What many may consider the most important part of advertising is writing an effective ad. The information that you provide in your classified ad may be the deciding factor in whether it is succeeds or a bombs.

Create a variety of advertisements that employ various approaches. Be prepared to revise your content from time to time. This ensures that you are representing different aspects of your offering. In addition, you can promote your product from several angles, to see which will produce the best results.

Choosing the approach to your advertising may vary, depending on what you are offering. Writing a Classified Ad is not much different than writing an essay, although it clearly is not a literary work. There are three general approaches that you should consider using to promote your product. These are Expressive ads, Persuasive ads, and Informative Ads. However, you should always include a “call to action” regardless of the approach you choose. Additionally, it may not be a good idea to mix any of the three forms. This is because advertisements need to have focus and be to the point.

Here are some definitions and examples of the different types of advertising:

Writing an Expressive Classified Ad

An expressive advertisement is very personal. Expressive ads may be a good idea for a small business, wanting to use a personal approach. When taking an expressive approach, think of writing an excerpt of the day in a journal. As the writer of the advertisement, you want to express your personal feelings, thoughts, or opinions related to the product or service. For example, a Business Opportunity may be advertised as, “I made over $100,000.00 in one year. I cannot believe how easy it was”. This eliminates the need to use examples or testimonials, as the author becomes the example.

Writing a Persuasive Classified Ad

A persuasive advertisement is used to convince the reader or change their opinion. To be successful with a persuasive classified ad, the writer needs to have a firm, direct, and clear point. The goal is to induce a reaction that causes the reader to have the same point-of-view as the Author. A very common form of advertising that uses a Persuasive approach is the Government’s “Register to Vote,” Campaign. They are generally direct and to the point. They provide a succinct reason why you should register to vote. “Make your voice heard.” By making a simple benefit obvious, they are accomplishing the task of the persuasive advertisement, getting unregistered citizens to register.