Marketing Attraction – Using Classified Ads

What are Classified Ads?

Classified ads are short and to the point commercial advertisements that are designed to generate interest in your product or service. They can be used both online and offline. You are familiar with the classified section in newspapers, magazines and other printed materials offline. Classified ads work exactly the same way online. They are structured very similarly; you write a catchy headline, write a product or service description and post some contact details so prospects can contact you.

Offline classified ads will direct prospects to a phone number or provide a mailing address whereas online classified ads will contain your website link and/or email address. Take a look at your local newspapers and check out the 'Classifieds' section usually located towards the end of the publication. The structure is the same although the lengths and size of the ads may vary. Offline classified ads can be very expensive. So why do people advertise online? Simple: because it's free for the most part!

There are literally thousands of free websites on the Internet that will allow you to post your classified ad for free. All you have to do is search for 'Free Classified Ads' in Google and many sites will come up. You can even do a country search and select what country you wish to place your advertisements in.

Why Online Marketers Everywhere Love Classified Ads

• Free - Free classified ad sites will allow you to sell your product or service without spending a dime. Why pay for something when you can get it for free?

• Traffic - If you have a website, then adding your web address to your classified ad will encourage your prospects to visit your site and see your full range of what you have to offer.

• Time - Placing classified ads offline is very time consuming. You have to get it approved, pay the fee and wait for the publication to come out before anybody sees your ad. Online is instant!

• Easy - Most of the online classified ad sites are very easy to navigate and completely browser friendly.

• Limitless - Advertising online using classified ads exposes you and your brand to a global marketplace and does not confine you to a costly small region like offline advertising does. There are hundreds of millions of people online and some of them are looking for what you offer! Your potential sales are huge!

What Do Great Classified Ads Look Like?

When you are writing classified ads you must be able to grab the reader’s attention long enough to get your message across. This is entirely your responsibility and with some practice you can be very good at it. A well-written classified ad will grab attention immediately, establish interest, create a desire and will move a person to action. All this should be done in less than 15 words or so for short ads and 50 words for long ones. Writing engaging classified ads essentially is an art form but it can be learned by almost anyone so don't be discouraged; get exited! When writing classified ads the simplest way is to use the A.I.D.A. principle. It stands for:

A = Attention: Grab your readers attention in a way that will make them stop and read.

I = Interest: Create a sense of curiosity, appeal or potential benefit to the reader.

D = Desire: Get the reader to want or desire what you are offering: create a longing.

A = Action: Guide your readers to take action, click on your link, read your article, etc.

Depending on the classified ad site you want to use, you can add colorful graphics banners and logos to spruce up your ad, but make sure to keep it all relative. Ensure that the ad reflects the image and the image reflects the ad.

Great Classified Ad Examples

Short Classified Ad

Stop Struggling Online
Never Lose Money Again
Earn daily income effortlessly!
[your url]

Long Classified Ad

New Associates Required for Global Leading Traffic Exchange
Multiple positions available with our company expanding in your area!
Full time, part time, spare time! Complete Training and Flexible Schedule!
Providing: Social Networking Tools, Auto-Surf and Lead Capture Pages.
[your url]

Powerful Tips When Using Classified Ads

Although classified ads are brief and to the point, getting excellent results takes some thought. A well-placed written ad in the wrong category or country will not generate the interest you had expected. Bad writing (copy) can lose people and will not grab their attention enough to stop and take a look at what you have to offer. Here are some tips you can apply to your Classified Ad Marketing:

Game Changer- Know Your Ad Reader
Understanding what your prospects are looking for is half the battle. If you know what they want it's much easier to tailor your advertising towards those specific needs. For example, there are prospects out there that hate sponsoring or recruiting and there are people that love it. You can tailor your adverts to both types of audiences. Understand the need and meet it. So your ad would include trigger words like 'Effortlessly', 'No Sponsoring Needed', 'Automate', etc. By doing this you are meeting a need and generating a desire, at the same time, in the mind of the prospect. Use the right words!

Why You Need to Pick The Right Place to Advertise

There is no point advertising in places that are not catered towards 'Business Opportunity Affiliates'. This is a waste of time and money if you are going offline. When selecting free online classified advertisers, spend time on the sites and see what kind of categories they cater towards and look at the different types of ads that are being posted. In some of the sites you can see how many clicks each ad is getting and if there are any comments under them. Document all your findings and add them to your arsenal.

If You Aren’t Prepared You’ll Fall Short of Good Results

Before you release a live ad it's good to study the various kinds of ads out there and how they meet their audience’s needs. Look at the ads that appear day after day and week after week. Are these ads easy to spot and what kind of wording are they using to catch people's attention? What categories are they being placed under and are they using images or not? You can apply your new found knowledge during your practice sessions before going live. Remember, doing your homework will reduce your learning curve and keep frustration at a minimum.

Grab Your Reader's Attention – Don’t Bore Them!

The first few words you utter in an ad are the most crucial ones. This is the headline of your ad and it will determine whether your prospect will continue reading or not. We want all our readers locked on our ads and want to prevent them from moving onto another spot on the page or clicking to another one. Your headlines should tell your reader the most powerful benefit of your product or service in a way that will captivate them.

Honest Marketing is Good Marketing

Prospects and online opportunity seekers today are far more skeptical than they were a few years ago. If something sounds too good to be true and is presented in that manner, most will just skip over your ad and move onto another one. A good rule of thumb is that if you aren't doing it yourself, don't put it in an ad. Promote with facts and not hype. Hype can actually have negative effects on advertisers, because people nowadays are searching the Internet and doing their homework. It's easy to see if something is legitimate or not. By being honest and relevant about your product or service you will attract a more sincere customer.

Don't Be Deceived – You won't Make Millions the First Time Round

Don't plan on making millions with your first ad. It can take time to learn the skill of effective ad writing and placements. Allow yourself time to learn this new craft because it's very powerful indeed. If you follow the right strategies and learn the right way, you will do yourself and your business a massive favour. Using classified advertising, in your marketing, is a long term activity and should be viewed that way.

Respect Your Writing – Proofread Your Content

Make sure you follow the protocol when writing an ad and keep to the correct structure whether you are going offline or online with them. Be sure to proofread your ads and even get others to view them before placing them on the ad sites. Be sure to include your contact details, such as a telephone number, if you are advertising offline, or a website and email address, if you are going online. Make sure your spelling is correct and that the words in your ad flow and fit together nicely.