Make Your Free Ads Work For You!

Advertising needn't be expensive, and for those in the know;
advertising can also be free. But occasionally your 'free' ads
can get lost in the e-zine jungle. And, unfortunately, many
people misuse their free ads. By 'misuse' I mean; do not word
their ads appropriately. How many times have you seen the exact
same ad for the exact same product? Probably too many times. Why
would you want to risk having your ad placed directly underneath
somebody else's ad that is exactly the same as yours?

The best way to use, not misuse, your ad is to use a two-step
system. Don't use the advertising material that the affiliate
program has supplied. Why? Because it will be the same material
that every other affiliate will be using. Try to write your own
ads. Don't worry about inventing that eye catching headline and
having those action generating words, leave all that hype to the
so-called experts.

One of the most effectively worded ads is an ad that is clear and
straightforward. There's no need to hide your product underneath
an ALL CAPS heading, a lot of BS promises and finally a URL that
is as long as my grandma's knitting yarn. Ultimately you want to
aim for a short two-liner. Why? Because it will be quicker to
read and it will stand out from all of the 5 to 8 liners. Most of
the longer ads disguise the actual product with a lot of fancy
words, only to have the prospect 'click away' within 5 seconds of
reaching the site, because: 'they've seen it before'. That's an
instant loss. You don't even get a chance to capture the
prospects' details.

That leads me to the two-step system. What you will need:

~ an autoresponder (free is fine, but doesn't look as
professional when it's laden with 3rd party ads).

OR

~ a direct response one to two page mini web site.

An autoresponder will allow you to use your two-liner very
effectively. The prospect will know that the information (this is
where you can place the much longer ad copy that is usually
supplied with affiliate programs, but please try to rewrite some
of it in your own words) will be delivered to them instantly, and
you will be able to capture their e-mail address in order to send
follow-ups if the 'fish' aren't biting. Remember, it has been
said that a prospect will need to see an ad approximately seven
times before they will buy.

A direct response mini site presents the prospect with the ad
copy, similar to your first autoresponder message, and
immediately offers them a way to order the product, as should
your autoresponder message.

Both of these methods work quite well, and implementing them is
really a very simple process. Be simple, be direct and above all
else, be quick. The Internet has changed the meaning of customer
service; people are no longer willing to stand in line or wait
for the mailman. They want their product and they want it now! So
you need to be - IMMEDIATE!