By Mark Smith
Classified advertising can be one of the most effective and inexpensive methods of promoting your business opportunity--if you do it right. However, if you do it wrong, you may as well flush your advertising dollars down the toilet.
If you decide to use classified ads to promote your business, keep the following points in mind.
1. Don't Ask for Money or Stamps--This is your time to give something, not get something. The biggest mistake advertisers make is trying to pull in cash from the classified ad itself. Theories on this abound, but I'm here to tell you from my own experience, it's not the way to go.
I've seen countless ads trying to pull five dollars and up from a tiny classified space. But you can't supply enough information in a classified ad to close the sale. And experienced advertisers know this. There's also a good reason why I never, never ask for stamps or a self-addressed, stamped envelope. It can drastically reduce your response rate.
2. Use the Word "FREE" in Your Ad--It's the most powerful, attention-grabbing word you can use. If you can't afford to send out free information about your business, you should consider getting out of this business.
3. Keep your Ad Short and Powerful--People who read classified ads usually skim over the page quickly and won't waste their time reading the longer ads. You need to grab their attention and give them a reason to request your free information.
Of course, you can run a longer ad, but the tiny sum of money you gain may be lost in additional word count costs. It's just not worth it.
4. Use Classified Ads to Create a Fresh Mailing List--You should aim at pulling the maximum number of inquiries per ad. And again, the key is to offer FREE information to your prospect. You just can't beat that word. Follow up immediately with your sales literature.
5. Choose Publications Wisely--Make sure they are geared for your type of offer. In addition, be sure to compare the word count cost of the ad to the actual circulation of the publication.
6. Test, Test, TEST--Run several test ads in publications whose readership is geared toward your product. Use common sense and never risk more money then you can comfortably afford to lose on your ad campaign.
As you begin your campaign, remember that, even if you were giving away hundred dollar bills, not everyone will take you up on your offer. That's a fact. And since you'll normally only close a small percentage of your sales, it's important to work for the maximum numbers of inquiries per ad. Good luck.
Mark Smith, B.A., M.S.M., is the country's largest distributor with a well-known MLM company. His personal success and phenomenal downline growth is attributed to the remarkable upline support system he has developed. Mark's proven training materials teach "real people" how to sponsor more qualified distributors in a week than they've ever been able to sponsor in a year. Mark is offering Dream Merchant readers FREE samples of his monthly Distributor Strategy newsletter. Write to Mark Smith, 1112 Baxter Ln., Freeport, IL 61032.
