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How to Write Order-Pulling Classified Ads

Written by: John Brennan

Article Overview: Classified ads are the ads from which all successful businesses are started. These small, relatively inexpensive ads, give the beginner an opportunity to advertise his product or service without losing his shirt if the ad doesn't pull or the people don't break his door down with demands for his product. Classified ads are written according to all the advertising rules. What is said in a classified ad is the same that's said in a larger, more elaborate type of ad, excepting in condensed form.

How to Write Order-Pulling Classified Ads

Classified ads are the ads from which all successful
businesses are started. These small, relatively inexpensive ads,
give the beginner an opportunity to advertise his product or
service without losing his shirt if the ad doesn't pull or the
people don't break his door down with demands for his product.
Classified ads are written according to all the advertising rules.
What is said in a classified ad is the same that's said in a
larger, more elaborate type of ad, excepting in condensed form.

To start learning how to write good classified ads, clip ten
classified ads from ten different mail order type publications -
ads that you think are pretty good. Paste each of these ads onto
a separate sheet of paper.

Analyze each of these ads: How has the writer attracted your
attention - what about the ads keeps your interest - are you
stimulated to want to know more about the product being advertised
- and finally, what action must you take? Are all of these points
covered in the ad? How strongly are you "turned on" by each of
these ads?

Rate these ads on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the
best according to the formula I've given you. Now, just for
practice, without clipping the ads, do the same thing with ten
different ads from a Sears, Wards or JC Penney's catalog. In
fact, every ad you see from now on, quickly analyze it, and rate
it somewhere on your scale. If you'll practice this exercise on a
regular basis, you'll soon be able to quickly recognize the "Power
Points" of any ad you see, and know within your own mind whether
an ad is good, bad or otherwise, and what makes it so.

Practice for an hour each day, write the ads you've rated 8,
9, and 10 exactly as they've been written. This will give you the
"feel" of the fundamentals and style necessary in writing
classified ads.

Your next project will be to pick out what you consider to be
the ten "worst" ads you can find in the classifieds sections.
Clip these out and paste them onto a sheet of paper so you can
work with them.

Read these ads over a couple of times, and then beside each of
them, write a short comment stating why you think it's bad, lost
in the crowd, doesn't attract attention - doesn't hold the
reader's interest - nothing special to make the reader want to
own the product - no demand for action.

You probably already know what's coming next, and that's
right, break out those pencils, erasers and scratch paper - and
start rewriting these ads to include the missing elements.

Each day for the next month, practice writing the ten best ads
for an hour, just the way they were originally written. Pick out
ten of the worst ads, analyze those ads, and then practice
rewriting those until they measure up to doing the job they were
intended to do.

Once you're satisfied that the ads you've rewritten are
perfect, go back into each ad and cross out the words that can be
eliminated without detracting from the ad. Classified ads are
almost always "finalized" in the style of a telegram.

EXAMPLE: I'll arrive at 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon, the 15th.
Meet me at Sardi's. All my love, Jim.

EDITED FOR SENDING: Arrive 2 pm - 15th - Sardi's. Love, Jim.

CLASSIFIED AD: Save on your food bills! Reduced prices on every
shelf in the store! Stock up now while supplies are complete!
Come on in today, to Jerry's Family Supermarkets!

EDITED FOR PUBLICATION: Save on Food! Everything bargain priced!
Limited supplies! Hurry! Jerry's Markets!

It takes dedicated and regular practice, but you can do it.
Simply recognize and understand the basic formula - practice
reading and writing the good ones - and rewriting the bad ones to
make them better. Practice, and keep at it, over and over, every
day - until the formula, the idea, and the feel of this kind of ad
writing becomes second nature to you. This is the ONLY WAY to gain
expertise in writing good classified ads.

Related Articles
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  These 3 Classified Ad Writing Tips Will Get People To Act
  Entrepreneurs – Do You Want To Get Your Classified Ads Read?
  Marketing With Classified Ads-What It Takes To Make Them Work

Article Tags: ads, advertising



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