How To Write An Effective Advert

When testing new adverts; start with the tried and true. Don't try to be different.

It is the sound and worthwhile that brings in the customers- time and time again.

The best way to write your advert is to disregard size at first, writing everything on paper that might attract readers.

Tell it all. Stress the need for what you have to offer, what it will do for readers, how they will benefit, benefit and benefit, what they can expect by using your product, how easy or more pleasant life will be for them...

When you have finished writing, you might have a long paragraph or a dozen pages. Now is the time to think of clarity, not cost.

 Unlike a 'zine classified, you do not pay by the word. So you won't have to be nearly as selective in your choice of words in the final ad.

To build sales, this advertising must be seen or heard by potential buyers, and cause them to react to the advertising in some way.

 The credit for the success, or the blame for the failure of almost all ads, reverts back to the ad itself.

The bottom line in any ad is quite simple: To make the reader buy the product or service.

Any ad that causes the reader to only pause in this thinking, to just admire the product, or to simply believe what's written about the product -is not doing its job completely.

The "ad writer" must know exactly what he wants his reader to do, and any that does not elicit the desired action is an absolute waste of time and money.

Never forget the basic rule of advertising copy writing:

“If the ad is not read, it won't stimulate any sale; if it is not seen, it cannot be read; and if it does not command or grab the attention of the reader, it will not be seen!”

Most successful advertising copywriters know these fundamentals backwards and forwards.

Whether you know them already or you're just now being exposed to them...

Your knowledge and practice of these fundamentals will determine the extent of your success as an advertising copywriter.

All Web copy, sales copy and ads are written according to all the same rules.

What is said in a 'zine classified ad must have the same [if not more] impact that's delivered in a larger, more elaborate type of Web site, in ultra-condensed form.

Honing Your Copy Writing Skills

To start learning how to write good ads, carefully study:

High-octane Copy Writers, like Marc Goldman and Alex Mandossian.

. Note: Neither of the above links are affiliate program links!

Issues of The National Enquirer. These are some of the all-time highest paid copy writers, and with good reason- sales of products advertised.

No, I am not suggesting studying articles such as “Jennifer Williams Gets Impregnated By Alien!”. Only the ads.

Analyze each of these ads for the following:

How has the writer attracted your attention ?

What about the ads keeps your interest?

Are you stimulated to want to know more about the product being advertised?

What action must you take?

How strongly are you "turned on" by each of these ads?

Rate these ads on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the best.

Now, just for practice- without clipping the ads- do the same thing with ten different ads from a Wards or Penney's catalog.

In fact, every ad you see form now on, quickly analyze it, and rate it somewhere on your scale.

If you'll practice this exercise on a regular basis, you'll soon be able to quickly recognize the "Power Points" of any ad you see, and know within your own mind whether an ad is good, bad or otherwise, and what makes it so.

This will give you the "feel" of the fundamentals and style necessary in writing successful ads.

It takes dedicated and regular practice, but you can do it!

Simply recognize and understand the Master Formula [A.I.D.A.]:

Attention!

Interest!

Desire!

Action!

Practice reading and writing the good ads -and rewriting the bad ones to make them better- and keep at it...until the Formula, the Idea, and the feel of this kind of ad writing becomes second nature to you.

This is the ONLY WAY to gain expertise in writing good copy, including classified ads.

Virtually all successful copywriters rate the headline and/or the lead sentence of an ad as the most important part of the ad, and in reality, you should do the same.