by Pamela Heywood

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!!!"

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 is a former accountant and journalist, with a
career spanning over 20 years and two countries. Publishing
successfully online since 1999, she was recently interviewed
by Top UK Broadcaster, Peter Twist, for "21st Century
Internet Experts". For daily expert advice in making your
small business a SUCCESS: mailto:tucats.resbox@aweber.com

Copyright 2002 Pamela Heywood. All rights reserved.