Six Basic and Simple Ad Tips


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 ips 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 sexy (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!

About the Author

Pamela Heywood is webmistress of http://www.tucats-design.com
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