Wonderful Classified Ads - 50 Words You Can Use for Years

By Kevin Nunley
http://www.DrNunley.com

Classified ads are like the diamonds of the marketing world. You know how they say diamonds are forever? Well, you could say the same for classified ads.

A single, well-written classified ad is something you can use for years, and not just in classified ad form. I've written classified ads many customers who use our 50 word ads as copy for flyers, posters, brochures, 30 second radio spots, copy for websites, marketing materials for members, descriptions for something they're selling on eBay, and even pay-per-clicks.

As you can see, classified ads are the ultimate multi-taskers. With a few simple changes, they can double, triple, quadruple, etc. as copy for almost any other form of marketing.

But first things first. You have to start with the initial classified ad.

Crafting Your Ad

If you want an ad you can use for years, you have to put a little thought into it. But don't worry. It's just 50 words so you don't have to spend too much time pouring over it. But you do have to pay attention to the details, because in an ad as short as a classified ad, you don't have much room for error.

Here are a few tips that will help you craft an ad you can use for years:

1. Demand Attention - Sometimes it seems like life is just one big barrage of commercials and advertising. People learn--for their sanity's sake--to tune out most of this relentless marketing assault. So when you come along with your classified ad, you can't just blend in with all the other background noise. You have to demand attention!

The ads people pay attention to are those that address their most pressing concerns. It's surprising how many trivial things make it to the top of people's "most pressing concern" lists. Many of the problems you address will have something to do with a chronic issue, something people have to deal with over and over again. Think daily job frustrations; give them a new work option. Think weight loss difficulty; give them a guaranteed weight loss solution.

Products, services and opportunities that grab attention are presented in a way that shows how they can solve a problem, make us feel better, make our lives easier, make us happier, richer, sexier, more beautiful, etc.

Think of who your target audience is and then determine what their problems are. Shout out the solution in your headline and your audience will notice your ad above all others.

2. Make it Skim-Friendly - When you see an ad that promotes a product you're interested in, how often do you read through it word for word? My guess is not very often. Most likely, you see a headline that gets your attention and then you skim the rest of the ad to see if anything else sounds interesting. If a few keywords catch your eye, you will probably read the entire thing, because by this point, you are interested enough to find out the details and take some kind of action.

For this reason, you need to keep your ad short. People don't like to bother with long blocks of text. They just don't have the time or the patience. But a 50 or 100 word ad is skimable.

Put key phrases in bold, or sometimes use caps. Sometimes people can get the gist of the entire ad simply by reading the bold phrases. The faster they can get your point, the more likely they are to buy, order, call, or whatever you want them to do.

Keep sentences short. Use simple words everyone knows. Paragraphs should be no longer then three lines. And don't try to fit more than one or two idea into a sentence, preferably one.

Once you have your initial classified ad, you can choose to either use it as it is, or adapt it for all kinds of different uses. The layout of a classified ad follows the same format as most other kind of advertising: attention getting headline, essential information, incredible benefits, call to action.

Here are a few techniques you can use to adapt your ad:

1. Flyer Copy - Spread the information across the flyer, with the headline at the top, followed by the rest of the information descending down the page, from most important to least important. At the bottom, put the call to action and contact info.

2. Web Copy - In a classified ad, there is no need to make the sentences complete. But if you do make all the sentences complete, ad in a little additional info, and format it differently, you have instant web copy.

3. Radio Spots - You can use your classified ad almost word for word in a radio spot. But listeners might find it a tiny bit sketchy since they can't see the words. Add a few words here and there to make sure it's not confusing. Make sure the radio announcer knows to emphasize the words and phrases you have in bold.

Kevin Nunley provides marketing advice and copy writing for businesses and organizations. Read all his money-saving marketing tips at http://DrNunley.com/. Reach him at kev-@drnunley.com or 603-249-9519.

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