Newspaper advertising is still an effective medium for advertising employment opportunities, business opportunities, products and services. In fact, it may be better today than it has ever been and here is why; many advertisers are working with smaller budgets than they may have had a few years ago, in addition some advertisers have opted to move their money to advertising opportunities on the internet. The combined result is that the classified section in most newspapers has shrunk considerably. That is great news for the savvy advertisers that continue to advertise in newspapers. While the competition for advertising space in newspapers has decreased considerably, circulation of these same newspapers is not down nearly as much. In other words, there is much less competition for advertising space in newspapers today as compared with a few years ago, in what is virtually the same product.
Although this lack of competition is increasing ads' productivity, it is still extremely important to take time crafting your ads. The design of your ad can make or break your campaign. Even the smallest, simplest classified ad needs a well thought out message to be successful. Writing effective classified ads can be a challenge, even for experienced copy writers. Here are some tips that will help you write winning classified ads in order to take advantage of this great advertising environment:
Keep it Simple- Don't be over complicated or too detailed. Classified ads are simply a way for you to introduce your product or service, spark an interest and invite attracted customers to contact you for further details. When writing a print advertisement, especially a classified ad, it is important to remember that space is limited. As an expert on your product, you could probably write four, well thought out, articulate pages of text, explaining every aspect of your product. However, what you are able to do and what works as a classified ad are two very different things. Keeping your ads simple is a way for you to evaluate your product and figure out what is most important, or what is the best selling point. Because space is so limited, it is best to find one aspect of your product that is "sellable" and write the ad based on that. For example if you are looking for drivers and your company offers great benefits, rather than wasting space explaining the long hours and heavy lifting requirements, spend the majority of the ad describing the fantastic benefits.
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Use Words that Appeal to your Target Audience- Are you targeting contractors? Drivers? Everyday consumers? Use key words and phrases that appeal to your target audience. For example: "Factory Direct" can appeal to contractors or individual buyers. Not only is it important to use words that are going to be meaningful to your target audience, this is also a good time to mention the importance of injecting "you" into your ad. By using the word "you" in your ad text, you have invited the reader to read on because they are led to believe that something in the ad affects him/her. Because you have now addressed the person reading the ad, make sure that you tie the benefit to their life. In other words, don't leave the reader hanging; tell them how your product or service will change their life, or at least make it better, easier, happier, etc.
Don't Bury the Message- Creativity can spark interest, but what good does it do if the customer can't figure out what it is you are trying to sell? Don't forget the goal; to sell your product or service! This goes hand and hand with keeping your ad simple. The whole point of placing a classified ad is to sell something. Whether it is a product or a service, the goal remains the same; SELL! You can get real creative and add lots of fluff to draw people into your ad, but without a clear, concise message you aren't going to get a whole lot of responses. If you are offering a business opportunity, tell them! Don't try to be intriguing without explaining why; otherwise people are left without a reason to call.
Maintain Credibility- Using too many superfluous adjectives can make an audience question your credibility. Stick to facts and simple descriptions rather than over-the-top adjectives. You goal is to make a sale, whereas the consumers' goal is to not get "sold." It is horrible to feel that someone is trying to deceive you, and many times people feel that advertisers are trying to deceive them. It is no secret that people are more likely to buy something if they feel they are getting a fair, honest deal. Some ads, though they might be selling honest products or services, sound deceitful because of too many descriptors and not enough information. Maintain your creditability by sticking to the facts.
Be Specific- Let the consumers know exactly what it is you want them to do or buy. For example, rather than Red Hat for sale, try something more specific, like Raspberry Barrett for sale. Let the potential customers know exactly what it is that you want them to do. If the sale ends soon, establish a sense of urgency by being more specific; ie "Sale Ends Saturday!" Be concrete. Using abstractions makes way for misunderstandings. Being specific and using concrete descriptions is the best way to anticipate that the message you are trying to communicate is going to be understood by the people reading the ad.
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