Here is a step-by- step process you can go through every time you sit down to write a direct response ad, to make sure that you have all the elements that will make the ad as profitable for you as possible.

Refer to this checklist before and after you write your ad, and ask yourself these questions.

1. Who is my Target Market?
When you look at your ad, can you tell very specifically who your target market is? Most of the time, when you look through real estate magazines, you can see ads that say "Thinking of buying or selling? Call me first!" or other non-compelling catch phrases. What is very clear by this is that the person has not selected a very specific target market, and is just trying to appeal to everyone at the same time.

The most effective ads you can write are very specifically focused on a SINGLE TARGET MARKET. It's not enough to say that your target market is buyers or sellers. You have to really narrow your focus even more.

A great target market would be renters who are living in the Oakwood apartment complex and paying more than $500 a month in rent. The more specific you can get the better. It will allow you to understand who your target market is and what they hope for and fear in their situation.


2. Do I have a Compelling offer?
The offer, is the key thing in a direct response ad. The offer is the reason they will be responding. What are they going to get by responding to your ad? Offers can be a FREE recorded message, a FREE report by mail or e-mail. A seminar, an over the phone consultation, or a personal one-on-one consultation in their home or your office.

Now, not all offers are going to get the same response, many more people will call and listen to a FREE recorded message, while not many people will be as interested in a one-on-one consultation just from seeing your ad. You've always got to be thinking in terms of baby-steps to lead your prospects.


3. Does my headline tell the complete story?
The headline is the first thing everyone reading your ad will see when they look at your ad. The most effective thing you can do is to be sure that your headline tells the complete story. Think of your headline as the ad for your ad. The headline is the only thing your prospects will use to determine whether they'll spend the time to read your ad, and if it doesn't catch their attention with something that is of value to them—they'll skip right over your ad and be on the next page.

When people look at your ad, can they tell what it's about just by reading the headline? Have a friend look at the headline alone and if they can't tell you exactly what the ad is about, you need to go back to the drawing board.

Here are a couple of tips for writing winning headlines; first, pretend that you are writing a three-line classified ad for your ad. This will help you to really get your point across. Second, look on the cover and in the table of contents of Cosmo magazine to get ideas for great headlines.


4. Does it look like an ad?
One of the worst things you can do is have a great idea for an ad, a great headline and offer, and then make your ad LOOK like and ad! When you make your ad look like news you will get FIVE TIMES as many people to look at your ad! That's because five times as many people read editorial content and screen out the ads. So if your ad has starbursts and a big glamour shot of you (from 10 years ago) and your big logo, etc. People are going to see through it and tune it out.

Give your message the best chance of being seen and read, take a copy of the USA Today, or your local newspaper and find an article that looks to be about the same size as the ad you're running and make your ad look EXACTLY like that newspaper article.


5. Have I used a conversational one-on-one tone?
When you're writing your ads, always keep in mind that you are talking to ONE prospect at a time. Even though your ad will be seen by thousands of people, when they are reading it, they're reading it ALONE. Talk to them just like you would talk to them one-on-one. Conversationally. Explaining your offer to them as of you were sitting down with them.

Don't worry about talking to anyone other than your prospect. Talk only to them in a way that demonstrates your understanding of their exact situation, and how your offer can help them get what they want—while avoiding what they don't want.


6. It is absolutely clear what I'm asking them to do?
This is an important point because when you look through most ads in the real estate magazines, you see Realtors and lenders with every phone number they have. They've got their office number, their home number, their out of town number, their cellular number, and what it's making your prospect think is "I'm going to have track this person down!"

Your ad should not confuse your prospects, it should be very clear what they need to do. Your ad should lead them conversationally right through to the end and tell them exactly what to do to get the benefit you offering them.


7. Have I used the words "FREE Recorded Message?"
If there were any such things as Magic Words in marketing, the words FREE Recorded Message would be the ones. The words FREE Recorded Message will do more for your response than anything else, and you should use them in every ad you write. Those words convey to your client that it's absolutely safe for them to call and take the next step without having to talk to a salesperson, and it gets them on the road to meeting with you one-on-one. So even if your offer is a seminar or free consultation, you'll always increase your response by having your prospects call a FREE recorded message first!


So there you have it: a seven-point checklist you can use every time you create direct response ads. Have a profitable year!