Jul
07ABC’s of Classified Copywriting
Filed in: How To Tutorials, Internet Marketing by Jo Lanier on 07-07-09Have you noticed all the brilliantly written classified ads lately? Me either.
Writing an effective classified ad is an art. To make sure that your classified ads
stand out in a crowd, use some simple rules, some creative flair.
If you follow these A-B-C’s for writing effective classifieds, you will increase your
response rate and your profits. And that’s what it’s all about.
Here is a quick and simple A-B-C guide for writing classifieds that sell.
A. Think like your reader. While you are writing your ad, always remember that
your reader is thinking ‘What’s in it for me?’
B. Write your ad to one person not your entire market at once. Remember there is
only one person at a time reading your ad.
C. Write a benefits list for your products. Remember, benefits are not features.
Here is an example.
FEATURE: Earn millions online
BENEFIT: Enjoy the luxurious lifestyle of the rich and famous.
See the difference? A feature is what your product or service does. The benefit is
the feel good feeling you get from the feature. Now write a list of all the benefits
you can think of for your product.
D. Select the best benefit from your list. Writing a successful classified is like
writing a sentence, focus on one thought at a time.
E. Write the headline for your classified, using the benefit that you have chosen.
The headline is the most important element of your ad. If you don’t grab the reader’s
attention in a milli-second as they are scanning all the classifieds, you’ve lost them.
F. Write the body of your classified using the features that support your benefit.
G. Begin writing your classified without thinking about the final size of the ad.
Write as much as you can about your product, but stay focused on the benefit that
you have chosen.
H. Edit your ad. Most ezines run classified ads that are approximately 5 lines long
and 60 characters wide. Use this guideline to edit your copy down to a normal
classified size.
Pick out your best sentences, power words, and convincing arguments that will
make your reader click on the link to your website or send you an email.
I. Make sure you include your web address and email.
Use http:// before your website address, so that it looks like
http://www.yoursitename.com
and mailto: before your email address, so that it looks like
mailto:info@yoursitename.com
J. When you have finished the ad, go back and read it, polish it, and read it again.
Take a break from it and come back and read and polish some more if necessary.
When you are writing your ad, make it believable. Using a lot of !!! may get
attention, but it makes your ad look gimmicky and less believable. People
genuinely want to believe what they are reading, but if you come off like a
carnival sales man, no one will respond to your ad. Your credibility is key.
There is much more to writing a classified ad than just verbally throwing words
on your reader. You need to put some thought into what you are saying.
These A-B-C’s will help you write a successful and profitable classified ad.
To your success,
Jo Lanier
http://massofwealth.com
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Recommendation:
For a complete guide and step by step instructions for writing your own
classifieds that pull like a magnet, check out this resource.
Yanik Silver is one of the best writers in the industry. Get a Free confidential
preview link for his PDF and 1-hour audio. Plus, you’ll also get ongoing
copywriting tips and secrets from Yanik.
or check out Yanik’s Instant Sales Letters and you can get a Free mini Course.
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You can find some of Yanik Silver’s articles here at my site:
http://massofwealth.com/articles/oba/
Jo Lanier
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yeh right.. great post, Thank You
Great headline. If your cookie has a bite-sized action and your reader completes the action, I think two things happen. Their self-confidence goes up (which feels good) and their trust in you increases.