y: Radhika Venkata
When you start your online business, you will go through a series of steps like:
==>Domain registration
==>Website designing and installing your inventory and order links
==>Advertising about your products or service
Regarding advertising, you should always target your audience.When you are selling garden tools in Miami, you will get better results with offline advertising and Joint Ventures with other websites that are focused on Gardening and pointing to Miami area.
After Advertising, one important step is 'TESTING' your advertising campaign.
Why?
Look at this example.You spent $50 on keeping an ad on some famous site or a email campaign.Let's say this is one time ad.
If you don't know how many people clicked on your URL or how many people bought your product coming through that link, how are you going to spend another $50 on the same advertising method?
Rather than Click thrus you can go one step further and calculate the number of sales per one advertising method.
Here are few methods you can use to track your results.
**1.Email Tracking:
If you have ezine and you are keeping your subscription email links in different places like other ezines, websites and ebooks, you can give a little code to your email address.
Like this-
subscribe@yourdomain.com?subject=ezine
subscribe@yourdomain.com?subject=ebook
First one in ezines and second one in your ebook.That little code goes in to subject area of emails.
By seeing your emails you can know from where you are getting more response.
**2.URL Tracking:
There are different ways to track your URLs.
You can keep your URL with a little code similar to emails.
www.yourdomain.com/product.html?source=ebook
You can also upload a different page for your each ad campaign.See the example below.
You have a page like- www.yourdomain.com/product.html
Then you can upoload the same page with different URL like- www.yourdomain.com/prod.html
So the visitors that comes to that page can be seen in your weblogs.If you have a good logging software you can save all the visitors information for that particular page.Check this weblogger-
http://www.logitpro.com/
http://perlonline.com/
This weblogger tells you exactly how many hits are taking by one webpage and referers.
So you can see how many hits are coming to your '/prod.html' page and referers.
**3.Click Tracking Software:
Click tracking script is a cgi script that gives you information about a click. The click may be on your website, emails, ezines, banners or anything.
If the click tracking script tells you the number of clicks it is not going to be useful to you. Because you can't differentiate the people buying through your campaign links or your regular links.
So what a Click tracking script should tell you?
1. Tell the number of clicks to tell the click thru ratio:
By this you can optimize your ads. If a specified ad get low click thrus you can change the optimize it.
2. Tell the ip address of the visitor.
By this you can know which ad bringing you the sales. If a particular ip clicking on a specific link buys your product you can know that ad campaign's ROI.
3. Tells the geographical distribution of the clicks.
This is useful when you want to know how many clicks coming from different countries. Like if you see 'jp' with ip address, you can know the visitor from Japan. But this is not possible in all cases.
http://www.scripts4webmasters.com/clicktracking/index.shtml
This is a FREE Click tracking script that gives you all needed information. It comes with easy admin panel.
IMPORTANT TIPS IN TESTING YOUR ADs:
==>If you think your URL is 'Alive', don't delete that page on your server.
If you keep an ad in your ezine articles and submit to other ezines, your articles will be spread all over the net after a while.If you delete that URL on your server people will get '404 page not found' error and you will lose your potential visitor.
==>In email campaigns consider short URLs.Long URLs will break up in to two lines and the reader can not click on it to get your desired page.
==>Test ONE VARIABLE at a time.Suppose you want to check the response and sales rate for two different types of sales letter and by giving free gifts with your product. Don't test both at once. First check the sales page variable.If you don't get good response then go to free gifts variable.
If you get good response to one of the sales pages, then use the free gifts method in different advertising campaign.
Good luck!!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
10 Ezine Advertising Strategies For Starters
y: Diane Hughes
Copyright 2005 Diane Hughes
If you're like most ezine advertisers you wish to generate FAST Sales by sending your message in front of thousands ezine subscribers.
Some spend hundreds in ezine advertising hoping to generate a BIG profit... but it ends up costing them more than they earn.
Yes, ezine advertising works, but if you really want to WIN the ezine advertising GAME you must take in consideration the strategies below:
1. What do you plan to advertise?
e.g. an affiliate product, your own product, a course by e-mail, an ebook, etc.
You must know exactly what you want to promote in other ezines before advertising in them; ask yourself these questions:
Is the product related to your target audience?
Is the product valuable?
Does the seller offer a money-back guarantee?
Does the Web Site make you want to purchase the product yourself?
Does the Web Sales Letter convert into Sales?
2. Who is your target audience?
The product you plan to promote in other ezines must be related to a certain niche (target audience) so don't make the mistake to think that everyone needs or wants what you promote.
e.g. if your product is related to dog lovers, don't advertise in ezines related to cat lovers because you won't make any sales.
3. Where to find the 'BEST' ezine to advertise in?
The 'BEST' ezine to promote a product in is the one targeted to your audience.
The more specific your target audience and the ezine TOPIC, the more sales you could receive.
Also, the 'BEST' ezine to advertise in is the one where the publisher has already built TRUST with his/her subscribers and they purchase regularly from their recommendations.
Ezine Advertising List
http://www.probiztrack.com/go/p.cgi/ezines
4. What's your BUDGET?
If you only afford $300 to spend on ezine advertising, you don't want to spend it all on one ezine. Try to invest your money wisely, step-by-step.
Have you seen a publisher claiming their ezine has 90,000+ subscribers and they sell advertising for $25 - $50 or so?
If these offers sound too good to be true, maybe it is!
5. How many subscribers does the ezine have?
Numbers don't count, the quality of the ezine CONTENT itself is what makes the difference; if a publisher sends too many ads to their subscribers, I suppose you imagine there are not too happy seeing all those ads.
The more CONTENT and less advertising an ezine has, the better RESULTS you could receive from your advertising.
6. Who wrote your Ad Copy?
You know exactly the 'BEST' ezine to advertise in, how much you want to spend on advertising, but your ad copy is weak ... try to improve it yourself or ask a copywriter to rewrite it.
How to make your Ad Copy bring in GREAT results?
- write an eye-catching headline or no one will read your WHOLE ad copy;
- use powerful / action words in your headline & ad copy like 'INSTANT', 'FREE', 'GET', 'CASH', 'UNLIMITED', 'TURN', 'BOOST', 'CREATE', etc.
- write your ad copy to promote a FREE offer like a FREE course by e-mail, a FREE ebook or a FREE sample of a product.
7. Don't want to track your Ad?
Why not? How will you know that the ezine you advertised in is profitable or not?
Most advertisers don't track their ads. Just look in other ezines and you'll see their regular Web Site link, no tracking URL available.
A tracking URL will show you how many clicks your ad receives and how many sales it makes from those clicks.
http://www.probiztrack.com
8. Don't want to use autoresponders in your Ad Copy?
Autoresponders are one of the SMARTEST internet marketing tools simply because they allow you to follow-up with your leads and send out more promotional offers automatically. You only write your messages once and then put them on the autoresponder sequences to be delivered at pre-determined intervals like 1, 2 or more days. You can even use autoresponders to build your own mailing lists of leads and customers.
Instead of sending prospects to your main Web Site page, direct them to a Web Page where they can GET a FREE course by e-mail. Use this course to educate them and build a relationship with them, gain their trust.
9. Want to play with 'SPAM'?
Don't do it if you are SMART. Search on your favorite search engine for "spam laws + email marketing" and you'll get a picture of what 'SPAM' is and how you can protect yourself!
Make sure you read about the CAN-Spam law if you want to know how to legally send commercial emails.
Also, don't forget about the FTC laws on e-mail marketing!
10. What ads are 'BEST'?
If you want to sell something directly from your ad, try Solo Mailings (one e-mail sent to all subscribers with no other ads in competition!)
If you want to TEST your ad or want to promote a FREE offer, try Classified, Top Sponsor or Bottom Ads.
They are much cheaper than Solos and could bring 'POOR' results.
If you invest in Solo Ads, make sure your ad copy is short and to the point, don't bore your prospect with long ad copy.
About the Author
Diane C. Hughes * ProBizTips.com
Copyright 2005 Diane Hughes
If you're like most ezine advertisers you wish to generate FAST Sales by sending your message in front of thousands ezine subscribers.
Some spend hundreds in ezine advertising hoping to generate a BIG profit... but it ends up costing them more than they earn.
Yes, ezine advertising works, but if you really want to WIN the ezine advertising GAME you must take in consideration the strategies below:
1. What do you plan to advertise?
e.g. an affiliate product, your own product, a course by e-mail, an ebook, etc.
You must know exactly what you want to promote in other ezines before advertising in them; ask yourself these questions:
Is the product related to your target audience?
Is the product valuable?
Does the seller offer a money-back guarantee?
Does the Web Site make you want to purchase the product yourself?
Does the Web Sales Letter convert into Sales?
2. Who is your target audience?
The product you plan to promote in other ezines must be related to a certain niche (target audience) so don't make the mistake to think that everyone needs or wants what you promote.
e.g. if your product is related to dog lovers, don't advertise in ezines related to cat lovers because you won't make any sales.
3. Where to find the 'BEST' ezine to advertise in?
The 'BEST' ezine to promote a product in is the one targeted to your audience.
The more specific your target audience and the ezine TOPIC, the more sales you could receive.
Also, the 'BEST' ezine to advertise in is the one where the publisher has already built TRUST with his/her subscribers and they purchase regularly from their recommendations.
Ezine Advertising List
http://www.probiztrack.com/go/p.cgi/ezines
4. What's your BUDGET?
If you only afford $300 to spend on ezine advertising, you don't want to spend it all on one ezine. Try to invest your money wisely, step-by-step.
Have you seen a publisher claiming their ezine has 90,000+ subscribers and they sell advertising for $25 - $50 or so?
If these offers sound too good to be true, maybe it is!
5. How many subscribers does the ezine have?
Numbers don't count, the quality of the ezine CONTENT itself is what makes the difference; if a publisher sends too many ads to their subscribers, I suppose you imagine there are not too happy seeing all those ads.
The more CONTENT and less advertising an ezine has, the better RESULTS you could receive from your advertising.
6. Who wrote your Ad Copy?
You know exactly the 'BEST' ezine to advertise in, how much you want to spend on advertising, but your ad copy is weak ... try to improve it yourself or ask a copywriter to rewrite it.
How to make your Ad Copy bring in GREAT results?
- write an eye-catching headline or no one will read your WHOLE ad copy;
- use powerful / action words in your headline & ad copy like 'INSTANT', 'FREE', 'GET', 'CASH', 'UNLIMITED', 'TURN', 'BOOST', 'CREATE', etc.
- write your ad copy to promote a FREE offer like a FREE course by e-mail, a FREE ebook or a FREE sample of a product.
7. Don't want to track your Ad?
Why not? How will you know that the ezine you advertised in is profitable or not?
Most advertisers don't track their ads. Just look in other ezines and you'll see their regular Web Site link, no tracking URL available.
A tracking URL will show you how many clicks your ad receives and how many sales it makes from those clicks.
http://www.probiztrack.com
8. Don't want to use autoresponders in your Ad Copy?
Autoresponders are one of the SMARTEST internet marketing tools simply because they allow you to follow-up with your leads and send out more promotional offers automatically. You only write your messages once and then put them on the autoresponder sequences to be delivered at pre-determined intervals like 1, 2 or more days. You can even use autoresponders to build your own mailing lists of leads and customers.
Instead of sending prospects to your main Web Site page, direct them to a Web Page where they can GET a FREE course by e-mail. Use this course to educate them and build a relationship with them, gain their trust.
9. Want to play with 'SPAM'?
Don't do it if you are SMART. Search on your favorite search engine for "spam laws + email marketing" and you'll get a picture of what 'SPAM' is and how you can protect yourself!
Make sure you read about the CAN-Spam law if you want to know how to legally send commercial emails.
Also, don't forget about the FTC laws on e-mail marketing!
10. What ads are 'BEST'?
If you want to sell something directly from your ad, try Solo Mailings (one e-mail sent to all subscribers with no other ads in competition!)
If you want to TEST your ad or want to promote a FREE offer, try Classified, Top Sponsor or Bottom Ads.
They are much cheaper than Solos and could bring 'POOR' results.
If you invest in Solo Ads, make sure your ad copy is short and to the point, don't bore your prospect with long ad copy.
About the Author
Diane C. Hughes * ProBizTips.com
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