3 Elements To A Deal-Sealing Classified Ad

Have you ever wondered why your perfectly fine classified ad fails to attract the attention you desire? There should be dozens-no, hundreds-of perspective buyers swamping your e-mail inbox with offers. After all, you are offering a mint baseball card, a vintage coat, pristine used car, those wholesale-priced sporting goods, and whatever other attractive items are in your inventory. Instead, you only have a slow trickle of questions, a handful of sales. What gives? More than likely, your sales are slow because you have not mastered the three techniques of writing a classic classified ad.

Of course, give yourself credit for recognizing one important facet of today's selling world. You decided to sell your stuff at an online classified site. As anybody in the business knows, online classified ads get you more privacy, a broader selection of buyers, and a wealth of tools to help you keep tabs on your transactions. When compared to a newspaper, cyberspace is also a wee bit more spacious. There are billions of pages on the Web, and only a few dozen in your typical neighborhood rag. For you, that means a lot more space for your ad to say the least.

With that space, however, comes great responsibility-and great potential. The extra room gives you the freedom to include as much product description and sale copy as you want. You can't just slap together a whole bunch of information, though. You need to use the three special ad writing techniques that will attract buyers and seal the deal: attention, interest, and action.

Attention. Make sure the buyer stops at your ad instead of the thousands upon thousands of others out there in cyberspace. Your ad's title is the first lure to grab his or her attention, and the first component of a catchy title is the item's best feature, whether it's the price, the item's rarity, or its popularity. Next, be sure the title includes keywords or other synonyms for your item that a buyer might use in a search. For instance, a buyer could search for "automobile" instead of "car," "pullover" instead of "sweater."

Interest. Once you have the buyer's attention, hook them with details. There is a direct relationship between the amount of information you provide and the number of sales you'll make. So describe the item as completely as possible-size, color, material, designer, model-and provide a clear, digital photo to finish the job where your words leave off. Even offer your prospective customer the item's history if possible.

Also, try to list as many possible benefits that your sales item could offer the buyer. Come up with some that the buyer probably wouldn't think of on his or her own. And zone in on specific benefits. Use what you already know about your target. For instance, if you were selling a car, you know that whoever is looking at your ad is in need of a vehicle. If your car is compact, perhaps the buyer is in search of great gas mileage. Or perhaps it's power he or she wants if your car is a sports model.

Action. Finish your ad strongly. Don't just suggest to the buyer that you offer a great deal. Tell them it's a fantastic offer that they can't pass up. Use phrases like "Call me now before someone else does" or "Buy now, this opportunity won't last long." Be cordial while you're pressing the issue, of course. Thank them for reading your ad and make sure they know you appreciate their business.

Most importantly, your customers will also value your honesty throughout the whole ad. So whether it's the attention, interest, or action you're shooting for, never lie or exaggerate. Go so far to include any defects if your product is not in mint shape. Your honesty will build trust, and trust above all else makes an ad work. What's more, it makes for repeat customers.

Remember, if you use all three of these elements-or four if you include honesty. When you're finished with it, it should read something like the two examples below.

Example 1:

Discover the beauty of a Forest Hill Home
2500 sq. ft. home, 4 bedroom, 3 baths, double garage, upgraded kitchen, 12 ft. ceilings
This open concept house is situated in a historical landmark district of Rhode Island. It's a wonderful neighborhood to raise your family, with nearby schools and amenities.

(Insert your image or photo here.)

Call for an on-site appointment. Thanks for looking!

Example 2:

Looking for an inexpensive used car that drives well? only $4,950.
2003 Honda Civic, Limited Edition, 65,000 miles, manual transmission, CD, AM/FM radio, power steering, low maintenance. Great on gas - this car will save you $$$ on high gasoline prices.

(Insert your image or photo here.)

Send me a message now. Thanks for looking!

Donald Lee is the public relations manager for Buysellcommunity.com. Buysellcommunity provides free classified listing services for individuals and businesses to market their products and services online. For global and localized classifieds, please visit http://www.buysellcommunity.com - Free Buy and Sell Classifieds -

____________________

Advertisement: Honest Riches - Click Here!

Advertisement: Lost AdWords - Click Here!

Advertisement: Get $1 Million A Month In Google Pay-Per-Click Ads Free! - Click Here!

Advertisement: Who Loves Money? - Click Here!

Advertisement: SEO Elite, the GrandDaddy of SEO Software - Click Here!

In The News:

---

Boston Globe
How much are those front-page Times ads?
Reuters - 23 hours ago
(Slate) (Photo: “Spiderman” Alain Robert got free front-page advertising on the New York Times. Not in the paper but on the building. ...
Video: Money Minute: Times Ads, Hyundai, Construction AssociatedPress
New York Times now offers front-page advertising MarketWatch
NY Times debuts front-page ad; new revenue source The Associated Press
Adweek - Western Standard- Shotgun Blogall 361 news articles

BeliefNetworks, Inc. Launches AffinityAgent Advertising ...
MSNBC - 21 hours ago
Utilizing this technology, BeliefNetworks is able to help a variety of customers in the advertising and publishing world develop relevant ad concepts and ...

Dallas Pushes for More Video Board Advertising
MSNBC - 21 hours ago
The city council is looking to add more video advertising boards and told city staff that the five currently planned for Main Street are not enough. ...

BBC News
Iliad, France Telecom CEOs Press Senators to Cut Public TV Tax
Bloomberg - 3 hours ago
President Nicolas Sarkozy proposed a 0.9 percent levy on the telecommunications companies’ sales to make up for lost revenue from an advertising ban on ...
Is Nicolas Sarkozy really trying to Berlusconise French TV? Telegraph.co.uk
Strikes greet Sarkozy's TV reform BBC News
French unions decry TV advertising change Forbes
World Socialist Web Site - Voice of Americaall 152 news articles

Tampa Tribune
Recession raises stakes for Super Bowl advertising
guardian.co.uk, UK - 18 hours ago
"The Super Bowl remains this incredibly unique advertising opportunity because you get all this focus and all this attention and all the PR buzz around it," ...
Kellogg School of Management Faculty Available to Discuss Super ... PR Newswire (press release)
Super Bowl Marketers Must Gauge Sensitivity Mediapost.com
Super Bowl Visitors' Burning Questions Tampa Tribune
Tampabay.comall 57 news articles

School district to use online advertising service for job openings
Reno Gazette Journal, NV - 4 hours ago
CareerBuilders.com continues to be the advertising venue of choice for Lyon County School District job vacancies. At a total cost of $21085 through ...

Gaming Alerts
Online Casino Crosses Advertising Standards Agency
Online Casino News, CT - 2 hours ago
... context of toughness, and linked it to excessive risk taking and reckless behaviour', said a spokesperson for the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). ...
Ladbrokes's online casino broke advertising rules Reuters UK
Ladbrokes TV ads banned for linking gambling to reckless behaviour guardian.co.uk
Online casino ad breached rules The Press Association
Financial Times - Brand Republicall 22 news articles

Ask The Experts: Media 2009
MSNBC - 9 hours ago
This no-cost event features one-on-one sessions with media planning and buying professionals who will answer media and advertising questions to help ...
Ask The Experts: Media 2009 International Business Times
all 8 news articles

Reuters
IAC's Diller Sees Cost-Per-Click Ad Revenue Down 5%-7%
CNNMoney.com - 16 hours ago
(IACI), said Tuesday he thinks cost-per-click advertising revenue for his Internet media conglomerate are declining at 5% to 7% year-over-year in the midst ...
IAC still waiting on price falls for acquisitions Reuters
all 11 news articles

Los Angeles Business Journal
US court upholds LA ban on billboards
Los Angeles Times, CA - 3 hours ago
The US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reverses a lower-court ruling, saying the city's 2002 prohibition of outdoor advertising does not violate a sign ...
Laurence Tribe Tangles with Los Angeles -- and Loses! LA Weekly
Rare Victory: Sign Company Slapped Down By Court Curbed
Appeals court upholds LA's billboard ban San Jose Mercury News
Los Angeles Timesall 33 news articles

advertising - Google News

Super Secret Tip For Using PPC Search Engine Advertising Successfully

It's not about traffic; it's about generating leads. That's right. It only took me eight words to give you the secret super tip on using pay-per-click (PPC)... Read More

Top 9 Reasons To Advertise

Advertising is not for every company. But some require it because their market is big and constantly changing and evolving. Consider this, up to 30 percent of... Read More

Constructing Business Advertisements

What many may consider the most important part of advertising is writing an effective ad. The information provided in a classified ad may be the deciding factor... Read More

Small Cards, Big Ideas: Alternative Uses for Business Cards

Aggressive business card marketing isn't about handing your business cards out to everyone you see.The card itself must have a new use, an innovative design, or something... Read More

Do Your Adverts Get You More Sales?

Philadelphia retailer and US Postmaster General, John Wanamaker, once said, "Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half."If... Read More

Tips On Writing a Successful Ad

When knowledge is based on truth it is powerful!When it is critical knowledge, its presence can drive our success, while its absence may contribute to our failure.... Read More

6 Ways To Get More Sales From Your Advertisement

To bring great sales success, a great advertising technique is not the only parameter. You must know what it is that your customers are actually buying. They... Read More

Moving Message Display

Moving message display are designed to be installed into environments where vast amounts of information need to be conveyed to large audiences both quickly and efficiently, also... Read More

When Advertising Wears Out

One of the challenges facing marketers is determining the most effective level of advertising exposure for a brand, while maintaining a given budget. Conceptually, the media planner... Read More

How You Measure Yourself Is How You Motivate Yourself

One of the keys to strong positive mental attitude is what you compare your personal performance to. Do you compare your sales results to the top producer... Read More

A Lunchtime Lesson on Print Advertising

I promise you'll be able to finish this article before you finish the first half of your PBJ. Are you sitting down? Good. Because I have some... Read More

The Art Of Fear Free Advertising

Is fear of failure an issue when you commit valuable money in advertising?Well how about if I showed you a way to remove this fear and you... Read More

The Motivational Triggers That Make People Buy

In order to sell more products and service, you need master customers' mind. Put youself into customers' shoes and think what customers want. You will make more... Read More

The Seven Second Race: How to Draw Attention Your Ad

You've decided to launch your advertising campaign but you have no idea what would inspire others to buy from you. Or maybe you've already run some ads... Read More

The Graphic Problem

Digital printing has revolutionized the sign industry. Current printers can reproduce an image at 1440 dpi (dots per inch) at virtually any size. But they are worthless... Read More

Secrets And Top-Tips Of Mail Order Advertising

Good Advertising creates more production, thus greater consumption, faster turnover and lower sales price per unit. To a great extent it determines the success or failure of... Read More

How to Make a Fortune from Unique Resistance-free Advertising

One of the most powerful offers you can use in your advertising is the word Free.But, you may well ask? how can I make a profit giving... Read More

The Internet and Beyond - 12 Tips on Writing Better Brochures

Every year thousands of online businesses fail. None of them begin with the idea they'll fail, in fact they have high hopes of success, but they fail... Read More

Magnetic Signs: Where Do They Work Best?

Recently, a woman called to ask about replacing a magnetic sign she had purchased from another company. Her original sign had actually blown off the side of... Read More

Juice - Scam of the Decade or Opportunity of the Century

If you are an ardent web surfer and MLMer like I am, then I am sure you would have seen the sales pitch "Give away free broadband... Read More

3 Inside Secrets To Making You Richer Using Direct Mail!

Making money using direct mail isn't easy. And anyone who tells you it is, is lying.To run a successful direct mail campaign, you must have a compelling... Read More

Lamination of Signs

I suspect that everyone has an idea of what lamination is even if you have only seen it in passing. Restaurant menus are a common example. A... Read More

The Skinny on Billboards

Several years back the billboard people put a big picture of "Sharlene Wells, Miss America" on billboards all over town. She was everywhere. The clever use of... Read More

Offline Advertising Tips

Since most of us are always online and our business is online, we often forget the importance of advertising our business offline. Print advertising can be one... Read More

16 Methods for Getting Free Advertising

1. Place copies of your circular on bulletin boards throughout your community, such as in coin-operated laundries, grocery stores, barber shops, etc. Concentrate of Fridays... Read More

Testimonials Convert Prospects Into Buyers

Big businesses get instant credibility with their well-known company name or brand name. But small companies have to create their own credibility. One of most powerful tools... Read More