Where do your competitors advertise? How many column inches do they use? What kind of typeface do they use? How much clear space (your best guess of a percentage) do they leave? Check the classified. Are your competitors there? How many column inches of space do they use?

Check last week's ads to see if they were there then, and is the ad the same? Go back two weeks, three (if you have them. Now classify your competitors into those that are smaller than you and those that are much larger than you. Make a chart. What you have done is called 'marketing research', so let's put what you now know to work for you.

If the competitor just a bit larger than you has an ad that is in the paper on a regular basis, it means it is working. It draws customers to their site. If the competitor is a bit smaller than you, compare their ads over a few weeks. Chances are their ad will change every week.

What you are discovering is the power of repetition, the power of graphics, the power of space, and the power of typefaces.

Take your new knowledge to either the newspaper's graphic department or to an independent graphic artist and mimic the successful ads. Use your own material (don't copy), but try the same winning format. I believe you will see a major increase in customer calls. A very successful marketing guru once told me:: "Even if it ain't broke, fix it better".