6 Tips For Writing Winning Classified Ads


by Adrian Hargray - Date: 2010-10-15 - Word Count: 510 Share This!

Are you currently running classified ads with little to no response? If so then you may benefit from the advice given in this article. Inside of this article, you will learn some unique ways to have classified advertising success - even if you're currently running them ineffectively. If you want to stay profitable in business, then you will want to follow the advice given in this article. Here's tip number 1.

1) Write short ads

Classified ads in and of themselves are short but some publications allows you to lengthen the amount of characters in the given advertising space. No matter what the publications say, you will want to stick with short ads. You may want to stick with a 2 or 3 word headline, a body copy of about 50 characters, and a closing that links back to your website or your 1-800 number. You want to stick with everything short so that you can entice your reader enough to take further action. Here's another tip.

2) Don't try to close the sale

Your classified ad should be geared towards generating a free lead, not closing the sale. The fact is, there's simply not enough space to close someone on buying your product - this why you want to lead them to your website or have them call for more information. This is the best way to go about marketing your products and services. Here's another tip for classified advertising success.

3) Use trigger words

Trigger words or key words are words that paint a vivid mental image in your prospect's mind. Some good examples of trigger words are "secrets", "free", "amazing", or even "discover". All of these words make a reader want to learn more and are excellent for captivating a person's imagination.

4) Sound different

You never want to sound like your competitors when advertising your products and services. Be different whenever you can. One thing you will want to be sure to avoid is using industry jargon. These are words that your prospect don't understand and that only your competitors know about. When writing your classified ad, don't write for your competition, write for your prospects.

5) Give something for free

This is the only logical thing that you can do in the space of a classified ad. As mentioned above, never try to sell someone in the tiny space of a classified. Your best bet is to follow the 2-step method of generating a lead and following up on them with more information. The 2-step method will prove to be more effective for you.

6) Have strong body copy

In the body copy of your ad, you want to do whatever you can to increase the perception of the value of your product. Use your body copy to further explain what the user will get from doing business with you. You main goal is to point out exactly what's in it for your prospects - so keep this in mind as you write your ad.

All in all, these 6 tips for writing winning classified ads will be effective if you follow them exactly.

Good luck with your classified advertising campaign.

Related Tags: classified advertising, classified ad, write a classified ad, classified ad tips, write classified ads

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