Classified ads are the world’s number one cheap way to advertise. They cost just a fraction of a large print ad, not to mention that you can get your classified ad in everything from an email newsletter to USA Today.
Most classified ads are either hard to understand or not terribly exciting. To get sales, you need people to immediately understand your offer. You also need to build a bit of an emotional fire under them.
Start each sentence with an action word. Get this.., Save now…, Click to…
Make your sentences as short as possible. Incomplete sentences are ok. Two words. Fine. This fills your ad with energy and builds excitement. Classifieds can also use commonly understood abbreviations. Try to paint a picture of a better or more stress-free life. Mention a specific offer with a price for better results.
When possible, include a quote from a past customer. People believe other customers before they believe you. It’s human nature.
Newspapers and magazines are great places to put your classifieds, but keep in mind that more and more people are using the Internet everyday, and racking up those online hours.
Classifieds Online
There are thousands of places to use classified ads on the Internet. From free ad sites like Yahoo’s, to paid classified sites like AOL’s Classifieds Plus, to ezines with thousands of readers. So how do you go about writing a great classified ad for the Internet?
Online ad sites usually require a subject line. It needs to serve as your attention-getting headline. If the subject line doesn’t grab `em, people will never see the rest of your ad.
Start your headline with the word FREE or with an action word like EARN, PROFIT, RELAX, or FEEL. Some situations let you indent a few spaces so your subject line stands out from the others. You can also start with *** or $$$ to get attention in a long list of subject lines.
Ezine ads usually don’t have headlines. It is common to capitalize the first two or three words to serve as a kind of headline to get attention and pull people into the ad. For example:
EARN PROFITS while you relax and feel better.
Tabloid Classifieds
Another great place for classifieds in is mail order tabloids. There are thousands of entrepreneurs who make full or part-time income with a small mail order business. Many of these folks live in rural areas where the quality of life is high but there are limited opportunities for making money. The mail order industry offers them a way to sell to customers outside their home town.
An entire industry has grown up around home-based mail order businesses. Mail order tabloids are inexpensive publications that go to hundreds or thousands of people, most of whom run small mail order businesses. Tabloids are a good low-cost way to advertise products and services to entrepreneurs who prefer to buy things at a distance.
Classifieds and one-inch display ads start at just a dollar or two. Some good publications to check out are :
Chuck’s Mail Order News http://www.homebucks.com/cmno.html
JackPot http://www.JackPotMall.com
Spare Time http://www.spare-time.com
You can also write short articles for these publications including your ad at the bottom of the article. I have my articles mailed out each month to a list of 100 print tabloids (and will be happy to include your article or press release for $15 per page). This is great free advertising if your business sells via mail or on the Internet.
Think Classified ads don’t work? I knew a guy who marketed his self-published book with classified ads. He started out with an ad in one magazine. When he had made his money back, he put an ad in more magazines until you couldn’t look through a newsstand without seeing his ad. He built a great retirement for himself, and all through the use of classifieds. That’s easy marketing!
See Kevin’s classified ad deals at http://drnunley.com/drnad.htm We write classified ads at
http://cheapwriting.com/ads.htm
Dr. Kevin Nunley provides marketing advice and copywriting. See his 10,000 marketing ideas and popular promotion packages at http://DrNunley.com Reach Kevin at kevin@drnunley.com or 801-328-9006.
