by Linda Ann Nickerson

Created on: July 26, 2007

Classified ads are the shortest of all printed promotions, but they are the most popular as well! People purchase automobiles, pets, household goods, and even houses through the classifieds.

Today, such ads appear not only in newspapers and magazines but also online. Web communities and marketplaces offer free and paid classified ads.

Because most classifieds are placed by individuals, rather than businesses, people usually write their own ads. Professional copywriters are not consulted for classifieds. Still, ad-writing is a science. It takes some skill to write an effective ad, particularly if it must fit in an inch or two of column space.

As a professional ad-writer, I have developed a five-step checklist for composing classified ads:

WRITE A SNAPPY TITLE.

Often, the title will be printed either in all-caps or bold type. Usually, it will run directly into the ad copy, rather than appearing on a line of its own as a headline. The title must identify the product or service you are trying to sell. Editors base ad placement on the titles, and you want to be sure your listing appears in the appropriate category.

Remember: readers scan the classified pages quickly to find what they want. People never read every ad, just the ones that interest them personally.

Here are a few examples of successful classified titles:

1957 Mustang convertible
Steinway baby grand
Cocker spaniel puppies
Expert math tutoring

KEEP CONTENT SHORT, BUT COMPLETE.

Include any pertinent information that will help to sell your item or service. Before you write your ad, you will want to obtain a copy of the publication and review similar ads. Consider how you might compose a listing to compete successfully with what is already offered.

Abbreviations are perfectly acceptable in classified ads, as long as they are clearly recognizable. A four-door vehicle may be called 4-DR. A three-bedroom house can be 3BR.

When you place a classified ad, you can expect to pay by the word, or possibly, by the column inch your ad occupies. Brevity counts!

INCLUDE A PHOTO OR ARTWORK?

Photographs and artwork always add to the cost of your classified listing. Sometimes, such placements are not available. If they are, you will have to weigh the value of adding a visual. If you believe it will attract readers' attention and make your ad stand out from the rest, you may decide it is worth the cost.

When you run a classified ad, you will have to pay for every issue in which it appears. Running a more expensive ad one time (with a photo),

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>