Writing A Good Ad
The art of good ad writing is to get as much information in as you can afford. A good ad will sell the car quickly, a poor ad will have your car rusting in the garage. But however good your ad is, make sure it honestly reflects the condition of your car and that the price is realistic. The most common pitfall of private advertisers is over valuing. If you are advertising in the right place and getting no response, ask yourself, honestly, if the price is right.
Here’s some advice on good ad writing.
- The more information you can give, the better. A one line ad just giving make, model and year might indicate there’s nothing else to say. So go for the maximum you can afford, within reason - there’s no point in spending £100 pounds on an ad for a £300 car.
- Remember to include the most important items. These are shown below - use the checklist as you’re writing. Try to avoid trader ‘cliches’. Examples are 'nice little runner' or 'very quick'. There are many more. They use up too much space for no reason and, indeed, give an impression you don’t want to give - that of back street dealer.
- Avoid wasting space by stating the obvious. For example, if you have included a picture of the car, you wouldn’t need to include the colour, the number of doors or the fact it has alloy wheels - the reader can see that.
- Make sure you are ready for any phone calls and enquiries. Keep the paperwork and details next to the phone so you can answer any questions quickly and positively. Remember to be scrupulously honest - there are laws about selling cars that don’t fit the description.
Advertisement checklist:
Items that must be included:
Make Model Engine size Colour (if not picture ad) Automatic (if applicable) Age Price Contact phone number (make sure this is a number you can be contacted any time) Email address if necessary
Other items to include depending on space:
Mileage MOT details Service history Overall condition
If you can, list any desirable extras:
Air conditioning Alloy wheels (if not a picture ad) Leather upholstery Sunroof CD player Electric seats Any other extras which are significant.
