Let's talk ADs

So, we come from different parts of the United States, and in some cases, Canada and beyond. We have different levels of education, and in some cases, language barriers, whether it be English as a second language or a Southern accent.

The internet and its classified sites has made it easy to post reptile related advertisements, for better or for worse. For probably 90% of internet sales, there are emails back and forth, MAYBE a phone call, but probably not any personal interaction. SO, you do not know me, and I do not really know you. We have all heard the phrase about "First impressions meaning alot," and in todays internet classified world, chances are, your first impression is going to be your ad.

I think we all have our pet peeves when it comes to reading ads, and I am sure marketing genius types cringe at most of them. So, what do we like, dislike, think should be omitted, think should be added, to make a good advertisement?

I am not going to pretend to be a ad specialist, but some of my issues would be the following.

1-If I read an ad, especially for a high dollar snake, and the person is using texting speak in the ad, I walk. For example: 4 Sale, 1 Pied M and nu cage. If u r interested....well, you get the picture. Maybe this is the new thing, since texting is so big, but to me, it speaks of lazyness.

2-If you write, "Snake for sell," I immediatly close the ad. I am not a spelling freak or guru, but if you do not know the difference between a snake for SALE, and SELLING a snake, you should.

3-Ads need clear pics, not cell phone out of focus pictures so tiny you can barely tell it is a Ball. If it is a normal, and you do not have pictures, fine, but for morphs, you really should have them. Also, if you do such volume as to post ads with stock photos, and do not have photos of the actual snake for sale, I will probably look elsewhere for my purchase. Today's buyer is picky, and might be looking for a certain trait on a certain morph, so a picture of the exact animal for sale is a must.

4-Not a big deal, but I do like to see the lineage listed, just for the heck of it when possible. Axanthics are probably the most prominant morphs for sale where the line is a must. If you have SK line animals, and there is an ad for an Axanthic, you need to know if it is going to be compatible with your current stock. With Pastels, it is nice to know, and with Ghosts. Maybe with Cinnamons and Yellow Bellies too.

Ok, so what does a good ad need? A bold heading stating what is for sale. An ad that says, "Look inside for great deals," does not tell you what is going to be for sale inside. A better heading would be Great deal on Pastels, or VPI Axanthics price just lowered. Then, a good clear picture of the animal or animals for sale. If you are selling dinkers, or YB's, a belly shot is always a good thing. A good ad should have a clear price, the seller should make it clear if there is a price per animal, if there is a difference in price for male or female, and if there is a discounted price for a pair or group purchase. I like to know the pairing if hatchlings are for sale. For instance, if there is a YB for sale with no adult animals listed, and there is another ad for a YB and it says the parents are a Pastel YB bred to a PH Hypo, that means the YB in the second ad COULD carry the hypo gene, possibly a free bonus if the prices are the same. Length of ad? An ad should probably be more than one sentence long, with punctuation if needed. Concise, but informative. End of ad should probably be a Thanks for looking, or Thanks, or for any further informationg call, please feel free to see my website for additional information. I am not a fan of the God Bless. While most are probably genuine, some just wring hollow to me. Terms of service should be listed. This is something I am severly lacking in my ads, and will attempt to fix it on my next ads.

I am interested in what others think. Any pet peeves in ads you have, feel free to add them to my list. Any tips, anything you have seen in recent ads you like or dislike, please put it here so we can all benefit from it. I did not use spell check on this, which may infact be someone's pet peeve I am not belittling anyone, but if you are going to be in sales, you should at least look or act the part, kind of, sort of, sometimes.

Dave

Pet peeve:

Someone with ZERO trader ratings trying to sale a HET at a high price that they guarantee is a het, and promise they brought from so-and-so, and have the paper work. BUT they don't post pictures of the animal with the paperwork at the same time in the ad, so that comparisons can be made right then and there. I am not going to waste my time asking for the paperwork in a separate email...confusion can happen.

I always have placed the animal right on the paperwork so that buyers can make a comparison when I am selling a het that I did not produce.

*That's MY pet peeve.

Pet peeves only or what information we'd like to see in the ad?

I understand the hesitation with purchasing hets. I purchased one from a reputable breeder then later re sold it with paperwork locally. I have 11 het albino eggs in the incubator I will no doubt be trying to sell in the near future. Knowing peoples hesitation to purchase hets from people they consider " unknown " I made a documentary video starting at the beginning of the pairings in august through the last few months showing at least one confirmed lock a month and continued through ovulation, post ovulation shed, and the laying of eggs on my website. Some may consider additional work like this a pain in the neck, but if it eases a buyers woes and gives more credibility to the sellers ad I think it's more then a good idea. A lot of people want paperwork, but paperwork in the end is only as good as the person who made it. Of course when the time comes I will provide documentation with what i sell, I just believe when dealing with hets, and being someone new on the block, it's up to you to go the extra mile. Otherwise your ad will more then likely end up filler on the page easily passed over for someone with a better trader rating no matter what price or deal you attempt to offer.
( now i wait for someone to comment on my poor grammar, run on sentences, and punctuation lol. English was always my worst course. :P)

Originally Posted by edenspets

I understand the hesitation with purchasing hets. I purchased one from a reputable breeder then later re sold it with paperwork locally. I have 11 het albino eggs in the incubator I will no doubt be trying to sell in the near future. Knowing peoples hesitation to purchase hets from people they consider " unknown " I made a documentary video starting at the beginning of the pairings in august through the last few months showing at least one confirmed lock a month and continued through ovulation, post ovulation shed, and the laying of eggs on my website. Some may consider additional work like this a pain in the neck, but if it eases a buyers woes and gives more credibility to the sellers ad I think it's more then a good idea. A lot of people want paperwork, but paperwork in the end is only as good as the person who made it. Of course when the time comes I will provide documentation with what i sell, I just believe when dealing with hets, and being someone new on the block, it's up to you to go the extra mile. Otherwise your ad will more then likely end up filler on the page easily passed over for someone with a better trader rating no matter what price or deal you attempt to offer.
( now i wait for someone to comment on my poor grammar, run on sentences, and punctuation lol. English was always my worst course. :P)

Your plan is understandable and is considered good business planning and good salesmanship. ... (dang I wish I were computer savvy..I have a wireless cam, but can't get it to go live online for nothing and I have tried and tried! )

I am more speaking of the ones with ADs that claim to have brought the snake from 'Jack Smith' (big namer) WITH documentation, yet do not post that same documentation with the picture of the snake so that the identification can be made.

I have done it, it's easy. I sold a few snakes that I no longer needed in my collection and posted them alongside the picture id that I had received from the breeders that I purchased them from, so that the buyers felt comfortable with the identification that "This" snake did indeed come from 'Jack Smith' so if it didn't prove out..one had recourse.

It's not so much the fact that one has ZERO trader ratings and is trying to sell hets, but a combination of how the snake is pictured, the price of the snake and no picture id right then and there to support the statement that the snake in question is indeed the snake brought from "Jack Smith'.

I understand what you are saying completely. my post was not meaning to be an answer to yours, more a way for " new comers " for the lack of a better word to avoid being looked over. and i understand exactly what you are saying as i was guilty of it at one point. i purchased a het albino at a local show here from Scott Michaels ( someone i have done a lot of business with ) and it was ( and still is ) taking it's sweet time at getting up to breeding weight. i figured i would try to sell her and put that money toward a het female of bigger size with a better appetite. well of course since i did not see this situation arising i never asked for paperwork ( there was no need at the time as i am in contact with Scott on a regular basis and he is a stand up guy and all his animals i have purchased are flawless ) so when i posted her on here without it i got exactly what i should have expected, no response. so here i sit, and she sits, ever so slowly creeping toward 1500g. maybe in another 2 years she might make it :P we learn from our mistakes, and if any of this post helps others to be able to avoid those mistakes some of us have made starting out then it's a good thing.

I have to agree with what you've said here!

It is a major turnoff when someone types in texting chat or simply can't spell. I seldom open adds that don't list what exactly is for sale on the title.

I also hate when someone posts a photo that may show a part of someone's house that is dirty or just something that has no place in a snake ad- like a photo where the snake is on the floor and a pair of boxers are lying on the floor next to the snake...

Originally Posted by edenspets

I understand the hesitation with purchasing hets. I purchased one from a reputable breeder then later re sold it with paperwork locally. I have 11 het albino eggs in the incubator I will no doubt be trying to sell in the near future. Knowing peoples hesitation to purchase hets from people they consider " unknown " I made a documentary video starting at the beginning of the pairings in august through the last few months showing at least one confirmed lock a month and continued through ovulation, post ovulation shed, and the laying of eggs on my website. Some may consider additional work like this a pain in the neck, but if it eases a buyers woes and gives more credibility to the sellers ad I think it's more then a good idea. A lot of people want paperwork, but paperwork in the end is only as good as the person who made it. Of course when the time comes I will provide documentation with what i sell, I just believe when dealing with hets, and being someone new on the block, it's up to you to go the extra mile. Otherwise your ad will more then likely end up filler on the page easily passed over for someone with a better trader rating no matter what price or deal you attempt to offer.
( now i wait for someone to comment on my poor grammar, run on sentences, and punctuation lol. English was always my worst course. :P)

Edens- this is not aimed at you directly, I'm just using you as an example because your post made me think of it. II understand what you are trying to do and it is a good idea but if you are willing to go the extra mile documenting everything you say why not take a few extra minutes to correct your poor grammar, run on sentences, and punctuation. All that documentation will get you no where if people disregard your ad because they can't read it.

You admit that you will be selling snakes that may cause doubt in peoples minds (hets) because you are a newcomer. If it were me one of my first priorities when it came time to sell the animals would be to create a readable and informative ad that would cause people to disregard it out of hand. On top of that, if you are a regular poster on the various forums the kinds of posts will go a long way to help your credibility. I know the OP was focused just on ads but any post is a reflection on you.

Someone with a stellar reputation might be able to get away with poor ads more so than a newcomer so as a newcomer you owe it to yourself to give your snakes the best possible chance to be experienced by others and that is what will build your reputation faster than anything.

Chuckles a bit. If this were an ad and I were attempting to sell anything I would have been more direct, concise, and to the point. Yes all of the above mentioned points are very valid. I was attempting to make a point and did not focus on any of that for one reason or another ( whatever those reasons may be ) and it is always better to proof read your posts and take the time to correct any mistakes.
* TAKEN FROM THE ABOVE POSTS* " II understand what you are trying to do and it is a good idea " bad-one : " I seldom open adds that don't list what exactly is for sale on the title. " deborahbroadus:" Someone with ZERO trader ratings trying to sale a HET at a high price that they guarantee is a het" We all make mistakes in just chatting with each other you might be in a hurry, you may have other things going on in your home etc... when you write an ad you take the time to sit down and do it, edit it, proof it, edit it again etc... when just expressing your feelings you don't take as much care/time.

Lol, I have my moments