How to Make Money with Classified Ads - part 3
How to Make Money with Classified Ads - part 3
WHAT IS TESTING?
The most important element in mail order advertising is to test. Not only do you need to find out if your product will sell, but you have to find out what the best price is.
You have to test the magazines. One may not draw as many responses as another. Or, after three months, it may not seem to pull at all. Then switch to another publication. You may try several publications at the same time with the same ad to be able to judge which has the best dollar-for-dollar response.
Don’t be too hasty in dropping a publication, however. Sometimes it takes the repeat insertions of three or four months to get the proper percentage of responses. People become more secure with a repeat ad, or they may pass it by the first or second time until they get around to writing for information.
Other things you will be testing are the type of inquiry and the response package that contains a sales letter and brochure. You’ll also need to test the frequency and number of times to continue mailings after you have a good customer list.
Testing is the name of the game - and this is where you need perseverance. Don’t get discouraged. GIVE IT A TRY. Because of the low cost of placing classifieds, it’s worth it to keep it going. YOU CAN PROFIT.
TYPES OF ADS
There are three types of classified ads - qualified, partially qualified, and blind.
The qualified ad is specific. It includes several details to inform the reader about what you are selling. The people who respond to highly qualified ads usually are specifically interested, and produce the best quality prospects with the highest percentage of sales. Since the ad may be a few words longer, it is the most expensive to place.
The partially qualified ad offers a special benefit, such as money or self-improvement. The readers have some idea of what you are offering, but don’t know the specifics.
Blind ads offer only the few details, are inexpensive to run because they are short, and bring in the largest response. However, blind ads product the lowest percentage of actual orders because they are often answered just out of curiosity.
The best place to start is - you guessed - the middle. A partially qualified ad is a good test ad. It doesn’t need to be specific about your product, so it brings in inquiries that can be used over and over for related items. You can rewrite it with more details or trim it down later.
What’s the best guideline? PROFIT. If you compare the actual orders received from the number of inquiries for each of your ads, you have the rate of conversion. Aim for the ads which pull best for you.
KEYING THE ADDRESS
How do you determine what inquiry response cam e form which ad? You code the company name or street address so you can determine what ad pulled the response. This is called keying the address, and it’s one of the most important tips in mail order classified advertising.
The simple key is a two-part letter and number code. The letter stands for the name of the publication, and the number represents the month the ad appeared. You can make up any code as long as you keep track of what publication it appeared in. You can add the key to the address by hyphenating the street address to include the code. Or you can key the company name by adding specific initials.
The surest way to key is to add the code to the address in the form of department, division, or suite number. Be careful it doesn’t conflict with any other addresses nearby.
WRITING CLASSIFIEDS
Writing your own copy for a classified ad is easy. There are so few words you need to use that you don’t have to worry about being a writer or a professional in advertising. You are your own expert in selling your product.
The selection of words is the most important aspect of classified ad copy. You need to choose precisely, by don’t skimp on words to save the cost in the ad.
The best way to prepare copy is to first write about your product or service at length. Go ahead - list all the benefits. Scrutinize the features and write them down. What sticks out? What is so great about your product? What can it do for the reader who will take the time to write for more information? How can your product help? Will it show how to earn money, does it offer self-improvement, can it help accomplish something appealing and significant?
Choose a heading that points out the most significant aspect or feature of your product. Follow up with a few words or details, and finish with a request to write for more information. The best word in a classified is “free,” but you must follow up with something free.
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