How to Use Classified Ads to Grow Your Business

Written by Janine Perri for Hearst Bay Area.

Suppose you are a small business in the Bay Area looking to promote an event, spread the word about your products to local customers, or hire new employees.

If you have a highly targeted local audience, and a tight marketing budget, one potential option for maximizing those dollars is to make use of classified advertising.

Not sure how to incorporate classified advertising for business, or why it’s still a good investment?

This overview of the classified advertising landscape will explain the relevance of classified ads for both print and online channels and how to get started with classified advertising.

What is Classified Advertising?

So what are classified ads in the first place? Classified advertising is a brief advertising message that appears in a print publication like a newspaper or magazine, or an online medium like a listings website.

These ads are referred to as “classified” because they are arranged in different groups or categories, like job postings or real estate listings. Depending on the specific outlet, classified ads can be text-only or also include some images.

The Shifting Classified Advertising Landscape

While classifieds are still relevant as a form of print ads, they have become increasingly prevalent online, too.

Craigslist is one of the most well-known websites for classified listings, and Facebook Marketplace has also encouraged users to sell items, cars, or real estate on a peer-to-peer basis through its listing feature.

While Bay Area businesses can make use of free online platforms like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, purchasing classified ads in print is still a useful way to promote a business locally since print advertising is still one of the most trusted marketing channels.

Since most print newspapers and magazines also offer digital options, you can often post a classified ad both in print and online to reach a publication’s audience.

Benefits of Advertising Your Business in the Classifieds

There are numerous benefits of classified advertising.

First, classified advertising is inexpensive, which lets you spread out your budget and purchase multiple ads for repeat exposure. In fact, some websites allow you to list your business or services for free, with the option to pay a small fee for promoting your listing to the top of users’ feeds.

In addition, classified advertising allows you to get hyperlocal. For example, you can focus on newsletters, regional publications, or online listings that are targeted to a specific zip code, neighborhood, or city. Using the classifieds positions you as a local business dedicated to serving local customers, which can further establish trust with your target base.

Unlike many other forms of advertising, which attempt to promote a product or service that the audience may or may not be interested in, one of the advantages of classified advertising is that the audience looking at your ad will be specifically interested in what you have to say.

For example, a job seeker will read the classifieds section of a newspaper to look for employment opportunities, or a home seeker will read the real estate classifieds to find a new place to live.

At the same time as you are looking for your customers, they are looking for you.

Finally, since classified ads are designed to be short and sweet, you don’t need to devote a lot of time to copywriting or sourcing the perfect photography. The time and resource investment required for classified ads can be pretty small but can have a significant impact on reaching your audience.

What Can You Advertise Using Classifieds? 8 Types of Classified Ad

1. Recruitment

Before the days of Glassdoor and Indeed, classifieds were a common way for businesses to advertise jobs. Classifieds are still great for this purpose, especially in small towns or rural areas where access to the Internet is more limited. Even in bigger cities, classifieds are a good option for finding seasonal employees and part-time workers.

2. Property

Looking to sell a house or rent out your apartment? The “real estate” or “property” section of the classifieds is where to go. This section is ideal for landlords, real estate brokers, or individual homeowners looking to sell their property.

3. Obituary

Not all classified ads are designed to sell something. Obituaries are a prime example of classifieds that are more informational.

When a person dies, friends and family might purchase an obituary in the classifieds section to announce that someone has passed away, list funeral details, or offer a brief message of condolences.

4. Matrimonial

Before the days of online dating, marital ads were a way for single people to seek prospective partners. Similar to today’s Tinder profile, a matrimonial classified ad would include a brief bio, a picture of the person, and a description of what that person is looking for in a potential mate.

5. Business

Businesses can use classified ads to announce a sale, an event, or the launch of a new product. For example, a restaurant may use a classified to announce a new location, or a retailer may advertise its upcoming holiday blowout.

6. Announcements

Individuals can place announcements in the classifieds section for a variety of purposes, including lost pets or items, marriage announcements, address changes, and more. Think of announcements as more of a miscellaneous category.

7. Education

Educational institutions, coaching centers, and individual tutors can use classifieds for advertising their services. While classified advertising might be better suited for smaller educational centers rather than large universities, institutions of any size could also promote open houses or discounts.

8. Personal

Want to send birthday wishes, a graduation announcement, or another congratulatory message? Individuals purchase personal classifieds for reasons such as these.

Personal classifieds are usually less relevant to businesses, but still worth understanding.

Tips for Writing a Successful Classified Ad

Now that you know some outlets to place your ad, you will need to think about what the ad itself will say. Follow some of these tips to make the most of your written classified ad.

Keep it brief

Classified ads in print publications (and some online listings) usually have a character limit. As such, you will want to keep your message short.

Depending on the format, you will likely be able to write a headline (“Help Wanted,” “Open House,” “Holiday Sale”), and about a sentence or two of text with details. No need for fancy copywriting.

Focus instead on the five W’s (who, what, when, where, why) to get the point across quickly.

Proofread!

Spelling matters. If your classified ad is riddled with typos, it diminishes your credibility in the eyes of the consumer. Since classified ads are short to begin with, misspellings and grammatical errors can stand out even more.

Double and triple-check your spelling before submitting your classified ad, or have another set of eyes look at it for you.

Include a call to action and contact information

After you’ve finessed your message, make sure there’s a way for interested customers to get in touch with you.

Include a link to your website, an email address, and a phone number. If you are advertising a brick-and-mortar location, include your physical address too, so people know where to find you.

Test and track

Since classified ads tend to be cost-effective, you can post them in a variety of print and online media to see which drives the best results.

If you are driving to a website, you can create a vanity URL or a link with UTM parameters to track specific conversions from your classified ad. If you are announcing a discount, give it a unique code so that you know the customers who use it found it in your classified ad.

Finally, you can also use a survey at the point-of-sale to ask customers how they found out about your business, event, or sale and see how many of them mention your classified ad.

When you’ve gathered your data about each ad’s effectiveness and return on investment, you can further iterate on your classified advertising strategy.

Growing with Classified Advertising: Key Takeaways

• Classified ads are an inexpensive but effective method for advertising local businesses through both online and print media. Some online platforms will even let you list your business or announcement for free.
• Classifieds serve many different purposes, including recruiting new employees, announcing events or sales, and selling property. Businesses or individuals can purchase classified ads.
• One of the most significant benefits of classified advertising is its ability to connect with a local audience. Look for print and online outlets that are focused on your target location (a city, zip code, neighborhood, etc.) and explore their offerings for Bay Area classified advertising.
• Keep your classified ads short and grammatically correct. Also include your contact information, a call to action, and a way to track your ad’s effectiveness, whether it appears in print or online.

Originally published on the Hearst Bay Area blog. Read the full version here.