Most folks starting out on the Internet have tried free classified ads sites and they usually get hit by people trying to sell you stuff. Or, they get into the top twenty results in the Search Engines, and a week later drop to number 164.
The Internet, the largest market in human history, has millions of folks in its audience. How do you reach those folks?
EZINE ADVERTIZING The best way of reaching your target audience.
Email newsletters, or 'ezines', are sent out regularly to subscribers, or 'opt-in' lists. Folks who have 'chosen' to receive a newsletter, like the one you're reading right now. You get results when people read the ezines, read your ad, and, if you have matched the ezine with the product you're selling, you have reached your target audience.
Ad swap services offer you access to many other folks who would be interested in swapping ads with you. All you do is sign up with them and they send you emails with names and ads. You then contact these folks, negotiate your best offer, and VIOLA ! Your ad is seen in their ezine.
http://www.partenon.com
http://www.MyWizardAds.com
http://www.Noozles.com
http://www.adsmarket.biz
http://www.Links-For-You.com
"THE" most important rule in ezine advertising "Track Your Ads!". If You place your ad in 5 different ezines and get a hundred responses, how are you going to know which ezines brought you which responce? Or how many they brought you? And, most importantly, which ones were not performing?
But how do you track your ads?
The simplest way to track your ads, is to place a key or a code at the end of your email address. If your ad was in an ezine with the name 'FREEZINE', you might use the following email address with the ad:
mailto:yourname@yourdomain.com?subject=FREEZINE
Then, when you get a reply with 'FREEZINE' in the subject field, you'd know which ezine it came from.
For a URL, same principle:
http://www.yourdomain.com?FREEZINE
However, if you're going to code your URLs, you'll need a sophisticated webstats program to track the coded URLs. Check out this page for some free webstat programs -
http://www.thefreecountry.com/scripthosting/webstatistics.shtml
Another way to code your URLs, for every ezine ad, create a duplicate of your homepage and name the page after the ezine that your ad will appear in. If the ad is appearing in EzineA, the URL you'd place in that ad would be:
http://www.yourdomain.com/EzineA
Again, you'll need to use a good web stats program to track the hits to your coded URLs.
Look at the ads in the ezines you read. Why are they there? Do they get results? How can you find out?
Subscribe to a number of ezines that target your audience. If you see an ad that keeps repeating issue after issue, you can be pretty sure that its getting results and you've found a good ezine to advertise in. (A lot of ezines offer archive issues. Check there for repeat ads.)
How many ads are in the ezine? Are you going to be lost in an ezine farm at the bottom of the newsletter? The big ezines, with 1000's of subscribers, tend to have more ads than their smaller counterparts. Those with 15 or 20 ads per issue, may not give you as much responce as those with fewer ads. Sometimes readers get hardened to the ads and learn to skip them. Smaller ezines, with only a few hundred subscribers, may have a much more targeted audience.
Does the ezine publisher run ads for two similar products in the same issue? Why not go straight to the horse's mouth and find out? A simple email asking that question, if not stated in the ezine, should tell you what you want to know. If your ad is the only one of its kind in that particular issue, it's a pretty good bet it will be much more effective.
Research shows, an ad has to be seen on the Internet about 9 times, before someone acts on it.
"Repeat Your Ads!"
If your budget allows, and believe me, I understand about budgets, but that's a later story, repeat your ad at least three times in a particular ezine. Some ezines offer discount packages for bulk advertising. Ezine advertising is cost effective. A 5-line ad to 3,000 people will cost you between $5 and $20 per issue. and you'll always get back at least the cost of the ad, and usually much more. So, there's very little risk.
Next, "Target Your Audience". Some advertisers don't pay attention to this. As obvious as it may seem. A marketing course dosen't belong in an ezine that deals with gardening. I'll bet you a dime to a doughnut, they won't be interested.
Use the 'subject categories' in the ezine directory you're thinking of advertizing in, that relates to the product you're selling. You can find a list of ezine directories in 'The Free Directory of Ezines' at:
http://www.netmastersolutions.com
The jury is still out on the next item. "Email address vs. URL". Email address's allow you to send a sales letter to the receipient. And, as we explained above, they're much easier to track. URL'S on the other hand, allow the receipient to wander through your web site, if that's your URL, and look at other items that may interest them.
If you offer "FREE" in your ad copy, it just might change your readers mind. Free is always a good persuader.
Short ads are more likely to be read even if you're not using the number of words you're allowed. Sentences will pack much more power if you keep them short too. And remember to tell your reader what your product can do for "them".
Currently there are around 90,000 ezines published each month. Whatever you're selling, there's an ezine that will reach your target audience.
Learn from experience. It's a process of trial and error. Keep placing your ads in those ezines that you know are bringing you a high response rate and you'll have a guaranteed stream of customers.
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All the Best...
jerry durham lonestar enterprises - opportunity to succeed
http://www.freewebs.com/opportunity_to_succeed/
5705 marvin loving dr suite 202
garland, tx 75043
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"OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED NEWSLETTER"
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About the author:
jerry durham has been in business as "OPPORTUNTIY TO
SUCCEED" since the fall of 2003. We offer ideas you need to
start, manage & grow your online business with strategies,
downloads, & articles written by professionals.
mail to:InfoEzineOptnRequest@sendfree.com