Business Tips - Advertising

Business Advertising Tips 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.

2. URL's 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 it 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 Address Likewise, in order to be "clickable" in all email programs, it is advisable to add mailto: at the beginning of email addresses. Make it really 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 own AD's 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! Can't write ads? Spend some time learning, practicing, honing: this is probably THE best investment of your time that you can make. 5. Don't try to sell in your AD This has got to be one of the top mistakes that people make in ads. An ad that is too long, trying to get the sale on the first attempt is 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.