Black Belt Web Marketing.pdf - Costa del Sol

Finally, keep track of all the places where you placed classified ads. Then test results to fine
tune your ad campaign. NOTE: Also keep track of the ones where you decided not to place
ads so you don’t waste time visiting them again.
Don’t forget the unmoderated newsgroups in Lesson 3 where you were encouraged to
posted announcements. These are entirely suitable for classified ads too. If you are selling a
product, search all newsgroups for those with "forsale" in their name. See if any of those
are appropriate for your ad.
Exercise 4-1 -- Writing the Classified Ads
With the potential for thousands of viewers to see your classified ad, the difference from
generating a 1% response versus a 2% or 3% is significant. Several time-tested techniques
will improve the effectiveness of your ad.
Like your announcement in Lesson 3, your classified ad consists of three parts:
Subject
Body
Call for action.
Writing the Subject Line
At some classified sites, readers scan headlines and select the ads they want to read. For this
reason it is important to write an especially appealing headline. It is your only shot at
connecting with the reader. The subject line is preferably:
Clever, appealing
Straight-forward, honest
Eye-catching.
Warning: "Eye-catching" doesn’t mean all caps, a string of asterisks before and after,
exclamation points, or dollar signs. These techniques for trying to catch the reader’s eye are
tacky, over-used, rude, amateurish. They will immediately turn off most discerning net
users.
Writing the Body of the Ad
Describe your product or service in terms that will benefit the reader. Your readers are
more likely to visit your site if they are told how they will benefit rather than a straight
description of features.
Lesson 4 Pg. 4