One of the most common questions we get from our customers is How do I make my listing look more appealing to potential buyers? The truth is there isn’t one singular answer to this question. However, from our experience, we can say that taking the time to create well written, inviting ads is one of the best ways for your listing to stand out from the crowd and reach more potential buyers.

Writing a compelling advertisement can be the difference between selling your bike in a matter of weeks and watching it gather dust in the garage for months on end, while you desperately wait for a lead. So taking the time to put together a quality listing can really pay off in the long run.

It doesn’t take a professional writer to put together an informative, coherent ad. If you’re willing to invest a small amount of time, you can create a compelling, presentable advertisement to sell your motorcycle.Read on to learn how to write a killer description for your motorcycle ad.

Essential Information To Include

The Bare Minimums

Keep it simple and start with the basics. There are a few bits of information that you absolutely have to include, no exceptions. These include the make, model and year of the motorcycle you’re listing. Without all three of these pieces of information, you’re unlikely to get any traction at all. All three are required when listing a motorcycle on our website.

Mileage and Maintenance

The next important piece of information to include is the bike’s mileage and maintenance history. These bits of information are going to show potential buyers the general state of the bike. Mileage is especially important to list, as most people will simply scroll right past an ad that doesn’t include the number of miles on the bike. Some people may even think that there is a problem and that you’re trying to hide something, if you don’t disclose the mileage. If your bike’s mileage is extremely low, you should explain why.

Maintenance is another way to make your listing more appealing. You don’t have to list the full maintenance history on your listing, but a general overview can be a great way to assure a potential buyer that the bike has been taken care of. If you’ve taken your motorcycle in to be serviced every 3,000 miles or kept it indoors year-round, go ahead and include that in your ad.

If you’ve taken the proper care of your bike, be sure to let everyone know. Having the knowledge that a bike has been properly looked after can help set potential buyers mind at ease, and make them more willing to reach out. It helps to mention which dealership has been taking care of your bike’s maintenance. It assures potential buyers that it was done correctly.

Price and location

Price and location are also incredibly important, for obvious reasons. Setting a reasonable price for your motorcycle will go a long way with getting leads. Of course, you should be compensated for what your bike is worth, but pricing it too high is going to lead to a lot of people skipping your ad altogether. Conversely, if you lowball yourself, you may be sending out the message that there is something wrong with the motorcycle. The key is to find a good middle ground, and price yourself as accurately as possible.

There are a number of tools out there to help determine the worth of a motorcycle, which can help give you an accurate price range. Start on the higher end of this average, and if you’re still not getting results, gradually begin to lower more towards the middle of the range. If you need to sell your bike quickly, start at $500 – $1,000 below Kelley Blue Book retail value.

Customizations/Upgrades

Now that you have the basics down, you’re free to delve into the nitty-gritty details. What makes your motorcycle stand out? Maybe you had new heavy duty pipes put in, or a custom paint job, or upgraded your engine. A new seat or new tires could also be feature to list.

If you believe a certain feature adds value to your motorcycle, go ahead and list it. Let the people know exactly what they’re getting when they click on your bike. These details may be what entices a potential buyer to reach out instead of scrolling past.

Your Writing Style

Readability is your friend when it comes to putting together a convincing sales pitch. Plugging in the bike’s essential details is important, but never underestimate the power of a well-formed paragraph or a bulleted list of features. You don’t have to be the next coming of Hemingway, but you should take the time to make sure that your post is easy to read and free of spelling and grammatical errors.

Keep the tone of your ad light, informative, and professional. Remember, you don’t know who exactly will be reading your ad, so it’s best to err on the side of caution and keep things professional. Refrain from swearing or any other forms of offensive language to avoid putting off potential buyers.

Again, you don’t have to be the world’s greatest writer, but putting in the effort to make your post sound coherent will go a long way in establishing your credibility in the eyes of most potential buyers.

Include a “Call to Action”

In advertising, a call to action is a piece of content used to induce a potential customer to perform a specific action. “Buy now”, “Click Here”, etc are all examples of common calls to action. Studies show that having a call to action in an advertisement can notably increase results.

Simply adding “Call for more information” or “Send me a message if interested” at the end of your listing can potentially increase the number of buyers reaching out to you. It may seem simple, but telling potential buyers what you want from them can help put your listing over the edge in terms of success.

Conclusion

Writing a motorcycle listing that gets results can be done by just about anyone. If you’re willing to invest a little time and patience into creating your listing, you’re probably going to be rewarded for your diligence in the long run.

Have you ever sold a motorcycle from a listing you created? If so, what do you think made it appealing to the eventual buyer? Let us know in the comments.