How Effective Are Your Ads?

Do you read classifieds ads? I do because I run an advertising ezine and I can tell you it's an education at times. Ads are the first impression the unsuspecting public gets of you and your business. They are "make or break", so do yours shape up? Let's take a hard-hitting look -- names omitted to protect the guilty!

Frightening Realities

One of the most frightening things -- and, I admit, amusing for me -- was when I ran a spoof ad contest a few months ago. I wrote the spoofs and I thought they were as obvious as the day's long.

Various stuff like ...

I GET PAID when I go to the BATHROOM! Do You??? Guaranteed amazing home-business plan! Works in your smallest room! Very convenient. No Smelling!! Queue here: http://regurgitate-it.com

As one reader wrote, "If this ISN'T it, WE're IN TROUBLE!!!"

<< sidenote >>

If you like this kind of thing, you really should subscribe to Wild Bill's CRAZY ADS - published every Monday, God Willing! To subscribe go to: http://www.MakingProfit.com/newsletters

<< end sidenote >>

Well, we were in trouble! Something I really didn't expect was that people sent in some WRONG answers. That is, they mistook real ads as being works of comedy. Now you can titter, but ...

It's FREE and it WORKS.

Deposit $25 to $50,000. Expected payout: Each $25 deposit will pay out $51,200.00

Here's A Switch - The COMPANY Works For YOU!

FREE $19.95 for anyone who can't make 2 sales in 24 hours!

Retire Early !!

... are all excerpts from just a few of the ads that someone judged to be bogus when they were in fact, perfectly real.

Apply the Hype-O-Meter Test

Clearly, there are people who have caught on to the rule "if it sounds too good to be true, it is", but many more have not.

Whilst the word FREE isn't hype, it's far too overdone. Nothing is really free anyway, because at the very least it costs you your time to check it out. Free is very often better defined as "included in the price". By all means use free offers to get traffic, but watch how you use it and be truthful from the start if there is a condition attached.

Sadly though, there are too many people being suckered into believing the unreal stuff floating around on the net. Do you really, honestly think that you can make a living giving things away, doing nothing, selling nothing?

You won't as many of the recent failures of programs using this model attest. There's a new one born every week and people sign up to promote them in their droves. All WANTING to believe that this will be their ticket on the Internet's Magic Carpet Ride.

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat ...

Whilst it's true that once you find an ad that works you should keep advertising it, what won't work is repeating the same ads as everyone else. All you are doing is spending time -- your time and that is NOT free even if the ads were.

I analysed the ads in a recent issue, which was pretty representative of the norm and what you'll see everywhere. From 20 classified ads, 10 -- that's a whole 50% -- were for "well- known" programs using their familiar URLs, many of which were duplicated back-to-back like sardines in a can in the same issue and contained similar if not identical wordings.

Come on, how effective is that?

Many of these programs are questionable to begin with, but even if they are genuine you are NOT going to get sufficient responses from those ads to make it worth your while. You have to do something individual and unique to make any real money, anywhere. That's always been true and still is, even on the 'net.

Real Hype

Of the rest, one was for a well-known scam or at least something which has been uncovered as a plan that does not work and which uses questionable methods. Check things out before you promote them. You may be acting in good faith, you may have been fooled and I appreciate that it is difficult to admit that, but you will be judged on it so it MATTERS.

Claims of specific returns, unless you are referring to realistic amounts you can prove that you made, are a another matter. The "promises" are almost guaranteed to be hype. Don't touch them with a long pole and don't make this mistake in your ads. Don't copy the ads that make these claims, which came with the program, unless you are personally making income in the required number of digits by using it. We won't believe you otherwise.

The Smart Ads

That left nine of our original 20. What were the smart ones? Several were for ezines. Now that's smart. Advertise "outside" to get subscribers, then you have the chance to develop trust and rapport with your subscribers. They will be more likely to join your programs or buy your stuff than anyone you "cold-call".

Only ONE ad was for something (non-ezine) that was totally unique, theirs, their own experience and recommendation, using their own domain URL, properly "keyed" for tracking. I bet I know who will have got the most clicks from that issue.

One out of 20 is 5% -- fix that percentage in your mind.

You will probably have read that only 5% of people (on the Internet or anywhere) will make real money. Now you can see who it will most likely be and why. Think about it and apply it if you want to be part of that percentage. Do your own unique thing and your ads will be unique.

When they are they will be effective.

About the author: Pamela Heywood publishes Ezine Advertising Classifieds Zine An ezine ABOUT ezine advertising that shows you how to get the best results from this highly cost-effective advertising media. Visit: http://www.tucats-design.com/eacz/ Subscribe mailto:eacz-subscribe@auto.pipelinemail.com