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Classified websites have replaced the traditional ones in a huge way. The only reason why classified ads are still printed in the newspaper is because a few people are still not adept at using computers and the internet. Apart from that, the audience has largely shifted to online classifieds because that’s the imminent future. If you’re an advertiser, you will know the importance of classified websites the best. It gives you an opportunity to reach out to a lot of people at a minimal cost.
For an advertiser classified websites are a free promotional tool. They are free to register, and also to place ads. But since so many people place their ads on such websites, it might get difficult to make a sale on popular classified websites. How can you effectively make a sale during such times? We will give you some tips to make an easy sale –

1.    Create a catchy headline
Headline is the most important part of an advertisement copy. Whenever a user searches for something, everything that matches their search query is displayed. From among all of them, the user clicks on those which have the most attractive headline. For example, suppose you were to search for a motor bike and you come across two ads. The first one says ‘Bike for sale’ whereas the second one says, ‘Customized sports look bike in a brand new condition!’, which one would you click?

2.    Make use of strong words
Advertisers have identified a set of words that are strong and have persuasive power. It is advisable to use such words in the advertisement copy. Some of these words include ‘Big’, ‘Largest’, ‘First’, ‘Exclusive’, ‘Last’, ‘Free’, ‘Cheapest’, ‘Best’ etc. By making use of these words in your headline, you can give a clear indication of the product to your customers.

3.    Try to share a personal story in the copy
Once you are done with the headline, you will need to draft a copy, i.e. the description about your product/service. While there’s no standard rule for the same, it is really good to write a copy with an emotional feel. You can share a personal story in the same and write down about a memorable experience you’ve had with the stuff you’re putting up for sale. Recently, someone had put up an ad on Australia Classifieds that went viral. It was about 9 girls endorsing a person’s bike and stating how many enjoyable rides they’ve had on the same!
  
4.    Don’t forget photos!
Photos are an integral part of online classifieds. Since you’ve the opportunity to put up photos, you should put up as many photos of the product as you can since it will help the buyers overcome all doubts.

How to write Advertiser Classifieds

As a content writer you may have experience in writing articles, newsletters, blogs, interviews etc. But writing advertiser classifieds is a completely different experience. Unlike other forms of writing, a classified has very limited word space. It is a lot of like twitter. Therefore, it is all about communicating the maximum in least amount of words.

Before you jump to writing a classified, first understand the advertiser’s objective. An advertiser places a classified to grab attention of the reader, seduce them to want the product or service and force them to contact the advertiser at the earliest. Therefore the classifieds are structured also in a similar manner. If you look at Australia Classifieds, you will observe these three common elements:
•    A headline: something that is general but will grab attention
•    Features or benefits: Quick information about the product or service on sale
•    Call to action: contact information about the seller or the best way to reach the seller

This is the basic structure. But the words and the style you adopt while writing a classified define its success. Haven’t you noticed that if two classifieds are selling similar products or services, the classified that is well written will always grab your attention? This is because there are several smaller aspects that have been taken into consideration. These include:
•    Keywords: The words that define the product or service aptly and impress the customer
•    Description: Short but impactful. No verbal drama instead just straight facts. Should create a sense of urgency that that will compel the customer to reply to the classified. If the price is an USP, it will be highlighted, if not then it will not be mentioned.
•    Categorization: Placing the classified at the right place is important. It should be easy for the customer to find. Therefore, it will be placed in those sections or categories that the customer will search for in.

Finally, a classified should not be misleading. If it misleads or oversells the product or service, readers will be disappointed when they see the actual product or service and may change their plan to buy it.

Online classified websites allow marketers to advertise during recession!

The repercussions of recession are still felt in various parts of the world today, in spite of the phenomena happening 4 years back. Since advertising has always been associated with heavy expenditure, this industry was one of the worst to suffer since companies cut down on their advertising. However, the creative people that marketers are, they devised a form of marketing that could help them during times of recession without them having to worry about spending. Though it is not as effective single handedly, it has proven that it has similar sales potential to print ads.

Apart from that, it is a form of advertising that can perfectly complement other forms of advertising and become a good part of the overall promotional mix. If you are wondering what this wonderful marketing tool is, we are talking about online classified advertising! Classifieds have been around for long but the emergence of internet has put them in the forefront as compared to the small section they were subjected to in the newspapers.

For an Advertiserclassifieds advertising forms an indispensable part of the marketing mix. Several creative advertisers have shown that if used effectively, it can serve the purpose of a print advertisement. A recent classified advertisement which had a farmer putting his black cow up for sale in the pet classifieds section was truly remarkable and caught the eye of many in the advertising industry. Some even offered him a job of a copywriter but sadly, he refused!

The moral of the story: Start using online classifieds today itself!