by Karon Thackston © 2002
http://www.ktamarketing.com
So often we hear of individuals who get exceptional returns-on-investment from their advertising campaigns. However, what we don’t often hear are the intimate details of how these people work their strategies. Marketer Diane Hughes has agreed to give us the nitty gritty of her latest solo ad project, including how she consistently earns 24% in profits.
KARON: Hi Diane! Thanks for letting me bend your ear a bit.
DIANE: No problem, Karon. Anytime :)
KARON: This last promotion paid off immediately for you. I know, because you emailed me right after its launch to tell me what wonderful success you’d had. Let me ask you about what you did, OK?
DIANE: Sure! What would you like to know?
KARON: What product were you promoting?
DIANE: MarketersDream.com. It offers guaranteed traffic (and let me say that it is truly targeted) for Web sites.
KARON: Sounds very interesting! So, was this an initial launch?
DIANE: Yes.
KARON: And what audience were you trying to reach?
DIANE: Online business owners and entrepreneurs who have products/services for sale.
KARON: What mediums did you choose to reach this audience?
DIANE: Only ezine solo ads. That’s it!
KARON: How could you be sure you would reach those you wanted to reach?
DIANE: Prior use I have my small "secret" list of proven lists.... plus my own. :o)
KARON: Now, I can’t let you get away with that, Diane! Come on… fess up!
DIANE: OK, OK... I will divulge a couple can't reveal all my secrets, though. :o)
My own newsletter:
http://www.ProBizTips.com
Kris Stringer's EzineHits
http://www.ezinehits.com/ad-rates.htm
Bob Silber's Web Head Central News
http://www.whcnews.com/ezineads.html
KARON: And these work for you over and over again?
DIANE: Oh yes!!
KARON: How many ads did you run?
DIANE: Nine total.
KARON: What total circulation did you reach?
DIANE: Over 200,000.
KARON: And how much did the total campaign cost you?
DIANE: The total cost of all ezine solos was approximately $900.
KARON: That’s a pretty hefty sum, Diane! You must have been very sure this would work.
DIANE: Well, it has worked before on other products over and over again, so I had no doubts that it would pull for me again.
KARON: OK… we have the general info, but now let’s get to the “how” and “why” questions. How did you track the results?
DIANE: I used a Lightning Track script.
NOTE: This is a heavy-duty script that requires some high-end system requirements. If you do not have the programming experience to use Lightning Track, you might also do a search on your favorite engine for “free ad tracking system” or the like.
KARON: How much did you make from this promotion?
DIANE: Approximately $4000.
KARON: WOW! That’s about 24% ROI, Diane. That’s great!!
DIANE: Yeah… I was pretty pleased.
KARON: Are these “typical" results? I mean, you said you do this consistently, but is the ROI always around 24% or higher?
DIANE: While this was typical, the results were a little higher than I expected.
KARON: Now, tell me about the copy you used.
DIANE: I’ll do better than that… I’ll SHOW it to you:
SUBJECT: In 5 Minutes Time Your Traffic Will Increase By 50%
Minimum!
Hello,
!
If we told you that we can guarantee to deliver 'real'
potential customers to your website who are interested
in YOUR content, would you be interested?
OF COURSE!! THEN READ ON....
A Traffic source more Powerful than ANY other promotion
method! Join NOW to increase YOUR traffic by at least 50%!
1,000 to 100,000 BONUS Visitors awarded Monthly!
"Great, Brilliant, Amazing! I have used your paid
advertising option 4 times now and this is my 5th.
I am converting around 20% of ALL the visitors you
send me which is adding HUNDREDS to my downline!"
Hanna Adams
Newbie On The Net
Having your site displayed in our network is one of the
most powerful methods of advertising available on the
internet today.
Now you do not have to hope that someone will click through
your banner advertising (banner ads generally produce less
than a one quarter of one percent click through rate), you
do not have to annoy people with pop-up windows, and you get
to show your entire site to each and every person instead of
only a small advertisement.
LIMITED TIME SPECIAL PROMOTION!
For all the details visit...
http://www.marketersdream.com
AOL LINK
KARON: Do you feel there was a "defining" factor in this campaign, or
was it a mix of elements that brought such success?
DIANE: Oh, there was no one defining factor definitely a mixture: advertising in
successful ezines, site sales copy, ad copy, and bonuses.
KARON: So, why did this work? In other words, what can WE look for in a list/ezine to help us know that we'll get good response?
DIANE: If the ezine is very responsive and their advertising does well, they will always have testimonials. Make sure you look for those most should have a way to contact the advertiser that submitted the testimonial (email or URL).
Also, as strange as this sounds, your best and most responsive ezines will have a wait this means their advertising is highly sought after and in demand. It's a definite good sign.
Those 2 things are good indicators, but are not foolproof. The only way you can truly tell is to test them. You have to test them several times just because the first ad doesn't pull well doesn't mean it's a bad list or ezine. It could've been your ad or your product. Testing ezine solos can get costly, but it's the only way you'll find the lists that work for you and your product.
Just because they work for me, doesn't mean they'll work for you. :o)
KARON: Great advice, Diane. I know it seems like we hear that a lot, but testing IS the one true way to know for sure.
DIANE: It's the only way. Some ezines pull better if you give the subscribers a freebie eBook or report (which just further advertises your product or service). Some work best if you offer a special deal just for their subscribers. You just have to "test the waters."
KARON: I agree 100%, Diane. Thanks so much for your time, and the valuable information.
DIANE: You are most welcome!
About the Author
FINALLY! The 1st copywriting course that takes you step-by-step through the process of writing emotion stirring, profit generating copy AND gives you the LIVE feedback you need to succeed! Get it today – with THREE FREE bonuses! http://www.copywritingcourse.com or http://www.ktamarketing.com