| You gotta admit though, it has a certain appeal to it. But NO weirdos. Right. :)
Anyway, if you want to write an ad that will get a lot of responses and that will attract quality applicants, you have to appeal to more than just greed.
So, here are some guidelines for doing exactly that:
1. Be Creative - A ho hum help wanted ad is going to attract ho hum applicants. But a clever ad can be just the thing for attracting solid talent.
For example, an online lodging booking company was having a hard time finding qualified applicants. So, they rewrote their ad and said they were looking for "the Wolf from Pulp Fiction", meaning they were looking for applicants who could handle tough situations and fix any problem. Soon, they were flooded with top shelf applicants.
Tell me which ad sounds better to you...
"HELP WANTED: Martial art school seeks qualified person to assist with teaching children's classes. Competitive pay, flexible hours. References required."
"THE HOGWARTS OF MARTIAL ARTS SEEKS HAGRID: We teach kids to be champions of good in the battle against the Dark Arts. Make a difference by helping us train the next generation of high character community leaders. Must be good with young martial arts wizards in training. 1st degree black belt or greater rank in tae kwon do required to be considered for position. Interested parties should respond with resume and three references."
Now tell me, which job would you want?
2. Be Specific - Using specificity can weed out unwanted and unqualified applicants.
Notice the instructions I included in the second ad above. Anyone who responded to that ad without including their resume and three references as an attachment to their email would immediately be ruled out.
Why? Because I don't want applicants who need hand-holding. And if an applicant can't follow basic instructions in an ad, then they aren't the sort of person I want working for me.
3. Be Descriptive - Notice also that I specified exactly what I was looking for in the second ad. It's clear that I am looking to hire a children's martial arts instructor. It's also clear that I want someone who is good with kids.
Moreover, the ad clearly states the primary requirement for the position - 1st degree black belt or higher. I don't want someone who isn't qualified for the position, so that's front and center in the ad.
On the other hand, you don't want to load your ad down with job requirements, either. Too many requirements will scare people away, so take it easy on them. A good rule of thumb is to only include the primary requirement for the position.
And, if you live in an area where the applicant pool isn't as broad or deep, you may have to lower your job requirements a bit and spend some time and money investing in the right applicant by training them up to speed. More on that in future emails.
4. Be Brief - It doesn't take many words to describe the basic requirements of the job. Not only will brevity save you money (when placing ads that cost by the word), it will also garner you more applicants.
Getting to the point quickly means potential applicants will be more likely to get sucked into your ad. On the other hand, a long-winded ad will be less likely to draw people in and attract attention. Write wisely.
5. Headlines Count - "HELP WANTED" ain't gonna cut it; your headline has to sing for its dinner. Write smart and make your headlines work for you. Make them short, snappy, and above all make them stand out from the crowd.
Well, I think that about covers it. I'll be back tomorrow to talk about the interview process.
Until next time,
Mike Massie
MartialArtsBusinessDaily.com
P.S. - What's really funny is that the company who owned the phone number used in the "Evil Genius" ad received hundreds of calls after that ad was posted all over NYC.
P.S.S. - Feel free to use the second ad example as a template for your own ads. And if you happen to use that Hogwarts ad to advertise for an instructor, let me know how it works out for you. | 
