Only after you have carefully assessed the publication’s suitability for your business should you think about writing a classified ad that will hook your customers.

Five steps to writing a powerful classified advertisement:

1. Don’t try to sell them anything.

2. Create a killer headline.

3. Offer something irresistible.

4. Call them to action.

5. Create a sense of urgency.

Don’t try to sell them anything

Strange, but true. Rather than see your classified ad as a way to sell your products and services to potential customers, try instead to view it as a powerful train bringing carriage loads of soon-to-be customers to your business.

The primary objective of your advertisement should be to bring in enquiries and not sales. Succeed with this objective and then you can successfully sell to them when they visit your shop, website or request a copy of your mail order catalogue.