‘How To Fix A Broken Ad’- Charlie Page’s Latest Article

Charlie Page’s latest ‘Real World Tactics eZine’ article titled “How To Fix A Broken Ad” is reprinted here. [Article Reprint]

Charlie Page’s latest ‘Real World Tactics eZine’ article is reprinted here.

How To Fix A Broken Ad

Have you ever placed an ad online and been disappointed with the results? I think most of us have. It’s very frustrating when it happens! After all, we worked hard to place that ad, spending either time or money (sometimes both!) in order to find new people for the product or program we are currently promoting. And we want results.

When ads fail to achieve the results we want, we can sometimes be quick to blame the source of the ad (that darned Google!) or think that the quality of the ad is to blame (I’m no writer!).

Often we are left scratching our heads, not knowing what went wrong, wanting desperately to do better next time but not sure how to fix our broken ad.

I know it is frustrating because I have been there too. But the good news is that there are some things you can do to discover why your ad did not work, and steps you can take to fix your broken ad.

First, let me be clear that the information below applies to pay per click, ezine ads, all emailed ads such as joint venture letters, and any other ad you place online.

By using the tips below you should be able to figure out why your ad failed, and take steps to make the ad work the next time.

PROBLEM 1 – OVER PROMOTED PROGRAMS

There is an interesting phenomenon on the Internet. I often refer to it as “tulipmania” – a time in the 1600s when a handful of tulips (yes, the flower) sold for today’s equivalent of about $40,000. How could this be? It was because people forgot logic and went for the quick buck.

And the same thing is happening today. Now, to be clear, I am not saying that it is wrong or crazy to jump into today’s hottest programs. They can work, and sometimes do.

But I am saying that thinking anyone else is going to build your business for you, and that placing one or two simple ads is going to create thousands of dollars a day in income for your family, or rescue you from bankruptcy, is short sighted at best.

So, how do people make money in these popular programs? While there are many reasons, such as getting in early or already having a big mailing list, when it comes to ads there seems to be two common denominators for success.

First, use your own ad. Your ad should be unique, not the ad that the program supplies you. The reason is simple – the ads the program supplies are going to be used by everyone who joins the program and has too little time to be creative.

They are simply going to copy those ads and put them everywhere they possibly can. Considering how many people do this, and how many venues there are for placing ads, the bottom line is going to be a form of ad saturation that will kill your results.

Second, you can’t expect to place one or two ads and see results. Sure, this sometimes happens, but not often. It simply takes a level of repetition for ads to work.

Like you, most people don’t buy the first thing they see or invest hundreds (or thousands) of dollars the first time they consider a new program. So you’re going to have to place ads over a period of time and use a few select venues.

Placing ads in many places one time will not work. Placing ads in a few quality resources over and over again, while testing results, will work.

PROBLEM 2 – ADS WITHOUT ANY SIZZLE

This one is common, and all too understandable. Good people read articles like this one that say “you must use a unique ad” and then try to write their own. Like most things in life, no one can write ads well the first time around. So they end up sending out weak ads.I’m not sure who said it first (I think it was Elmer Wheeler) but you simply must “sell the sizzle, not the steak”.

What does that mean? It means your ad must be exciting. It means your ad must speak about benefits, about how what you are offering can change someone’s life. It means your ad must be infused with enthusiasm without being hyped up.

Of course, this is easier said than done. But let me share a tip to help. Ready? Start a file on your computer of your favorite ads. The ad that moved you to join the business you are in now is a great starting point.

Once you have a few ads collected, begin to emulate the style of that ad. Of course, never copy an ad entirely, and always respect the rights of others.

If you do this you will soon have a file full of ads that moved you, and a set of ads that will help you learn to write a killer ad!

PROBLEM 3 – A WEAK HEADLINE

In every book I’ve written about Internet marketing I have included the idea that the headline is an ad for what follows. It’s true when writing a short pay per click ad, and it’s true when writing a long sales letter.

The bottom line here is simple – headlines matter. A lot. That is why you must spend time fashioning a headline that grabs attention.

The headline has one purpose, to convince the reader in a visceral and immediate way that he or she needs to read what follows.

Problem 4 – Giving away too much information

Some ads fail because they tell too much of the story. It is very easy to forget the reason for advertising. On the Web, the ad has one purpose – to sell the click to your website. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less.

The only goal is to get the reader to click the link in the ad and go to the website you are promoting. From there, the site does the selling.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I’ve heard some say “my ad failed” because they did not make sales. If an ad you place gets clicks it has done its job. If no sales occur, but you do get clicks from the ad, then the website is to blame, not the ad.

Remember when writing or fixing an ad that you want to tease the reader to click the link. You want to be 100% honest and tell the facts, but there is no obligation to tell the whole story. The ad is the appetizer – the website is the meal.

Here’s a tip to help you write or fix your ad. Make a list of the benefits of your product (saves time, saves money, makes you look younger, better sleep, etc) and use those statements within your ad. You will be surprised at how well simply listing benefits can work as the starting point of an ad.

No one should have to waste time and money placing ads that don’t work. If you use the tips above to fix your broken ad, and if you track carefully the results of the ads you place, you will soon find that your ads bring in much more than you expected. And that is a beautiful thing indeed!

About the Author

Charlie Page helps people succeed in their Internet businesses. Visit Charlie at http://www.RealWorldTactics.com

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*IMNewswatch would like to thank Charlie Page for granting permission to reprint this latest article.