Top Tips: How to put an effective car advertisement together
You sales ad is your car’s biography. It’s your chance to give a bit of a biography to your car, afterall, most sports or exotic cars are an emotional purchase as much as they can also be an investment.
It’s your chance to not only make a case for your pride and joy, but also express how you’ve used it, how you’ve cared for it and the attention to detail that you’ve paid it when maintaining it.
Below are a few Pointers to get the best out of your sales ad!
What to Include in your write up
A clear, honest ad is an effective ad!
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Try to be concise and consider some key points for inclusion in your write up. Some are obvious, some are frequently overlooked!
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1 – How long have you owned the car? Why are you selling?
The first question to building a level of understanding in your car
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2 – How Many Kms does the car have?
A no-brainer, but you will be surprised how many people don’t include it. In surveys, we found that 65% of people browsing for a car will be deterred if it’s missing and a similar car is available.Â
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3 – What service history does the car have?
Again, often overlooked, but possibly the most important part in achieving a successful sale is making it clear what servicing has taken place. Where has it been serviced? Has any Major servicing been done? Take this opportunity to explain any gaps in the service history. Are receipts available with detail? Do you know of any major maintenance upcoming?Â
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4 – What is the condition of the car’s interior and exterior?
Consider grading it out of 10, is the leather worn out? Are there scratches in the interior or to the paintwork? Are there any trim missing? Have the wheels been kerbed?Â
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5 – Are there any known faults?Â
How does the car drive? Are there any noises, rattles, strange engine behaviour? Do the electrics work?Â
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6 – What is included?
Does the car come with manuals and books? How many keys are included? Are there any original accessories eg covers, tool kits? Are there any factory options to make the car stand out of the crowd?
Remember - your ad is the chance to set the baseline and tone for your sale!
It might be tempting to try and downplay the condition of your car, but it is your chance to build trust and not have the buyer find a list of ammo to pull down the price.
Photographing your car for sale
The most important part of the entire ad, of course, are the photos.Â
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It is your way to really and quite literally show off your car in the best light. Some tips to consider.
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1 – Cover the entire car. The image below shows the useful vantage points to take of your car to ensure you cover the key areas.
2 – Take photos in the daylight – it shows the most honest representation of your car, and sets a reasonable expectation for your buyer!
3 – Use a neutral background. Ideally away from your house, in a place that you can capture the car from all angles as per above
4 – Include a money shot – If you’ve had a pro shot, or a photo where you just caught everything about the car just right, don’t be too shy to include it!
5 – Capture clear photographs of the interior and dash with the car running so that the buyer can see there are no error codes and that the odometer reads true.
