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Writing the best possible used car advert…

20th June 2018

Five Ways to Write the Best Used Car Sale Advert…

By guest contributor Grace Carter.

(Grace is a writer at Academized and BigAssignments services. She helps with content creation, management and editing there. Also, Grace teaches writing skills to students at Australian Help website).

Note from Kim: Some of the links below are to U.S. based resources, but are included as they may still be of general interest.

Posting an advert online is becoming an increasingly popular way of selling a car. The way you word your post can make all the difference. It’s important that you create a detailed and honest ad with as many pictures as possible. Here are five ways to write the best used car sale advert.

  1. Provide as many details as possible

You can actually save yourself a lot of time down the road, answering questions, if you provide a detailed description. The more detailed your description is, the more trustworthy your ad will seem and the more inquiries you will receive. Start with the basic information. List the make, model, mileage, colour, and body style/category. State whether or not the car has a full service history. Describe the vehicle’s features and equipment. Write where you bought the car and where it was primarily driven. Provide your contact information, and of course, your asking price for the vehicle.

  1. Include lots of pictures

If you’ve ever been browsing used car adverts and come across an ad with no pictures, or just one, and from a distance, then you know how ineffective these ads are. The seller appears to be (or may be) hiding something. Provide lots of good quality photos. Photos of the interior, and every angle of the car. A photo from the driver’s perspective is a great idea, it allows the person viewing the ad to envision themselves driving the car. People like to know what they are getting into before they bother to come down and see it in person. “If you really want to be creative and make your advert stand out, make a short video. You could make a funny video in which you show off your car’s features and capabilities. In any case, it will get you some extra attention and allow visitors to get a really good look at your car,” recommends Norma Pickett, writer at PaperFellows.

  1. Be honest

Give an honest explanation for why you’re selling your car, this is one of the most common questions you’ll get. Be honest about the condition the car is in. Mention any scratches or dents, in case they are a deal breaker for the buyer. There’s no sense in exaggerating the car’s condition, the buyer will find out soon enough when they come to view and test drive it. Include any relevant warranty information. (You could also list the car’s VIN identification number, so that people know you’re not trying to hide anything, although it is widely recommended that it is unwise to share the car’s precise identification, at least at the outset…).

  1. Get online writing and editing help

Writing doesn’t come naturally to everyone, so do not hesitate to get some help from the experts. Here are some good resources to get you started:

#1. State of Writing and Simplegrad – These are grammar resources you can use to check over your car sale advert for grammatical errors. Clarity is import when you’re trying to sell anything, so make sure you don’t have any errors.

#2. UKWritings and OxEssays – These are editing tools, recommended by BestBritishEssays, you can use to make sure your advert doesn’t contain any errors or typos.

#3. Via Writing and LetsGoandLearn – Check out these writing guides for ideas and tips on how to improve your car sale advert. Even good writers can use some help every now and then.

#4. BoomEssays and Essayroo – These are online proofreading tools, suggested in Boomessays review, you can use to ensure your advert is polished and free of errors.

#5. Academadvisor and My Writing Way – Check out these writing blogs for ideas and advice on how to improve your ad. You’ll find people who have successfully written car sale ads before.

  1. Avoid abbreviations and cliches

You want to make your advert as clear as possible, the easier it is to understand, the less confusion and questions you’ll have to answer. Avoid using abbreviations, lots of people won’t know what they stand for. Also avoid cliches, they are a sign of someone being disingenuous. Particularly avoid the “Only ever driven carefully by an old lady,” cliche. These kinds of cliches undermine your advert and result in people clicking away from your page.

Conclusion

There’s definitely a right way and a wrong way to write a used car sale advert. If you write a detailed description, avoid cliches, get online writing and editing help, and post lots of quality photos, you will sell your car in no time.

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