 10
Reasons Why Most Classified Ads Fail... And What You
Can Do To Avoid Making These Blunders, So You Get
Successful Results With Every Ad You Place!
Copyright (c) Robert D. Boduch
Success Track Communications
e-mail: behappy@total.net
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Reason #1:
Trying to close the sale in the classified
ad itself. This is the most prevalent of the serious
mistakes classified advertisers make. The problem is
that you just don't have enough space, in a classified
ad, to convey all the benefits of even the most basic,
or lowest cost product. To try to shortcut the sales
process by attempting to close the sale right away, can
only result in a less than spectacular rate of response.
You may sell a few, but I'd be willing to bet that this
strategy will cause losses far more frequently than profits.
Many entrepreneurs start out this way, convinced that
their product or service is the greatest thing since the
invention of the wheel, only to become dismayed by a lack
of sales. Any ad that lists a price for a product or service
is guilty of making this mistake. Try using your classified
ad only as a lead-generating tool instead. Make the sale
with your follow-up material where you can provide qualified
prospects with all the advantages you offer in far greater
detail. This puts you in a much better position.
Reason #2:
Pushing your product instead of the great benefits
the customer gets as a result of having or using the product.
People respond because of what they "get". They never buy
products, services or businesses... instead, they buy
advantages or helpful results. It's the benefits you promise
in your ad that triggers response. Don't talk about the
features of your product or service, communicate all the great
benefits your customer can have when he takes advantage of your
offer. Leave it at that. If he's interested, he'll respond. If
the biggest benefits doesn't compel your reader to respond,
touting a feature surely won't.
Reason #3:
Not providing enough information to trigger
qualified readers to respond. If you don't tell enough about
what your product can do for the reader, your results will not
satisfy you. You may generate response, but, it likely won't be
of the high caliber, qualified kind. In fact, the only response
you're likely to get will be those people who respond to any ad,
particularly those that offer something "free". Don't skimp for
the sake of a few dollars. Nor should you get too wordy. You've
got to say just enough to arouse interest and generate response,
or you might as well not advertise.
Reason #4:
Not using your biggest bang as your headline,
thereby running the risk of losing prospects who might otherwise
be interested in your offer. What is the greatest benefit you
offer? Why is your prospect better off buying from you, versus
the competition? Or, what could you say that would command the
attention of the greatest numbers of qualified prospects? Focus
your lead on the answers to these questions, and nothing else.
You've got to use your strongest attribute right up front, or
you risk losing the scanning reader, who may just be a good
prospect for your offer. Don't hold back! You only have a
fraction of a second to capture the attention of the only person
who can make you and your ad successful; your prospect. If your
strongest appeal doesn't work to command attention -- a lesser
lure surely won't work either.
Reason #5:
Not providing a strong, compelling offer to call,
fax, write, E-mail, or otherwise connect with you. The world is
one huge, competitive marketplace. Your prospects don't need you
as much as you need them. They have a multitude of choices
available, even if what you're offering is a totally unique,
one-of-a-kind product. You need prospects to become customers
and the first step to converting prospects into customers is
capture their interest. Woo them in, attract them, gently prod
them along. You have to interest them enough so they take
action and that action should always lead eventually towards
a sale.
Apparently, some classified advertisers assume that anyone who
reads their particular ad is automatically going to respond.
Most ads have no incentive for the reader, no enticement to
inspire action, no huge promise. Without the appeal of a
meaningful reward, how likely is it that your prospect will get
out of his comfortable chair and do what is necessary to connect
with you?
Inaction is always easier for the prospect. It's called the
inertia factor and it can be fatal to your business. In order to
move the prospect to action, you've got to dangle a "carrot"
and tell him precisely how his life will be better in some way
with your product or service.
Reason #6:
Not addressing what's most important to your
prospect. This mistake is easily preventable by knowing your
audience. The wrong appeal simply won't work. This should seem
obvious to anyone who's prepared to spend hard-earned cash on
a classified ad, but I see it all the time.
Some ads have no apparent appeal at all, they just take response
for granted. You may get a trickle of replies this way, but
higher levels of response can only be obtained by utilizing
intelligent marketing strategies. You can only do that with a
strong appeal that is interesting, inviting and appealing to
your target audience. The key is to know your market and how
your product or service represents the ultimate solution.
Reason #7:
Offering something that seems to be readily available elsewhere.
Nothing can take the place of uniqueness in terms of what you
offer in the marketplace. If generating a huge response from
your classified ad is your goal, then you need to offer some
sort of solution to a problem... one that's not readily
available to your target audience.
If what you have to offer can be found through any number of
alternate sources, and this is common knowledge to your
audience, than whatever you offer has no original advantage.
If your product or service can be obtained elsewhere, possibly
with less effort and expense, perhaps even through a source that
is well-known...why would a prospect even be interested in
responding to your ad?
A competitive advantage would certainly help, such as a bargain
price, but that in itself may not be enough to move your
audience to contact you. Re-package, re-invent or re-engineer
your product or service so that you can position it as something
that is unequaled in the marketplace. By being different you'll
gain a competitive advantage and that gives you a unique edge
to promote in your classified ad.
Reason #8:
Using someone's name (a name that's not of the household
variety) in an attempt to attract attention and interest.
Assuming your audience will immediately recognize a name and
hold that name with the same reverence that you might, is
arguably the biggest mistake on the list and the easiest way to
kiss your advertising dollars bye-bye. This mistake is most
common in the multi-level or network marketing field.
Here is an actual ad that appeared in a major international
magazine:
"MLM - Bob Wieland challenges America,
'Join Me Step-by-Step to Freedom'
Information: (800) 000-0000"
What's wrong with this ad? Well, there's plenty, but the point
I want to drive home here is this: using names as drawing cards
in classified ads can never work as effectively as a direct
benefit statement. This advertiser assumes that his or her
prospect not only knows the Bob Wieland name, but will want to
take action simply to join along with this individual.
Where's the benefit in this ad? You might say the benefit lies
in the "Step-by-Step to Freedom". Although it's a weak
generalization, at least it offers some promise to the reader.
For that reason alone, this particular advertiser would have
fared better to lead with that benefit, instead of "MLM - Bob
Wieland challenges America..."
Reason #9:
Having an 800 number, or some other limited option,
as the sole means of response, when it may not be accessible to
the entire potential audience of your ad.
This can be very frustrating to a prospect; I know from personal
experience. Living in Canada, I have often been shut off from an
advertiser simply because I could not make the connection to an
800 line. In many cases I was anxious; I really wanted what the
advertiser promised. I was already sold! But alas, I was also
stuck... there wasn't much I could do about it.
What options did I have? I usually tried to place the call more
than once, only to hear the same recorded voice tell me the
number wasn't accessible from my area code. As a prospect, this
is very frustrating. As an advertiser, it's quite costly in
terms of lost sales. To what extent? Who knows.
The easy solution is to give your audience alternate means of
contacting you. All you need to do is provide a mailing address,
a fax number or even an E-mail address; anything that would
allow any possible prospect to respond.
You never know from where in the world a response may come.
I've personally received replies from many distant lands,
several months - even years - after the ad ran in a national
publication. Libraries everywhere are one source of
international newspapers, trade journals and magazines. This
means that responses -- and sales -- can come from any corner
of the world, if those people can reach you easily. This is
particularly true with on-line marketing, but it also applies
to any major publication you may contact.
Reason #10:
Making a claim that is too general or too unreal.
To proclaim that one can "make a fortune" or "earn six figures"
overnight by performing some simple task rarely works for an
advertiser. Instead, such claims trigger doubt, disbelief and
inaction. Everyone has heard it all before and many have been
fooled, at least once, into replying, only to be deeply
disappointed at some point.
Anyone can make a general claim, but you can enjoy a far greater
rate of response by being specific, with actual numbers that
also appear to be more realistic. In no way am I implying that
you should manipulate the numbers so that your statement of
claim seems very real to your prospect. What I am saying is that
whatever claims you make must appear to be truthful in the eyes
of your prospect. Real, actual figures can help you achieve this
objective.
By avoiding the ten common errors above, you'll be well on your
way to successfully marketing your product or service with
classified ads.
****************************************************
To learn more about the inside secrets of success with
classified ads, get your copy of: "Classified Magic...
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