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Classified Ads: Big
Results for Small Businesses
by Kevin
Nunley
You've seen
those statistics that say 3 out of 5 small businesses
give up within 5
years. The number one
reason small
firms give for closing shop is "we ran out of money
for
advertising."
The Internet's thousands of free classified ad sites
are coming to the rescue. They aren't for every business,
but
if you are starting your own empire on what you can eke
out of
the grocery money, free ads may be the answer. Don't
expect them
to be a magic bullet for success, however. Because free
ad
sites are free, EVERYONE posts on them. Your ad message
is
lost in the crowd more often than not.
But those who have an attractive offer, a well
written ad, and
some determination often pull in 10 to 20 prospects
a day from free ad sites. How do you write the ad that
will
bring in these results? Well, there are a few things to
keep in
mind:
First, write your ad in complete sentences. Then cut out
non-essential
words to make your ad the required
length. Start sentences with action words. Use short
phrases.
To increase the impact of your ad, start the first
two or three words in all capital letters. These words
should grab
your prospect's attention. Readers skim down the
column
of ads and only read the beginning words that stand out
from
the others:
"NEVER MIND people who say you won't get
rich."
"YOUR FREE COMPUTER is waiting in our exciting
sweepstakes."
Next add a few sentences that talk about your
product, service, or opportunity. Keep sentences short.
Don't have to
be complete. Start with action words:
"YOUR FREE COMPUTER is waiting in our exciting
sweepstakes. Enter
while you browse our complete line
of speed-demon
computers. LOW prices!"
Wrap it up with your phone number, address, email,
or web site URL:
"FULL DETAILS http://www.yoursite.com"
Once you have your first ad written, keep on writing
-- write several versions of your classified ad. I
usually
try to knock out six at a time.
After you have your ads written, test them. Run them all
on free ad
sites, in ezines, newspapers, or
magazines. Be
sure to include a code in your response info so you will
know which
ad produced the inquiry or sale.
Once you find an ad that works well, leave it alone.
Resist the
temptation to tweak an ad that is already
successful.
Don't worry if you or your associates become bored
with the ad. Your audience is not as close to the ad and
is only
assured by its repetition.
Classified ads have often been called the poor
person's advertising. The fact is, they work for almost
every
business. Check the pages of your local "shopper"
newspaper and you will see most of the BIG businesses in
your town
using
classified ads, too. With strong, high-impact writing and
a little
persistence, classifieds can be one of the Internet's
best
bargain for your dollar.
Kevin Nunley provides marketing and copy writing.
Read all his free tips at http://DrNunley.com Reach Kevin
at kevin@drnunley.com
or (801)253-4536.
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