you can usually get away with 12-22 Dogbreath, which saves you another word. Never leave out the zip code, even a nine-digit zip code counts as one word and in many publications doesn't count as a word at all. The initials of your name or company will also do unless you're trying to project an image, and this can save you from one to three words.

Even your last name will be all right. In most magazines and a few newspapers, your first word or line of type will be set in darker bold letters. Choose that first word or two very carefully. If you really want good results, do exact

When selling through advertising, you're faced with two options, both of which you will probably use frequently. Those options are display and classified advertising. We won't deal here with radio and television copy writing because it is not something many of you will be using until you have developed a great deal of mail order experience. Once you're dealing with that sort of capital investment, you'll probably have an intimate understanding of the fact that expert help is essential to the successful launch of any campaign, and frankly, electronic media are not our field of experience.

Classified ad copy writing is a very exacting craft, not an art in the way that display advertising is. It involves following a few simple guidelines and requires little skill. That's why daily newspapers hire school and college students to take orders - and write - for their classified section over the telephone. The first point worth noting is that classified ads are sold by the word or by the line. This has a bearing on how you write your ads, because if the ad is sold by the word, you're not going to write an ad that has a bunch of "a's" and "the's" in it. But at the same time, if it's sold by the line, it will be worth your while to include these words in the ad, as they'll appeal to the better educated segment of the market. So an ad in at so much a line might read: "The hottest thing in years. This is a household wonder you'll cherish for years." The same ad at so much a word will read: "Hottest recent development. Cherish this household innovation for generations." Both are about the same length.

The first reads nicely in proper English and the second used big, powerful words to make up for awkward structure. When you buy by the word, which will be the case in most markets, use the biggest, most action-packed words you can think of. And while we're on the subject of word count, the way you mark your address in a classified is also important. If you live on Dog Breath Lane, mark your address as 22 Dogbreath, unless in that subdivision, there also happens to be a Dog Breath circle, a Dog Breath Avenue and so forth, in which case Dogbreath Lane will do. You can usually get away with this ploy, since these ridiculous two name streets are there to sell houses, not to please the Post Office. If you live in Apartment 12, you can usually get away with 12-22 Dogbreath, which saves you another word. Never leave out the zip code, even a nine-digit zip code counts as one word and in many publications doesn't count as a word at all. The initials of your name or company will also do unless you're trying to project an image, and this can save you from one to three words.

Even your last name will be all right. In most magazines and a few newspapers, your first word or line of type will be set in darker bold letters. Choose that first word or two very carefully. If you really want good results, do exactl

ence.

Classified ad copy writing is a very exacting craft, not an art in the way that display advertising is. It involves following a few simple guidelines and requires little skill. That's why daily newspapers hire school and college students to take orders - and write - for their classified section over the telephone. The first point worth noting is that classified ads are sold by the word or by the line. This has a bearing on how you write your ads, because if the ad is sold by the word, you're not going to write an ad that has a bunch of "a's" and "the's" in it. But at the same time, if it's sold by the line, it will be worth your while to include these words in the ad, as they'll appeal to the better educated segment of the market. So an ad in at so much a line might read: "The hottest thing in years. This is a household wonder you'll cherish for years." The same ad at so much a word will read: "Hottest recent development. Cherish this household innovation for generations." Both are about the same length.

The first reads nicely in proper English and the second used big, powerful words to make up for awkward structure. When you buy by the word, which will be the case in most markets, use the biggest, most action-packed words you can think of. And while we're on the subject of word count, the way you mark your address in a classified is also important. If you live on Dog Breath Lane, mark your address as 22 Dogbreath, unless in that subdivision, there also happens to be a Dog Breath circle, a Dog Breath Avenue and so forth, in which case Dogbreath Lane will do. You can usually get away with this ploy, since these ridiculous two name streets are there to sell houses, not to please the Post Office. If you live in Apartment 12, you can usually get away with 12-22 Dogbreath, which saves you another word. Never leave out the zip code, even a nine-digit zip code counts as one word and in many publications doesn't count as a word at all. The initials of your name or company will also do unless you're trying to project an image, and this can save you from one to three words.

Even your last name will be all right. In most magazines and a few newspapers, your first word or line of type will be set in darker bold letters. Choose that first word or two very carefully. If you really want good results, do exact

same time, if it's sold by the line, it will be worth your while to include these words in the ad, as they'll appeal to the better educated segment of the market. So an ad in at so much a line might read: "The hottest thing in years. This is a household wonder you'll cherish for years." The same ad at so much a word will read: "Hottest recent development. Cherish this household innovation for generations." Both are about the same length.

The first reads nicely in proper English and the second used big, powerful words to make up for awkward structure. When you buy by the word, which will be the case in most markets, use the biggest, most action-packed words you can think of. And while we're on the subject of word count, the way you mark your address in a classified is also important. If you live on Dog Breath Lane, mark your address as 22 Dogbreath, unless in that subdivision, there also happens to be a Dog Breath circle, a Dog Breath Avenue and so forth, in which case Dogbreath Lane will do. You can usually get away with this ploy, since these ridiculous two name streets are there to sell houses, not to please the Post Office. If you live in Apartment 12, you can usually get away with 12-22 Dogbreath, which saves you another word. Never leave out the zip code, even a nine-digit zip code counts as one word and in many publications doesn't count as a word at all. The initials of your name or company will also do unless you're trying to project an image, and this can save you from one to three words.

Even your last name will be all right. In most magazines and a few newspapers, your first word or line of type will be set in darker bold letters. Choose that first word or two very carefully. If you really want good results, do exact

hich will be the case in most markets, use the biggest, most action-packed words you can think of. And while we're on the subject of word count, the way you mark your address in a classified is also important. If you live on Dog Breath Lane, mark your address as 22 Dogbreath, unless in that subdivision, there also happens to be a Dog Breath circle, a Dog Breath Avenue and so forth, in which case Dogbreath Lane will do. You can usually get away with this ploy, since these ridiculous two name streets are there to sell houses, not to please the Post Office. If you live in Apartment 12, you can usually get away with 12-22 Dogbreath, which saves you another word. Never leave out the zip code, even a nine-digit zip code counts as one word and in many publications doesn't count as a word at all. The initials of your name or company will also do unless you're trying to project an image, and this can save you from one to three words.

Even your last name will be all right. In most magazines and a few newspapers, your first word or line of type will be set in darker bold letters. Choose that first word or two very carefully. If you really want good results, do exact

you can usually get away with 12-22 Dogbreath, which saves you another word. Never leave out the zip code, even a nine-digit zip code counts as one word and in many publications doesn't count as a word at all. The initials of your name or company will also do unless you're trying to project an image, and this can save you from one to three words.

Even your last name will be all right. In most magazines and a few newspapers, your first word or line of type will be set in darker bold letters. Choose that first word or two very carefully. If you really want good results, do exactly the opposite of what most other advertisers are doing, or be different. If you've got an income opportunity and CASH, MONEYMAKING or INCOME are the usual first two words, be a bit creative, perhaps with BROKE (no more! Try selling doogles! Or HORRENDOUS) (budget, a thing of the past.) The first word or line gets your reader interested, and no matter how large the circulation of the publication, you'll suffer terribly if you're not attracting the reader as well as the other advertisers. Those opening words are crucial. Like the man said, you don't get a second chance to make a good impression.

Once you've made the hook, hold the reader by telling him exactly what you're offering. If it's an ad for more information, let him know what kind of information and where it leads. Then drop the cost on him, if any and your name and address. If it's a product, in words that say a lot. Its fine to pussyfoot in a display ad if you can afford the space, but short, sharp, to-the-point is what sells from classifieds. One minor point or style to remember, if you're offering a bonus, leave it to the very last. "Bonus with..." won't work. A bonus or free gift is offered for one reason only: to hook someone who has not quite been sold by the rest of the ad. The offer of a bonus won't work UNTIL they know what it comes with. Writing display ad copy is much more involved and should really not be undertaken by even the brightest English graduate without some expert help. As we stated earlier, ad copy writing is one of the highest-paying of the creative professions, mainly because it is so difficult to do.

If you must do it yourself, here are a few things you can do to make the task a bit more successful. Making use of the techniques we mentioned earlier, determine which benefit your client is like to be most interested in. Target the emotion that motivates the need for that benefit in most people. If you can do that, you'll hook the right person for the product. If you're selling run less pantyhose for example, you know the anti-run characteristic motivates the buyer, and the reason why women want to buy anti-run hose is to look better longer. Hey, there's the lead for your copy! In big letters, you're going to flag your ad with LOOK BETTER LONGER! You might want to bracket it top or bottom by writing in smaller letters: "Da-d