Classified Ad Basics Inexpensive and easy, classified ads are the most economical way to get attention for your business.
Classified ads don't draw the huge response of a display ad,but they still provide the most economical way to get your businessinto the public eye. And since they demand neither the eye-catchingdesign of a display ad nor the clever wording of a direct-mailcampaign, almost anyone can write them.
What should your ad say? The Newspaper Association of Americarecommends you simply list your product or service's mainbenefit to the customer. Does it make people money? Improve theirself-image? Use a catchy statement, such as "Feel goodnow!" to create an impact. Since not every reader is lookingfor the same benefit, list as many as you can afford. The morereaders know about your business, the more they will trust you.
Experts also recommend using white space to make your classifiedad stand out from the competition. White space works especiallywell in newspapers, which sell ads for pennies a word or by theline. If you place just a few words in each line-the first linelisting a benefit, the second the name of your company, the thirdyour address, for example-you have a striking, centered adsurrounded by white space.
These brief ads work best when they offer a commonly soldproduct or service such as tax preparation or catering. Listing thebenefits of each isn't essential because the public knows whatto expect. White space in classifieds is also effective when youoffer a catalog or another form of literature describing yourproduct. In this case, you might place the main benefit in anopening line that is designed to grab the reader's attention,and below the benefit list how to send for the information, notingits price if any. For example, "Play Backgammon Like aPro" would be a good benefit line in an ad offering freeinformation about a booklet that shows backgammon players how toimprove their game.
Ads that use white space are less common in magazines sincethese ads are often twice as costly as a typical newspaperclassified. However, they are often more effective as well-evenmore so than in a newspaper because few other white space ads willbe competing for the attention of the readers. Before placing aclassified ad, write or call the publications that interest you andask for an advertising kit (also called a media or press kit). Adkits often include guidelines in the form of booklets, pamphlets ornewsletters, which help you construct your ad and give you tips onchoosing the main benefit, consolidating words or determiningwhether the tone should be boldly stated or instead employ aconservative description and a list of benefits. Most ad kits alsolist demographic information about the readers. Finally, repeatyour ad as often as possible, so long as it brings in enough moneyto justify its expense. Repeating ads helps customers gainfamiliarity with your product or service and helps break down salesresistance.
Once the ad stops pulling in new accounts, it's time todevelop a new ad. A classified that uses fewer words will cost lessto run, so it doesn't have to pull as well to justify itself.But sometimes adding more words can help your sales, too. Itdoesn't hurt to experiment.
How much profit do you need to make on classifieds? Unless yourun a one-product, one-sale business, you can build a profitableoperation through classifieds just by breaking even, or even bycoming in a little under the money since many of those buyers willbecome repeat customers.
Excerpted from Start Your Own Business: The Only Start-UpBook You'll Ever Need, by Rieva Lesonsky and the Staff ofEntrepreneur Magazine, © 1998 Entrepreneur Press
