How long do you think you have to make an impression with an advert?
 
Well it’s about half a second!  Not much time is it?  So you have to make sure that your advert grabs the reader’s attention at first glance.
 
It is not only a matter of writing a good article, you must be able to write an article that gets results.  After all you are advertising your goods/service with the intention that the reader will be persuaded to try it. 
 
There are several things you can do when writing your advert that will get you better results.  Here are some ideas that I think will help.
 
·        You must ensure that your advert is aimed at the correct people.  Although you want your advert to grab everyone’s attention you must ensure that it is aimed at people who are particularly interested in your product or service.
·        You should check out adverts already in the media or posted on the internet.  Think about what it was that caught your eye.  This will give you an idea of what you need to do to write an advert that will bring you the outcome you want.
·        I think it is obvious to most people that the headline is the most important part of the advert.  The headline should be around 5 words long.  To catch the reader’s eye, use action words or ask questions.  You should type the headline in all capitals or capitalise the initial letters of each word.
 
     “ EARN £500 PER WEEK?” 
 
or
 
“Want To Quit Your Job?”
 
This way you will get the reader’s attention.
 
 
·        When writing your advert you should only use a few words to give a clear concise description of the item or service you are selling.  Don’t give too much information as people wont read long adverts.  By not giving too much information, but clearly describing your item/service for sale, you will entice the reader and they will contact you to find out more.
·        Something that always catches people’s eye is if you are getting something for free.  We all love a freebie.  So grab their attention straight away………….. it doesn’t have to be anything big……… “Free mouse mat with every purchase!”
·        Your advert should not contain only capital letters.  As most internet and sms users are aware this is not only considered to be shouting but also that it is rude.  Therefore most people will immediately disregard your advert.  Total use of capital letters also makes your advert difficult to read and again potential buyers will be immediately put off.
·        You must ensure that potential buyers know how to respond to your advert.  Keep these details simple and clear and don’t forget to include your website and email address.
·        If you have a website and/or email address in your advert you should ensure that both are operational.  Your advert will be worthless if it contains the wrong information and you could lose lots of sales.  It has been proven that this is one of the most common reasons why lots of adverts get very little response.
·        You should always have your advert proof read, preferably by someone other than the person who has written it.
·        It is advisable that you revise your advert and then ‘try it out’ Do not ‘try out’ more than one revised advert at a time.  Keep revising and ‘trying out’ until you find the advert that works for you.  You will easily see which of your revised adverts is working best and where it gets the best results.
·        When you have an advert that you are happy with you then have to submit it to the publication where it will reach the buyer you want.  There is no point in advertising your IT company in Puppy Weekly!  There are places on line where you can advertise for free, but you have to be prepared to put a lot of work in before you will see any results.