The Classified Club Newsletter

T H E  C L A S S I F I E D  U P D A T E
December 20, 2000  Volume 1  Issue 15  20,688 Subscribers

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  1. EDITORIAL: the #1 online marketing tool in the world!
    -- by Joe Bellshaw
  2. NET FACTS
  3. GUEST ARTICLE: How to create successful advertising copy
    -- by Bob Leduc
  4. NEW TOOL OF THE MONTH
  5. THE CLASSIFIEDS

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1. EDITORIAL: the #1 online marketing tool in the world! -- by Joe Bellshaw

It seems everyday I run into a new marketing or promotion tool. This guy claims this, that guy claims that--so what's one to do?

How can you make sense of it all? Which tools work and which one's don't? Who will give me an honest answer here and tell me which tool I can use that will guarantee my success?

The answer:

There is no tool on the face of the earth that can guarantee your success. How could they? Do they know you? Do they know what your selling? Do they know if your prices are good, bad or otherwise?

It simply cannot be done! Too many variables are involved which will ultimatly determine our success.

All too often, I hear the same thing. "I just bought your wammo bammo submission tool and posted my ad on 10 billion web sites, how come I didn't get any orders?

If this sounds like you, then listen up...

Sure their are 1000's of web tools online today, each one of them are typically developed to help you get your message out to the masses, and ultimatly drive traffic to your site.

Some tools are senseless--even useless, some are quite effective, but in the end there are way too many factors involved which will ultimatly determine your success--or failure.

There is only 1 tool that each of us can completely rely on. Which tool is that you say?

What's the most magical amazing tool in the world?

YOU.

Yes, you! You are ultimatley going to make that tool work--or not. Remember, these are just tools. They can't think, they can't react, they can't write your web copy, and they certainly can't make people buy your products or services.

While many of these tools can make your life a heck of a lot easier--they must be applied. They must be used, and most of all, you must understand how they work. If you're not sure how they work, use the power of the internet--look it up!

So the next time you see that killer app, ask yourself:

- Can I make this work?
- Does it apply to what I am doing?
- Can I learn something here?
- Do I know what I'm doing in this area?
- Do I understand the process of how this works?

These are the questions only YOU can answer. Only YOU can decide if YOU can successfully apply any particular tool to your business, your site, your market.

Wow, that's a lot of "you's"!

Think about it, there is no one else who knows your product better than you. No one else will work as hard as you. And of course the infamous "There's no better way to get things done, than to do it yourself".

Knowing that there is no magic button to press that will send thousands of vistors to your site is a "must know", for any new internet marketer. This just doesn't exist.

Knowing that no one can guarantee your success by buying some software, a product, or a service.

Knowing that only you have the ability to use, understand, and apply that product to your business.

Don't get me wrong here, tools are great, I use at least 10 of them everyday. But I also understand the limitations, what to expect from them, and how each one of them works. It's easy to blame others and say "that tool stinks!", or "I used such and such and didn't get one order", that's the easy way out.

The clever way, the smarter way, is too look at the big picture. If you ever tried a tool that "didn't work", ask yourself:

  • Did I use this tool properly?
  • Perhaps my ad or headline was bad
  • Did I test my ads, or did I try it once and give up?
  • Did I fully understand what it does, and how to use it?
  • Do I understand the process?

One of favorite remarks from some of our classified club members is:

"Hey, what's going on! I just submitted my site to the search engines
last nite, but I couldn't find my site! What gives?!?,
Is this a scam?"

For those of you in the know, you already know that search engines can take month's before they actually list your site, even thou you submitted it 3 months ago...

To the newbie, who doesn't understand the submission process, this can be very frustrating. The newbie thinks like this...

"Hey, I just submitted my website, now I can go find it in all the search engines, right?"

Wrong. While the process of submitting to search engines may only take 10 minutes, the time it takes for the search engines to actually "add your site" to their database can take months. While this is just one example of understanding "the process", having this knowledge alone could be the difference between giving up and walking away, or waiting patiently, get listed, and get traffic.

This points back to the question, do you uderstand the process?

With dozens of ways to market a product or service online, understanding the process for each of these marketing methods will be essential to your success. Without some initial investment in simply educating yourself, you will be lost in the dark.

Everything will seem unclear, and nothing will seem to work. In the marketing game, knowledge is power. The internet is an abundant source of information--use it!

You are the #1 online marketing tool.

2. NET FACTS:

Net Facts
  • There's a 65 percent increase in the number of people who are
    shopping online over those that shopped online last year.
  • Over 18 Billion was spent on Classified Advertising in 1999,
    more than any other form of media including TV, Radio, and Print.
  • According to a Netcraft Web Survey (December 2000) there are
    25,675,581 web sites online. http://www.netcraft.com
  • Holiday e-sales expected to double, Gartner Interactive says
    nearly $20 billion will be spent online during the 2000 holiday
    season.
    http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2625503,00.html
  • By 2005, 68% of online users will be outside of North America
    http://www.commerce.net/research/stats/

HOW TO CREATE SUCCESSFUL ADVERTISING COPY -- By Bob Leduc

Writing effective copy for ads, web pages, sales letters and other marketing communications isn't difficult when you know what works. After many years of trial and error I developed a checklist of 7 "rules" I follow to create successful advertising copy. These rules apply to writing copy for any type of marketing communication.

1. DEFINE THE GOAL OF YOUR MESSAGE

Define what you want your message to accomplish before you
begin writing. Do you want to generate inquiries (leads)? Do
you want to get orders? What action do you want readers to
take? How do you want them to respond? Put your goal in
writing and refer to it often as you develop your message.
Everything you write should directly support this goal. Get
rid of anything that doesn't.

2. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE AND WHAT THEY WANT

Maybe everybody CAN use what you sell. But one targeted
group WILL be most likely to buy it. You can discover that
group by defining the characteristics of your best
customers. Once you know your audience and what they want
you can personalize your writing to appeal to their specific
interests.

TIP: Advertising copy produces the biggest response when
each reader can believe the message was written specifically
for them. As you write, visualize you're writing to one
person instead of to a large group of people. This will help
you write in a less formal and more personal style.

3. APPEAL TO THEIR SELF-INTEREST, NOT YOURS

Customers don't care about you, your product, your company,
or your professional qualifications. They only care about
the benefit they get from buying your product or service.
The only thing a customer wants to know about your 1/2 inch
drill is that it's guaranteed to give them a 1/2 inch hole.
Keep your ad copy focused on the benefits you provide.

4. MAKE AN EMOTIONAL APPEAL, NOT A LOGICAL ONE

Your ad copy should dramatize the feeling your customers get
while enjoying the benefits provided by your product or
service. Get them emotionally involved so they want to start
enjoying those benefits immediately. Use word pictures and
real life stories to draw readers into your message.

5. DON'T GIVE THEM ANY CHOICES

You may spend a lot of time writing your sales message and
getting it "just right". Unfortunately, your prospects will
rush through it and make a fast decision. Don't slow them
down with any choices. They'll be afraid of making the wrong
choice and will protect themselves by making none. You'll
lose sales.

EXCEPTION: Offer many different ways to respond to your ad
or sales message. Customers already know whether phone, fax,
online, etc. is more convenient for them. They're more
likely to act immediately when their favorite way to respond
is available.

6. MAKE YOUR BEST OFFER

The offer is the "deal" you're promoting (free information,
special price, free bonus with order, etc.). It's the only
reason people respond to your advertising copy. The stronger
your offer the greater the response you'll get. Always
include the best offer you can afford and a reason to act
fast.

7. SIMPLIFY EVERYTHING

Simple, clear copy is easy to read and understand. It
propels your customer to the decision point with no
hesitation. After you've written your copy, edit it for
simplicity and clarity. Use lots of 1 and 2 syllable words.
Shorten sentences and paragraphs. This is especially
important for your web site where relief is just a click
away.

Follow these 7 rules the next time you write new advertising copy. Use them as a checklist to evaluate your existing ads, web pages and sales letters. They're a proven formula you can use to maximize the response you get from all your marketing communications.

About the author...

Bob Leduc retired from a 30 year career of recruiting sales personnel and developing sales leads. He is now a Sales Consultant. Bob recently wrote a manual for small business owners titled "How to Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards" and several other publications to help small businesses grow and prosper. For more information...

Email: BobLeduc@aol.com Subject: "Postcards".
Phone: (702) 658-1707 (After 10 AM Pacific time)
Or write: Bob Leduc, PO Box 33628, Las Vegas, NV 89133

 


 
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So if your tired of:
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The C L A S S I F I E D S
 

The Classifieds


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  What's N E W ?

Whats new at the Classified Club

Wow... what a month. If you haven't logged into the members site this month, here's what's waiting for you:
 
 
$1500 in free ezine ads! Would you like $1500.00 in FREE ezine advertising? Try this... our newest compilation is a directory of ezine publications that accept FREE ads. We just finished adding 50 free ezines that are now accepting FREE ads, and over 100 more are being added right now. Preview the newest addition to the classified club's member site, the FREE AD ezine directory!
 
 
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Message Boards are HOT! We just added over 700 of them that allow free ads!
 
 
 
 
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Just added this one, and it's sure to turn some heads. It's called 2x NetSpeed and can actually double your internet speed--for free! Tired of your slow connection speed? Grab 2xNetSpeed today...
As a member of the OCC, you have complete reseller rights. Offer 2XNetSpeed as a give away with your own products and watch your orders skyrocket!
 
 
Log into the members area now!
 
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We'll folks, that's it for this issue. As always... I truly appreciate your support. If you found this issue
informative, please take a moment and forward it to a friend or two.
 
Have a great Holiday, and a Happy New Year!
 
Sincerely,
Joe Bellshaw, Editor
The Classified Update
 

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