Demystifying the Mysteries of Advertising

What’s the best type of advertising? What advertising works best? Where is the best place to advertise? Does advertising work? These are just a few of the questions we hear quite often about advertising. There is so many factors to be considered that there is no clear cut answer for everyone. What we can do though, is tell you a bit about advertising and what to look for to make an educated choice.

First of all, yes, advertising does work. However, just as anything else, it needs to be done correctly. You need to research available opportunities, contact website/ezine owners and find your target group.

Next, let’s take a look at a few different types of ads….

--> Banner/Button Ads – This is probably you next least effective form of advertising available.

--> Text Ads – When having the option between graphic or text…text is always the best way to go.

--> Directory Listings – Some of the best advertising available online would be getting listed in directories.

--> Ezine/Newsletter Ads – Most ezine publishers allow only a 4-5 line ad with a link in "sponsor" spaces, and vary for solo ads. These types of ads can also get more ‘bang for your buck’. The best ezines/newsletters to advertise in would be those that are archived.

Another thing to keep in mind is the focus of your ad. What exactly is it that you’re aiming for? Are you looking for sales or are you looking to recruit? Hint: Don’t do both in the same ad. Focus on one thing at a time per ad. What to Know…Don’t be afraid to contact the website owner or newsletter publisher and ask questions about the publication you’re interested in.

--> How many visitors does their website receive? (NOT Hits!)
--> What pages are the most popular?
--> What is their target group?
--> How many subscribers does their ezine/newsletter have?
--> Is their newsletter/ezine archived?

Be sure to remember to always TRACK your ads. If you don’t have a tracking system in place how are you possibly going to know if it worked or not? Another hint to keep in mind is to repeat ads. Studies have shown that most customers don’t purchase the first time they see an ad. Create yourself a brand to be known by and use it over and over again. And lastly test, test and test some more. Find out what works, what doesn’t and tweak it till it does work.

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About the Authors: Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank are two busy wahms, and the owners of Direct Sales Helpers. Learn how you can be successful in your company by visiting: www.DirectSalesHelpers.com
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Note to authors: The above article may be reprinted in your publication as long as the bio is kept intact and links are not altered. Please send a courtesty copy to mommyshelperonline@yahoo.com