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Write the ad copy you need to get the responses you deserve. |
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Courtesy: Scott Ohnmeiss |
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Copyright © 2001 The Power Team. All rights reserved |
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| Actually placing your classified ad, whether free or paid for is probably the easiest part of classified advertising, however in most cases there's far more to placing ads then what meets the eyes. We hope to cover the many facets of classified advertising so you get the most impact and the best results from your classified ad placements. The bottom line here is to save you time, (and money in some cases) and also increase your overall classified ad response rates. | ||||||||
| So there you are, you have a product or service and you want to tell the world all about. You're primed, your business bank account is open and ready to accept deposits, and you're ready for all those orders to start rolling in. Before you decide which advertising medium you want to use such as; TV, radio, Internet, fax blasting, billboards, display ads, news releases etc... you must be able to create a compelling enough ad which will make your prospective buyers fight their way to your door to get what you have to offer (because this section is about classified advertising hints and tips, we'll restrict our discussion to this type of advertising medium). | ||||||||
| And just how do you do that? By ensuring you create powerful enough ad copy which convinces your audience that they need what you have to sell. Note I said "need", and not "want". A large portion of the requests for information, or purchases are based on the need that you create through your motivating classified ad copy. Think of all those things you may have purchased in the past that you no longer use, or possibly you wonder as I do why they were even purchased in the first place. So the first step is understanding classified advertising is to know that people make purchases because you have something that they perceive will fill a need of theirs. Yes, there are ads where a washing machine for instance is for sale, and the purchaser needs a washer, so they buy it, fairly simple transaction, however what we're going to get into is much deeper then that. | ||||||||
| A great classified ad will only be effective in creating action or sales for you when it contains as a very minimum: an eye grabbing title, positive key words, clearly defined benefits, a personalized focus, and a call for action. Each of these alone are a good start in any classified advertisement, however when combined in the right balance, they can create a flood of responses for your product, offer, or your opportunity. | ||||||||
| 1. An eye catching title is the door by which your potential customers will "enter" your classified ad. It's the first thing people see while scanning classified advertising sections. And if it's not catchy, then it's also very possibly the last thing they'll see in your ad. Titles are probably one of the easier parts of a classified ad to assemble. Some of the best titles use the key words as discussed in the following paragraph such as: Free Advertising, Guaranteed Leads, Designed With You in Mind, Save Your Money, Proven Solution, Secrets to Your Success etc. Of course they should be tailored to your specific product or service, however even in their most generic forms, titles which catch your customers eyes is the first priority, especially since once you get them "into" your ad... they can decide if it's something that fills a need of theirs. | ||||||||
| 2. Positive key words are probably some of the most important aspects within the body of your classified ads. Some of the more popular key words (our chosen top 10) are: free, secret, guaranteed, proven, powerful, save, solution, money, value and bonus. You can check out the complete listing if you have the time, and print it for later reference if you like. Book mark this section before you forget so you can come back later to reference it. | ||||||||
| 3. Clearly defined benefits are important because the people reading your classified ad will within a few seconds determine if your product will change or improve their lives in some way. If you're promoting new and free website advertising programs for instance (how convenient), then you want to ensure you point out the benefits the reader will receive. As mentioned above you only have a few seconds to make your point, and if they make it past your headline, you better have something that will open their eyes, get them thinking, and which will make them "need" what you have to offer. | ||||||||
| 4. Personalized focus is important because you must remember that your classified ad is designed for your potential customer and not for yourself. Far too often I see classifieds that were designed for the ad writer, and which contain many references to the owner, the reputation of the company, or other self-serving data. Who cares that the owner has been in business for 25 years, and does it matter that the company is a member of the BBB? Nope, not in a classified ad. That type of information is great for a follow-up sales letter, or a circular, news release etc. but not in a classified ad. A personalized ad contains many references to the reader... and the big word here is simply "you" and your. Check out these two examples for a detailed comparison of a bad classified ad, and a good (personalized) one. | ||||||||
| 5. Call for action ensures that your reader is "told" what to do next. It doesn't mean that your reader isn't smart enough to call that number, visit that address, send in that fax, or use the email address in the classified. It's simply a way to tap into the automatic human response mechanism, and prevent the thoughts they might have of calling later, or checking it out again another time. Most of the time this never happens, life is too busy, and there's just too many other things to focus on. So what exactly do you put in your ad? Exactly what you want them to do - simple. Some of the call for actions you may have seen in classified ads before include: Call now for the best rates / Email me today! / Fax this back now for your free bonus / Don't miss it, write today!. You get the picture. | ||||||||
