The most inexpensive form of advertising, classified ads can help you sell your property, automobile, antique collection, used vacuum, or anything you choose. Writing a classified ad that actually sells your product is something is a special art.

Read on to learn how to write classified ads that sell.

A sale is completed through four different stages - awareness, interest, desire and action. Some marketers boil this down to a single word formula called AIDA formula

Awareness - awareness that you have something to sell that the prospective customer may be benefited.

Interest - the prospective customer gets interested in your product.

Desire - the prospective customer feels like buying your product.

Action - actually ordering the product and writing the check.

The third and fourth steps really are not in your control, but doing the first two steps - awareness and interest - correct can motivate the customer buy from you.

Thus with the little number of words, you have to create awareness and interest in the minds of your customers, on your product.

If your classified ad creates awareness and interest in the minds of your customers and he or she rings you up, your ad is a success.

Keep in mind that classified ads are not sales letters. Sales letters are aimed at closing the sale now and here. A classified ad is like an invitation to fix an appointment. Your prospective customer interested in buying the product (your house, car, vacuum) and is willing to explore the chances of buying the product from you. There will be more communication between you and your customer and a sale is reached on mutual understanding.

Five Quick Tips on Writing Classified Ads

1. Clearly describe in a few words what your product is. Use numbers and facts to tell things like colour, model, etc. 2. Don't go on to tell the whole story about your product. Just tell its present condition and location. Believe only people interested in specific products will be reading classified ads for that products. 3. Avoid exaggerated claims. Strange but true, you will not get the right customers with exaggerated claims. 4. Write a minimum of ten ads before you send one for the publication. You will see how beneficial it is to have an ad that actually captures the interest of people who are actively looking for products similar to yours. 5. Clearly tell readers what action to take. Ask readers to call a telephone number or visit a website for more information. Include the telephone number or website URL along the ad.