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Major Communications
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Major Communications
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As a popular Web Classifeds Publisher I see over two thousand ad submissions daily. The two most common mistakes writers make to compromise their web ad's effectiveness are: 1) failure to recognize their audience and 2) not following proven web ad writing basics.
Knowing exactly what to say becomes easier once you recognize with whom you are having conversation. Ignoring the demographics of your audience is like trying to "sell air conditioners to Eskimos." It just doesn't generate enough heat to warm up the prospect to your product.
Designing a good ad is an art that can be quickly mastered. Just follow these essential AIDA basics.
KILLER CLASSIFIED AIDA BASICS
[A] TTENTION - [I] NTEREST - [D] ESIRE - [A] CTION
If your ad doesn't include these it is not a KILLER Ad!
[A] TTENTION: You must first capture your readers' attention. Picture them scanning the section of a classified page, with hundreds of ads, of which your ad is just "another ride" in the park. Which ads they choose to read depends entirely on which ones seem most exciting or comfortable to them.
A sky divers club visiting an amusement park will naturally gravitate toward the thrill rides, while a group of senior citizens may likely enjoy more the arcades or petting zoo. Take time to place your ad in the appropriate section of the classifieds.
Now, that your ad is in the right park, there must be that "something" about the title of your ad to stop reader scanning long enough for them to focus on YOUR ad.
Since web classified ads lack graphics, it then comes down to something about the words you use, or the way you use them.
Some advertisers think by using lots of exclamation marks (!!!), asterisks (***), or maybe DISPLAYING CAPS they will attract more attention. Intelligent readers know it's glitter meant to sway their thinking. Some may even resent your showboating. If your words do not speak loud enough for themselves, no amount of dress up can make them more glamorous.
Why do animated banners attract more attention? It is instinctively inbred into the human animal to focus on movement. Verbs convey movement best. "Run Our Software to Launch Your Web Site" makes a better title than "Read About our New Submission Product."
The right word for the reader, is the one that causes an emotional response. Emotional responses bypass the cognitive process and cause us to experience rather than merely read the words.
Spend more time designing your title than the rest of your ad. To generate attention demanding title words, always consider the word's flash value. Make it the goal of your title to ignite the reader's interest, our second goal.
[I] NTEREST:
The body of your ad must have cognitive appeal. It must make
enough sense, to be worthy of a visit to your site, an email
info request, or to buy your product on sight.
Use your description to state the benefits or features that your product has for the reader. Again, knowing the demographics of your readers and placing your ad in the proper classified section(s) is critical.
Develop a mental picture of some of the customers who would come from the readers' demographic group. What kinds of jobs do they have, cars do they drive, are they young, old, single, married? The clearer and more real your mental picture of the audience, the better you will be able to match the features and benefits of your product to their interests.
[D] ESIRE:
Appealing to reader interest is not enough. The ad must then
"further stimulate your reader." While interest can generally be
obtained by highlighting the practical properties of your
product, desire (like title words) needs to rub more basic buyer
erogenous zones.
Is there something here that makes them feel good, excited, confident, secure, hopeful or powerful? Think about what other emotions your product or service can produce. Does your product appeal to a particular sense. Can the reader taste, hear, smell, see, or feel your product.
Understand that most actions (our next goal) are born out of desire, and that desire is stimulated by a "natural seeking for feelings that bring pleasure." All living organisms have a primal instinct to seek pleasure and avoid pain. The buying influence of this physiological and psychological fact can not be over stated.
Contrary to popular belief, we don't really desire money. We desire the positive feelings that we think money will bring us, whether they be happy, secure, or powerful feelings. The word "money" can only "trigger" the feelings or desires (within us) which we seek most, based upon our personal value system and past experience.
It is the feelings that are attached to the words that give them power. Everyone has experienced the power of impulse buying. Have you been grocery shopping while hungry? Did you make new product purchases because they looked tantalizing, purchased on crave value rather than food value, or spend more than you intended?
Well guess what? It is more than likely that your product will be purchased on impulse. It is your job to convince the reader that; your product alone that can satisfy their hunger.
[A] CTION:
If your reader does not take action, you're dead in the water.
How do you get your reader to act? Believe it or not this is
very easy to do. Simply use a "directive".
Psychologists tell us that when given a directive (unless obviously harmful) our first instinct is to comply. If you are at work, you can turn to the person in the seat next to you, and in a slightly commanding voice say, "give me your pen for a minute"... chances are they will, and usually, without question, for no other reason than "you told them to do so."
In your ad simply say: "call this number now", "email me for details", "go to our website" etc. If the first three ingredients (attention, interest, and desire) have been well done, and the reader is a qualified customer.... they will most likely take the action you direct them to take.
Develop your web ad with the above thoughts in mind.... Check your ad to see that the four AIDA basics have been met. Now you have a "Killer Web Classifed" ad that will out pull by many times the thoughtless ads of your competition.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jim Foreman is the creator of DialUp Profits Websites.
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