Newspaper folk are well-versed in the art of delivering information quickly, efficiently, and exactly. Here are a few simple ways to use newspaper techniques to make your classified ad stand out.
Inverted Pyramid
Most newspaper articles – from fashion to politics – use an inverted pyramid structure. This means that the most important information is in the very first paragraph of an article. So how do use that in ad?
Start by answering what my English teacher
affectionately called the “6Ws:
|
- who - what - when - where
- why - hoW
As you work your way through the list, keep your answers short and sweet – no more than one line each. And make sure you’ve been exact about details like the time, date, and best way to get in contact. After all, nobody wants to read a newspaper filled with gaps!
Active Wording
Part of good journalism is maintaining objectivity whilst using words that keep the reader’s attention. The best writers do this by using active words.
As you probably learned in high school, a verb is a doing word. Articles and ads written with doing words
- create atmosphere
- encourage the reader to do something
Atmosphere
In the case of an article, the atmosphere could be simple – a few words to help the reader envision a busy city street, or the inside of a courthouse. And an ad? Consider your product. If you’re selling fitness equipment for people who don’t like the gym, try using words like “relax”.
Doing Something
Getting a reader to do something is not a new concept. For journalists, the “do something” could be as simple as clicking through to the next page, or as involved as starting a conversation. And for you, as an advertiser?
|
Start by thinking about who your audience is. What do they want? What do you want to give them? A product, or an experience? Write down a list of verbs associated with your product, and go from there. Most important, make sure you’ve made it easy for your audience to take action – well-placed links are essential!
Keywords
Similar to using active words, using keywords can help create an idea or experience for your audience, and encourage them to take action. But with every man and his dog out to use SEO, how can you make your ad stand out?
Do a search for newspaper articles (and other online content) about your product. Print them out, and circle the buzz words (i.e. the words that appear the most) and use them when developing your ad.
More technologically inclined? Run articles through a tag cloud generator (like Wordle), and work from there.
Proofread and Spell Check
High quality newspapers know bad spelling makes a bad impression (or lumps you in with the tabloid press). But in the Information Age, many people depend on their computers to catch spelling and grammatical errors. Unfortunately, this isn’t always enough.
If you routinely have trouble with proofreading and spelling, here are a couple of things to help out:
Doubling – when used incorrectly, some words, like “past” and “passed” slip through spell check. Try keeping a list of words you have trouble with, and check over them before posting.
|
Read aloud – take a minute to read your ad, out loud, from start to finish. If there are any words/sentences you stumble over, consider a re-write.
Word process – cut and paste your ad into a word processor (Word, Word Perfect etc.) and run spell check. I know, I know, I just said spell check doesn’t catch everything. And it doesn’t. But it’s a good first line of defense if spelling and grammar aren’t your forte. Think cutting and pasting is too much trouble? Some browsers, like Firefox and Safari, include an automatic form spellcheck. (Using Internet Explorer? Try iespell.
By Peta Andersen
April 23, 2009
© Daype Inc.