THE AWKWARD PART ABOUT PERSONAL ADS is that they
are just that-advertisements. They involve pure and unabashed
shilling for a specific product, like toothpaste or a Honda, only the
product happens to be a flesh-and-blood person. Yet advertising is a
tricky craft, best left to professionals. Susan Fox is a
professional. Eleven years ago, she was just an inspired amateur; a
divorced woman in her thirties with an intuitive sense of how to market
herself. Hype the sparkling green eyes. Mention dogs and radio
reporting. Her personal ad generated 31 date, or an average of one
per week, which is a pretty impressive clip. The last one was a
keeper; They fell in love and got married.
Now Fox pitches other people with the same success through Personals
Work, a business she runs out of her South End duplex. "A lot
of ads are effective if they are done right," she says.
"if they're not, well,..." ...Fox will help a client hit the
high points and decide which magazine or newspaper [or on-line site] is
the best venue for an ad. For an additional $150 to $250, she'll
write it for you.
|
SLY FOX: The Dos and Don'ts of
Writing Personal Ads
| READY FOR LOVE? Do you know who you are?
Do your needs include long-term companionship with an ability to
communicate honestly? Are you psychologically and financially
sophisticated? Are you passionate about your personal ad
professional goals? Then this 30yo SWF looks forward to your
response.
|
Okay, this is sincere and reflective-but too much too
fast. Slow down. This sounds like a job interview.
Where's the romance? Also, there's a way too little about the
advertiser. All we know is that these questions are important to
her, but there's nothing about her to draw us to this ad. Not
user-friendly. To interrogative. Too mechanical. Does she
know who she is? |
| SEMI SENSATIONAL SWM, 37 Tall [1], tender,
great-looking (it's true!). Included [2]in respected
publication of America's interesting bachelors. Seeks sincere
knockout. Photo, please[3]. |
[1] Good, but you go on and on and lose us with the
"(it's true!)" bit, especially once you hit that
exclamation point. [2] Yes, it's important to toot your own horn in
a personals ad, but this sentence is over the top.
Furthermore, what are the criteria that make a bachelor
"interesting"? Next! [3] What's this? Be a gorgeous babe
or forget it? Guess so... |
| ARE YOU REALLY READY FOR MARRIAGE? SWP[1], 40s,
successful, brave[2], balanced, anxious to shed stifling frog[3]
disguise and be a devoted prince for one special woman. My castle[4]
is on the South Shore. Lead me to your tower. |
[1] What is an SWP? Single White Person? Single White
Professional? Please, pay the money and spell out the word:
p-r-o-f-e-s-s-i-o-n-i-a-l [2] Brave? What is this, a Mel Gibson
movie?[3] The whole frog sentence is too long and convoluted.
As an effort to be cute or clever, it falls on its face. And an
anxious frog is not an enticing visual. [4] Enough with the fairy
tale fantasy. |
|
