Today online classified spending is on the decline amid the recession, while expected to remain steady at about $2 billion annually through 2014, and the print classified ads sector dropped from $10 billion in 2008 to $6 billion in 2009. However, the reduction in the value of the classified ads market is not a measure of the number of classified ads. There are still masses of them, it’s just that they cost nearly nothing to post, if you use Craigslist and similar online sites.

From this “perfect storm” of adversity in the newspaper and magazine businesses comes opportunities and rewards galore for individual marketers able to dabble in the online and offline twin worlds of classified advertising. Let others ignore print ads at their loss. Flex your marketing muscle, comparatively free of the competition rife in the online classified market and enjoying lower advertising rates, by using magazine classifieds to retrofit and focus your campaigns like a laser.

Introducing… the retro, oft-overlooked offline marketing tool of magazine classified advertising. Classified advertising has a distinct advantage over most other forms of advertising because they are not interrupting. You benefit by writing a non-interrupting classified because your reader is looking for products or services that appeal to them. The most successful want ads relate to the home, car, employment, or business opportunity. Those that do not fall into these categories might want to consider a fractional display ad. All classified advertisers should consider using their classified ad as a lead generator.

The majority of readers of the classified sections are looking for something specific. You can count on these readers looking over the headings for subjects that interest them. Savvy advertisers will promote products that enhance the reader’s lives in some way. One of the greatest benefits of a well-written classified ad is that it creates strong anticipation in the mind of the individual for more information. Consider adding magazine classified ads to your arsenal of offline marketing tools. You can use online marketing techniques to exploit this almost-forgotten realm of the advertising and marketing world.