I thought long and hard about writing this article because I'm merely reinventing wheels that not only have I written about before, but others have also. Yet, it is one of those "marketing themes" that bears repeating - so what the heck :) Ezine advertising. Anyone who's reading currently understands the concept of ezines in general and, perhaps, why people advertise inside them. What prompts me to write is a message I recently received which reads: "I tried your ads and it was a complete fiasco, and I don't like to repeat fiascoes." Not surprisingly, I'm not surprised. This person unfortunately has no idea what ezine advertising is or what it does for one online. Ask any die-hard marketer and they will tell you the amazingly simple "magic" answer to advertising: "Do it. And keep doing it over and over and over..." Is your classified ad or your solo ad, in and of itself, suppose to make you a sale? No! Is it intended to get a reaction? YES! You most definitely need a website visit or a requested email. So why do some marketers get results and many do not. Let's face it, we all see ads day in and day out. Some catch our attention and entice us to cli'ck through, while others are so much pie-in-the-sky we'd never take even a small peek. Are your ad words important? You bet! [For example, if I'm doing my job right, you've made it this far reading this article. I've got your attention and, with luck, will keep it for just a few more paragraphs.] Everyone says so and everyone is right. It's WHAT your ad says that entices the cli'ck through. It does not, and should not, be structured to try to "get the money right now." That's what your website and mailtos are for - the link you want them to clic'k! Can everyone write a good ad? Most definitely no. But... the most important question to ask yourself prior to throwing in the towel is, "Have I tried?" One run of an ad that fails to generate any interest is not a failure. Two runs... no sales? Have you failed? No! Three, four, five...? Still nothing? Give up? NO! At this point (but hopefully before this point), you've got to ask yourself: "What's wrong with my ad?" A: Something, or they'd be clicking, right? Two things to avoid are an excessive use of caps and exclamation marks. A few years back the use of both did make for a semi-successful way of catching someone's attention, but not anymore. I think we can all safely say that most of us skip right past most of "those" types of ads, don't you? Which leads to... "Is it incredibly unbelievable?" A: Is your ad so unrealistic that even you know you've gotten su'ckered into an impossible-to-achieve program, but still wonder why others won't follow along? Quit wasting your time and/or money. Drop it like a hot potato and go RESEARCH a good, solid, reliable, long-haul program to promote. A good starting point for your research would be looking up the domain ownership, etc., at http://www.whois.net. "Did I write it from a 'benefits-packed' viewpoint?" A: People want to know what's in it for them. When it comes to advertising, they really don't care a fig for what you get out of it. And that IS the right attitude, especially if you're asking them to part with cold hard cash. The hardest, but best-producing, ads to write require sufficient intrigue to get the click and are 100% BELIEVABLE. Then, for heavens sake, have a professional enough looking website at the other end that explains the program in detail. The website also must have contact information, well beyond just an email address. [I personally will not order from any website not willing to tell me who they are and how to get a hold of them other than by email... and neither should you! Heck, even test the phone number first just to be sure.] So, was this persons' ad a fiasco? Yep! Are the ezines to blame for his/her failure? No. Was it the ads fault? Most likely, but even then I give it a no. Is it the advertiser? ... Yep Will this person succeed? Who knows, but it's going to require a lot more effort than he/she sounds willing to put forth. The worst mistake ever propagated on the net was that there is "quick cash!" to be had just for the grabbing. Give me a break... Marketing is hard work. There are very few, if any, true miracles online. Don't let anyone tell you differently. Do advertise on a consistent basis. Do keep your ad out in front of others for the long haul. Do write articles, provide feedback to ezines, join forums, ask and give advice, etc. Make yourself (not just your ad) known to others. Work at it within a budget (fr'ee or otherwise), but work. Then you'll see results. |
