How to write an ad that sells
Two ads for the same item can fare completely differently: one gets an enquiry the same day, the other sits there for weeks. The difference is almost always in the title, the photos, the description and the price. Here is how to write an ad that buyers respond to.
- Posting is free
- Done in a few minutes
- Works for every category
Seven steps to a good ad
Choose the right category
Buyers search by category. An ad in the wrong category is not seen by the person looking for it.
Write a clear title
What you are selling, which make and model, and one important detail: year, size or condition.
Add good photos
Ads with pictures get considerably more views. The first photo is the most important.
Describe it honestly and fully
Write everything you would want to know yourself as a buyer, including the faults.
Set a realistic price
Look at similar ads and set the price according to the condition of your item.
Enter your location and contact details
Buyers look for ads near them. State your location and how you can be reached.
Reply quickly
A buyer often contacts several sellers at once. Whoever replies first usually makes the sale.
Photos sell
You don’t need a camera – a mobile phone and a little care are enough.
- Take photos in daylight, by a window or outdoors, without flash.
- Clean the item and clear everything unnecessary out of the background.
- Make the first picture show the whole item, from the front and close up.
- Add pictures from every side and of the details: labels, the model plate, the inside.
- Show any damage too. A buyer who has seen it in advance doesn’t back out on the spot.
- Use your own photos, not pictures from a catalogue or the internet.
- Hold your phone level and make sure the picture is sharp.
The title: the first thing a buyer sees
The title appears in search results and in search engines. Write it in the ordinary words a buyer would type.
A good title
- Volkswagen Golf Mk7 1.6 TDI, 2016, 88,000 miles, one owner from new
- Three-bedroom flat, 78 m², 2nd floor, balcony and parking – Manchester, Didsbury
- Mountain bike, 29-inch wheels, aluminium frame, size L, hardly ridden
A weak title
- CAR FOR SALE!!! URGENT!!!
- Flat, good price, call
- Bike as new, bargain
The description: answer the questions in advance
A good description saves time for both you and the buyer. The more questions you settle in the description, the more serious the enquiries you receive.
- What exactly you are selling: make, model, dimensions, year.
- What condition it is in and how much it has been used.
- What is included: accessories, original packaging, receipt, warranty.
- Faults and repairs – state them openly.
- Why you are selling, if that means something to the buyer.
- How it changes hands: collection in person, delivery, who pays the postage.
- Short paragraphs or bullet points, and no writing in capital letters.
Price
Too high a price drives buyers away, and too low a price arouses suspicion.
- Look at a few similar ads for the same make, year and condition.
- Take into account the condition, the age and what you are including with the item.
- Enter the real price. Ads with a price of 1 or price on request get fewer serious enquiries.
- Leave a little room for negotiation, but don’t overdo it.
- If there are no enquiries for a few weeks, lower the price or improve the photos.
The most common mistakes
- An ad with no photo, or with a single blurred picture.
- A title that doesn’t say what is for sale.
- A two-word description, or one copied from the manufacturer’s specifications.
- Faults left unmentioned that come to light at the viewing.
- The wrong category or the wrong location.
- A phone number that nobody answers.
- The same ad posted several times.
- An ad left up after the item has been sold.
Tips by type of ad
Vehicles
Make, model, year, mileage, engine and fuel, how long the registration is valid, service history, number of owners. Pictures of the outside from every side, the interior, the odometer and the boot.
Property
Floor area, number of rooms, floor, year built, heating, parking, the state of the ownership documents. Pictures of every room in daylight, and a floor plan if you have one.
Household, electronics and everything else
Exact model, age, condition, what works and what doesn’t. A picture of the appliance switched on and of the model plate.
After posting
- Check your messages and reply the same day.
- If new questions come up, add to the description so that you don’t get them again.
- For a viewing, agree a place and time that suit you.
- Hand over the item only once you have received the money.
- Once you have sold it, remove the ad under My Account.
Sell safely
Don’t open links to receive a payment, don’t give out your card details and don’t refund an overpayment. We have described all the most common scams, and how to recognise them, on a separate page.