I Am NOT an Advertising Guru

I am far from being an advertising guru.  I believe that participating on forums, writing blogs and social networking sites are the best way to promote your network marketing business.  However, I also think that using online ads can reach a very different audience, and those ads may bring you a different group of prospects.  So, I will share some tips I have learned about advertising along the way.

Nearly everyone has heard of craigslist.org, the largest free classified ad site available.  It can be challenging for network marketers to use the site since it discourages MLM ads.  There are thousands of other advertising sites.  Some charge a fee, while many are free to post.  (There are also advertising agencies that you can pay to place your ads, which I will not address here.)  Which ad sites to use is pretty much trial and error for your particular business. 

The first thing you should do is define who your target market is.  If you are advertising a business opportunity, you have a very different market than if you’re advertising a product or service.  Every website has different categories from which to choose, so find one that best fits your type of ad.

Many network marketers write ads that sound good to themselves.  You are not selling the ads to yourself.  Your ads have to work for the people to whom you are selling.  What are their problems, fears and desires? This will help you target your ads.

Next you need a headline that will catch attention.  People will move on to the next ad if the headline doesn’t interest them.  Your headline should arouse curiosity or grab attention.  You can use questions, intrigue, or an announcement.  Some examples could be:  Are You a Motivated Team Leader?  - Are you Tired of Selling Baskets, Lotions and Potions?  - I am building a team of leaders?  Do you qualify?  - Now Offering a FREE Trial! - Announcing New $30 Recruiting Bonus! - Everyone needs this product!  (Readers will wonder what the product is.)

When writing effective ads, write down several headlines, and then pick the one you like the best.  If you use the first one you come up with, odds are it won’t be the best one you could have used.

Write your ad concisely, but truthfully. Don’t exaggerate your business opportunity or your products, but you can use adjectives such as "best," "great," "excellent," and "effective."

According to an article I recently read, it seems the more hoops people have to jump through to get to you, the more serious they will be. The article suggested that you let your copy do the funneling for you, and you will spend less time weeding through people who aren't serious.  The way I interpret this is to NOT include a phone number, for instance. If you include a number, the prospect will just pick up the phone without going to your website and expect you to provide a full presentation.  I only include a website on my ads. 

Another thing I read in that same article is that they recommend that we keep the price out of our copy. The author suggests that you will receive fewer responses if you include the price.  Focus instead on the problem your prospect has that will make them want to contact you to try your product. Create a picture of how it will make their life easier and more enjoyable. Marketing is about solving specific consumer problems.

What are the benefits of your business opportunity or products?  The more specific you are in the ad, the better.  Your ad should make it clear how your target audience is going to benefit from joining your business or purchasing your products.  All the reader wants to know is "what's in it for me?"  Your goal is to make customers feel they "NEED" your product!  If possible, offer something for FREE!  A sample of your product, an e-book or coupon may attract additional prospects.  

Always include a plan of action.  Studies have shown that when people are told what they need to do in an ad, they are more likely to do it than if you just leave it up to them.  You can put something as simple as writing, “Click Here”

I have written ads for my Xpress Healthcare business that bring no responses whatsoever, and I have posted ads that drove many people to my websites.  I change my ads frequently, always testing new and different ads to see which are the most effective.  There is really only one way to be certain that you have a good ad.  Run an ad for a week, then change the headline and run that one for a week, and see which does better.  Then change the body and let that run for a week.  There is no way to know exactly how well your ad will do until you test it.

To learn more about Julie Klein and Xpress Healthcare, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com