Six Basic and Simple Ad Tips
Pamela Heywood
For something that is as important as life or death to your online business, I am utterly
amazed by the number of "bad ads" I read daily. Many people need guidance,
especially when you are new to the net, to advertising, to business ... For others, it
never does any harm to go over some old ground. So here are some absolutely basic
rules/tips for writing email and online classifieds - to help you make them more
effective.
1. Spell check!
This is so basic, it really should not need saying, but I can't believe the number of
simple typos and spelling errors I see- and they get published as they come, which is
not going to give you a professional look nor solicit responses.
Write your ads in a calm moment, check them and check them again, then paste them
into the ad box. Don't type anywhere you place ads on the spur of the moment,
because that way you are much more likely to make errors. Write yourself a note in
an email to store your ad, then it will always be to hand.
And here's a handy guide for those 65 characters to the line:
12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345
2. URLs
Always put the http:// in front of web addresses. In some email
programs www.yourdomain.com will not be "clickable" and people will not be
able to respond easily. If they have to copy and paste the URL into their browser
rather than just hitting with the mouse, do you reckon they will bother? I
don't think so: no-body has time. Give 'em instant gratification, or they'll go
elsewhere for it!
3. Email addresses
Likewise, in order to be "clickable" in all email programs, it is advisable to add
mailto: at the beginning of email addresses. Make it real easy for people to click and
chances are, they will.
If you can fit both URL and email into your ads, great. Given a choice of
either/or, I'd recommend you go for email. If you can keep people in "email
mode" to subscribe, to get more information from an autoresponder, then your
response rates will increase as well as giving you a better opportunity to get
your message to them over and over again.
4. Write your ads in your own words
If your cloned ad reads exactly the same as the one next to it and a million
others floating around the Internet daily, you've just almost guaranteed that it
will be lost, forgotten and ignored. You might have been told that it was "tried
and tested", but that works only for the original advertiser. After that, it's worn
out, used, pre-owned!
Cant write ads? Spend some time learning, practicing, honing: this is probably
THE best investment of your time that you can make.
5. Use your own URL
Similarly, if your ad has the same URL (just different numbers) as everyone
else promoting the same "program" people will instantly recognise it, know
they've seen it all before and not bother. Use your own ad in combination with
your own URL and you are much more likely to hit the inquisitive nerve.
What you really should be doing here is to get a domain - all of $13.50 per year
from http://000domains.com
and build your own site - with useful
content. Then even if you are promoting a "program", let's hear why you use it, what
is good about it, why we should believe YOU and join it on your
recommendation. The standard "free website" just ain't gonna cut it.
Put yourself in the shoes of the reader. If you see an ad and/or URL that is the
same as the next and a million others, which one will you choose to click?
Since it will give the impression, whether it is true or not, that it is just another
mass-produced program-in-a-box solution, do you really think anyone will? If
they do, it will only be luck and you may as well just play the lottery!
You must also use your own URL and so that there is less chance of your
affiliate number being knocked off the end by cheaters who do you out of your
referral commission. Good enough reason?
6. Don't try to sell in ads
This has got to be one of the top mistakes that people make in ads. Ads too
long, trying to get the sale on the first attempt are never going to be effective
and is more likely to scare people off than attract them. Keep it short, sweet
and to the point. Your task in an ad is to create only just enough interest for
someone to want more information.
Give 'em BENEFITS! You know, the old "What's in it for me?" - a reason to
click. They don't care who you are, so that's a line saved! Don't tell them your
product has XYZ widgets, tell them it will make them more love makingy (or whatever,
so long as it's the truth). Then do your selling in the follow-up.
Follow these few simple rules, do your homework on the ones you need to
learn more about and watch your ad responses and your income rise!
Copyright © 2003 Pamela Heywood
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