no more evidence.
- 11. Does the advert carry a code, number or address?
- 12. Is every enquirer asked how they heard of you?
- 13. Is there one log of enquiries and outcomes?
- 14. Is the pass mark set before you start?
- 15. Will enquiries be answered within a working day?
Terms and rules: what are you agreeing to?
Read what you are signing and what you are claiming.
- 16. What are the term, notice period and renewal clause?
- 17. Can every claim in the advert be proved?
- 18. Does it need consent, clearance or data checks?
- 19. Does it match your name, colours and other adverts?
- 20. Is the timing right for your season and capacity?
How do you score it?
Count one point for each yes. Sixteen or more: go ahead as a test. Twelve to fifteen: fix the gaps first. Fewer than twelve: decline for now. Treat checks 2, 11 and 16 as essential. A no on any of them is a reason to pause whatever the total.
What does running the checklist cost?
About 30 minutes. Set that against a typical booking: a leaflet drop of £300 to £750, a print series of several hundred pounds or a paid social test at £300–£500 a month. Most UK SMEs using an agency pay £950–£2,500 a month for managed social media, and the same checks apply to that decision.
Want help with the checks you could not answer? Message us on WhatsApp and we will discuss your requirements.
Chat on WhatsApp →When can you skip it?
Skip it only for free activity and for repeats of a booking that passed recently and has tracked results. Do not skip it because the offer ends today. A genuine opportunity survives a day's thought.
What does this look like in practice?
A pattern we see when owners first use a checklist: most bookings fail the same two or three checks every time, usually tracking and the customer question. Fixing those once improves every later booking, in every channel.
Next step
Run your most recent booking through the 20 checks and note the score. Then run the next one before you agree to it.
Message us on WhatsApp for a printable copy of the checklist, or book a 30-minute consultation.
Chat on WhatsApp →Sources and further reading
- Marketing and advertising: the law · GOV.UK
- UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (CAP Code) · ASA / CAP
- URL builders: collect campaign data with custom URLs · Google Analytics Help
Frequently asked questions
What should I check before paying for advertising?
Check that your customers use the channel, what share of the audience is in your area, the full cost including production and your time, how responses will be tracked, the contract terms and whether every claim in the advert can be proved.
What questions should I ask an advertising salesperson?
Ask for audience figures in your area and who measured them, the total cost, the minimum term and renewal terms, artwork deadlines, and whether you can speak to a similar advertiser. Ask for a short test before any long booking.
How do I avoid wasting money on advertising?
Decide the most you can pay for a customer, test small, track every enquiry by source and never book under deadline pressure. Review results before renewing anything, and stop whatever cannot show an enquiry. A 30-minute checklist before each booking prevents most of the common losses.
Is this checklist different for social media and print?
No. The same 20 checks apply to both. Social media usually scores well on cost and tracking, and print on simplicity. Using one checklist for every channel is what makes the comparison fair. The scores will differ by channel, and that difference is the information you need.
Written by
Global Bridge Labs (GBL) is a UK–Sri Lanka partner for social media, websites and BPO. Everything here comes from client delivery, not theory.
