Here are a few of my favourite tips and ideas. You can adapt them to your industry and your needs.

The starting point for creating an ad is either the product you want to sell, or the audience you want to sell it to. What are you selling and to whom do you hope to sell it?

Let's say your focus is the product. Brainstorm a list, in writing, of every benefit and feature you can think of. Include all the wonderful ways the product will solve problems or enhance the life or business of the buyer.

Once the list is complete, prioritize the items by order of greatest value.

Next, think about your target audience. Carefully consider their needs, interests and expectations. Again, create and prioritize a list of all the reasons this audience could benefit from the product.

Now, go back to your list of product benefits and features and see if you can adjust the priorities to better fit the interests of this audience.

The next step is to decide what you want the ad to accomplish. Do you want to make direct sales from the ad? Or simply drive traffic to a website to do the selling? It is important to have a well-defined purpose. The more specific the purpose and the wording, the more powerful and effective the ad will be.

Alright, here we go. What is the most important benefit or feature of your product? Use that information in either your headline or your first sentence.

As you craft the body of the ad, entice your prospects with other high priority benefits and features. Be descriptive! Help your prospects visualize the product or its benefits. Use actual pictures or graphics where possible.

?Power? words can add punch to your ad copy. Words like Free, Easy, Guaranteed, Limited and New are effective in getting attention and motivating people to buy or respond. The use of You and Yours personalizes the ad and enhances its appeal.

You may want to highlight ways your product is different or better than other similar products, but do not cut down your competitor's product! Instead, focus on the positive qualities of your product.

Use testimonials from satisfied customers, if you have their approval.

Finally, it is always good to go for the close ? TELL the prospect what to do: ?Order NOW.? ?Visit our website TODAY.? ?Act FAST!? ?Quantities are LIMITED. Get YOURS now.?

Let's review the key points of successful advertising copy:

- choose a specific product or service

- identify a targeted audience

- create a powerfully appealing headline

- focus on the top benefits or features

- highlight the advantages

- use ?power? words and phrases to motivate

- use descriptive words to create visual images and appeal

- know what you want the prospect to do and TELL them

- use testimonials

You can also review other ads and marketing materials to pick up additional ideas and insight. Experiment with changes in your ad copy and track your ads to see which ones produce the best results.

It may take some trial and error to find the best formula for your ads, but remember this - practice makes perfect.