The fact that huge corporations as well as medium scale businesses are still using this channel proves the existing effectiveness of both offline and online classifieds.
Do classified ads still have the competitive advantage over other advertising media? The fact that huge corporations as well as medium scale businesses are still using this channel proves the existing effectiveness of both offline and online classifieds. If you want to successfully endorse your products and services, nothing beats the core of creating effective classifieds. Discover now the art of creating the eye-catching classifieds.
Classified ads in every market environment have their own distinctive challenges. But achieving the eye-catching classifieds will require focus on the fundamentals of valuable advertising which can facilitate your product or service to stand out over fierce competition.
In it’s essence a classified ad has limited space. The ad would be synonymous to a person having 20 words or less to describe his offer in front of random visitors or internet users for this matter. That classified has to be sufficient enough with details to be prominent among other ads in the entire market.
Let us take a look at the anatomy of a successful eye-catching classified ad:
Headline
First impressions do last on online classifieds. Be sure that your first few words will pull your target market to your offer and make them stick their attention to the ad. With the limited space of a classified, a compelling headline should tell the visitors what exactly you are proposing.
Body of the Ad
The body is not the venue for you to list all of the advantages/benefits of your offers. This is where the Best Features of your offer should be. Focus on the objective you have in mind for your classifieds. Be brief yet, get to the point of what you are offering to the people.
A very common mistake that advertisers do is dwelling on superlatives in every ad. The following phrases/words should are no-no’s in classified ads:
· “the best”
· “biggest discount”
· “lowest of prices”
· “highest quality”
· “ultimate bargains”
Exaggerating descriptions must be avoided because people do not trust them anymore. Stick to the facts of your products and services. It is all that is needed.
Speak in a universal language. Do not mention extreme corporate jargons; rather be simple in choosing the right words that even a kid in grade school can understand.
Don’t forget to include important details such as prices, location, and contact details. Site visitors get pissed off if they have an item/service chosen but can not continue due to the lack of contact information or missing price labels.
The Action Label
When everything has been in place, don’t forget to lay down your action label. Simply, tell your consumers what exactly they do. You’ll be surprised to know that a number of ads neglects telling exactly what should the people do. Do not presume the customers’ reaction to the ad, but tell them to respond to your offer. Good action labels would be read something like:
· “Call now to reserve your future apartment!”
· “Buy now and get an electronic device for free!”
· “You’ll get 10% off from health equipment if you respond within this month!”
Remember that calling to action is not the final step. Make sure to have follow up processes to your customers may it be a return phone call, email reply, or letter through snail mail. A 24-hour reply period to your initial customer contact would be a good time lead for orders. Don’t go lazy on your deals because a minute wasted would be a customer’s reason to shift to your competitor’s merchandise/services.
You may have perfected your style of creating your own classified ad. But make sure to monitor your customers’ rate of response. Your approach in creating a car classifieds may not be as effective in your way of making a real estate classifieds. Different strokes for different topics, write according to the offer you are promoting.
Whether you are writing for printed or online classified ads, be sure to capture the correct and effective style in generating them. A limited classified space won’t be much of an obstacle if you can capture your customer’s limited attention span and call them to action. Constant practice does lead to perfection. So the more ads you prepare, the close it can lead you to perfecting the eye-catching classifieds.
