One of the best ways to get your business noticed is through classified ads. These are the short, simple, ads you see on the back pages of newsletters and between the articles in ezines. They are usually cheap, sometimes even free, and easily accessible. There are countless web sites, newsletters and ezines that accept and print classified ads, and hence thousands of people you can reach through this simple method of advertising.
You can't just write anything though. Just like any other business ad or sales letter, your copy must be well thought out to be effective. The trick to writing classified ads that really sell, is to state all your essential information with just a few choice words.
To ensure that your ad will be read and responded to, follow these steps:
1. Write a rough draft firsts using complete sentences, saying absolutely everything you want to say, then start cutting. Take out any non-essential words. Use action words and short phrases. Eliminate anything that's even slightly repetitive.
2. Make sure you have a catchy headline. Sum up the main selling point of your business or product with one short sentence. Then give a little detail, but not too much. Keep it short.
3. Always include your phone number and url in the last lines so that people can contact you or access your site immediately.
4. Write several versions of your classified ad then pick the best ones.
5. Test your ads. Run a few of them on free sites first to see which ones get a response. Be sure to include a code in the ad info so you will know which ad produced the response.
6. Once you find an ad that works well, keep using it. Just because you're bored with it doesn't mean the audience is. They don't see it nearly as often as you do.
Using classified ads can be quite rewarding, and doesn't have to be difficult. Just follow these steps, and you just might find your business booming.
