8 WAYS TO HOLD READER-INTEREST IN YOUR AD COPY

Your ad is competing with millions of others on the WWW. People have little time to spare. Which explains the vital importance of stopping the reader with an interesting headline -- something that touches a nerve, grabs attention, and presses the "hot button."
But once you've captured readers' attention with the headline, then what?
How do you hold further interest throughout your ad -- so that your copy eventually sells? Here are eight ways to do it.

1. Start the copy with a question. Then answer it. If the question is important to readers, if it reflects a need, you'll be on the way to a sale.
2. Play up your strongest benefit. Don't talk about "features." Talk about benefits. Rewards! What's in it for the reader? Itemize the best ones.
3. Avoid generalities. Be specific and concrete. Vague copy soon makes people lose interest.
4. Stick to buying points -- not selling points. Sell 'advantages, not things.
5. Try to find an emotional appeal, rather than merely cold facts. Nobody does anything unless they have an "emotional" reason for it -- whether it's to be gain health, be a better husband, increase comfort, or to make more money.
6. Don't waste space and clutter up your ad with minor claims. Emphasize the most important facts, the greatest appeals to the most people.
7. Put as much showmanship, personality and human interest in as you can. People like buying from "people," not cold impersonal organizations. (This is by far the most important of all!) Convey the feeling of warmth, friendliness, person-to-person relationship.
8. Make the ad entertaining. Research shows many people even read the classifieds to be entertained, enlightened, given a smile or two. Give your ad the touch of humor worth reading. Sure enough, they'll eventually buy from you.

Now test yourself ...
First, print out a few of the most recent ads you've run.
Then, compare your ads with this following check-list, to see how many of these devices for making an ad hold attention you've used. (Afterwards, keep this list handy and refer to it whenever you're creating your ads in future.)

Start copy with a question
Begin with the strongest benefit
Avoid generalities
Stick to buying points
Avoid making minor claims
Put in lots of emotional appeal
Put in some human interest
Make your sales-story entertaining