Real Ads 101- Write ads that rent your place faster
by Sunny Kancherla, CEO and the GSA Team
Looking for a way to get your place to rent faster? Then you are reading the right article.
As easy as it may sound, writing an effective ad may be one of the most challenging things you can do when marketing your vacancy. Simply put, you are trying to excite a reader who knows nothing about you or the property, and by the end of a short advertisement generate enough interest and trust to contact you!
Remember, marketing is an art, not a science. Your message should be as unique as your property. And we're here to help you learn the basics to be a pro at writing ads. Now, no two people will do it the same. But to help you make the most out of your ads, we’ve outlined some things to keep in mind when writing an ad, followed by some quick pointers, and lastly some real life examples.
Know your audience - Get to know your subject and what her needs are, in true fashion, step into the shoes of a tenant. What do you consider top priority when looking for a lease? What are secondary? What are needs and what are wants, and what are things you may trade off for? What’s in it for them? More importantly frame this question into an ad, what are things that catch your immediate attention? What are the things that can be left out so as to entice your reader to contact you directly?
Know your objective - Why is this so essential? Because when you know what type of customer/renter you are looking for you are more likely to get them. Of course knowing your audience is critical because you need to focus on the activities to help attract the type of people you are looking for and take the marketing steps necessary to help attract them. Otherwise, you will be wasting time and money.
Writing an effective Ad - In the world of published word, classifieds offer more bang for the buck than any other form of written advertisement. They have the quality of being cheaper compared to direct mail, telemarketing, full color brochures, and display ads. In the online world, you can post any number of classified ads on hundreds of web sites absolutely FREE. And with sites such as Gardenstateapartments.com offering free or low cost dedicated MLS listings, it gives your ad a far reach. Plus, people do not read classified ads or MLS listings for leisure. The only time average population search the classifieds is when they are in the market for something. Now let’s give them something to read shall we?
Effective ads are written according to a simple master formula:
Attract the Attention of your prospect
Maintain your prospect’s Interest
Cause your prospect to Desire your offer
Ask the prospect to take an Action
Never forget the basic rule of advertising copywriting:
If your ad is not written well and placed in a targeted, high traffic area, you will not get calls. Of course we know that a well placed, well written will generate positive responses, but how do you write the darn thing?
An effective classified ad should have three basic parts:
1. The Headline
2. The Body
3. The Call to Action
As may be predicted the Headline is the single most important part of your ad. It is in this point that you will have one chance to reel in your readers or be overlooked. An ad that generates interest always uses action verbs that encourage the reader to act:
“Save $$$ while living in a commuters apt. paradise”
“Lovely furnished open-air studio sure to go fast”
“Spacious 3 BR apt. w/ park lookout-take a look”
If the headline was the hook, the Body is the line. This is where you need to elaborate, but keep it short and simple! With a classified ad or MLS you generally would like to keep the word count to 15 to 25 words. Remember chances of an ad to generate an instant sale are slim, what you really are trying to do is spark their interest enough to make them want to learn more and contact you.
A common mistake many unsuccessful advertisers make is putting too much information into their ad. It results in a hectic ad that lacks focus, and confuses readers. These ads usually suffer from WTMA (way too many abbreviations), as in the case of WTMA, the abbreviations may have made no sense to anyone other than myself. Unless an abbreviation is commonly recognized by the common person, don’t use it! You don’t want to sacrifice an easy read to save a buck or a few minutes on the phone.
Here’s an example of just bad advertising all around: “Newark-2BR, 1BTH, Cbl, new kit w/refr, mv-in cond, Liv, Lrg pat, big bkyd, new carpet, w/d, hkup, no pets, no smk $1100 908-555-0563.”
You’ve got the hook, the line, and now for the sinker! The call to action! Basically, it is your final sentence and final chance to entice the reader to respond. Marketing studies have shown that simple words such as; “call now” or “log onto” placed at the end of an ad, actually increase the frequency of responses. You read this article only because we offered something of interest and then asked you to continue, right? That's how you must approach this call to action. It’s not just paid-for ad space for a declaration of availability, your inviting someone to conduct business with you.
Here are some examples: “Don’t hesitate, call now…”
“To schedule an appointment, please call…”
“I look forward to any of your inquiries please email me @...”
Now that we have reviewed the tools to write perfectly formed ads, let’s look at one in its entirety:
HEADLINE: Charming Apt. with all up to date amenities and rustic details
Dumont, $848/mo! Gorgeous airy Apt., homely w/ all modern amenities.
3 bedrooms, 2 new baths. Please call me for further information 201-555-1212.
It’s sweet, short and to the point and gives important information such as price and number of bedrooms a person may be looking for. It leaves all the rest for people to contact you, and for you to sell its high points.
Lastly, a good ad is also a legal ad, if this topic may come to a surprise to you, there are discriminatory laws and liabilities that you may fall prey to in the posting of your ad if you’re not aware of them. Let’s take a look at a listing that may seem potentially benign:
“Your family will long to come home to this completely updated 2BR 1BA contemporary. Its features include high ceilings and large over-sized windows, lavish master bedroom and bath with a Jacuzzi.”
Flaws:
The family will long to come home: Fair Housing does not allow any statements on what type of person should live in the apartment. Describe the house not the tenant.
Completely updated: Does that mean the entire apartment has been fitted with all new wiring, plumbing, HVAC, or there have been cosmetic updates? It’s better to be prudent and possibly state that it has been stylishly remodeled.
Over-sized windows: Who are they oversized to? There are no standard specifications on what size a window should be. Again it may be a subjective call on your part, but your tenant may think otherwise. Perhaps proportionately large would be better used.
Jacuzzi: Is it a Jacuzzi or is it a jet tub? Do not confuse a brand name with an item type; your tenant may be expecting the brand.
Now that we have provided with some tools, insight, and knowledge on how to write a successful ad, perhaps this is the right time to put what you’ve learned to use on our New Jersey Apartment MLS. When it comes to ad exposure GardenStateapartments.com has the traffic, now it is up to you to capture the attention of the tenants you want! So stop reading and start writing. Good luck!
This article is brought to you by the GardenStateApartments.com team! If you are not already a member, what are you waiting for? Join today! or if you have any questions, contact us.
