How to Advertise a Business in the Classifieds

Classified advertisements are an American institution. These short and minimal commercials are a great way to advertise your business to prospective new clients. Because classifieds are cheaper than regular print ads, you'll be able to advertise your business in a wide range of papers for a comparably modest cost.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Look for a newspaper that fits with your customer's demographic. While larger papers can be a good way to advertise to older audiences such as business executives, you may be able to reach specific ages or ethnic groups by running ads in student or community newspapers.
2. Inspect other classified ads for inspiration. Become a critical reader of classified ads to get good ideas for what works and what doesn't work. Spend an afternoon reading a variety of different classifieds and compile a list of ideas you can adapt for your ad.
3. Write several drafts of your classified ad copy. You'll pay by the letter for classifieds, so look for creative and economical ways to phrase your ad's message. Challenge yourself by creating several different classified ads and selecting the best one.
4. Contact the sales professionals in the classifieds department of your chosen paper. Discuss your needs and get some professional feedback. Ask about your pricing options and any advice they may have for how to lower the cost of your classified ad.
5. Pick a size, typeface and font for your ad. There may be some creative ways to enhance your classified ad's visual appeal. While you may have to pay extra for these options, it might be a worthy investment.
6. Purchase your ad and submit your copy to the newspaper. You'll be given a specific range of dates in which your ad will run. While the paper will likely offer you the option to automatically renew your ad, you might want to wait until you have an idea of how successful the ad has been before committing to further ads.
7. Monitor the successfulness of your ad. Ask new customers if they discovered your business as a result of your ad. Ask what elements of your ad were particularly attractive to them.
8. Make adjustments in your ad as necessary. Implement changes based on feedback you've received from customers. Consider making minor changes to your ad when you renew it, just to keep the ads unique and fresh.

Tips & Warnings

• Classified advertisements are usually categorized and alphabetized. To make sure your ad gets noticed, consider starting your ad copy with the letter "A." That way, your ad will be one of the first ones visible when someone flips to the classifieds.
• Many papers run their classifieds online, too. This gives interested parties greater ability to search out your ad. When looking for a paper in which to place a classified ad, consider looking for one that runs simultaneous online classifieds for no extra charge.