by Jerry Robkoff

Created on: October 09, 2008   Last Updated: April 13, 2012

Internet advertising and Internet marketing are in full bloom, with the free advertising leading the way by leaps and bounds. No matter where you go on the net, you see ads that bombard you to call now, buy now, read now, see now, etc now. How does one compete with this explosion of advertising noise? More importantly: How do you make your voice heard in this tremendous cacophony?

The solution is very simple, if you follow some very basic rules and guidelines for effective Internet advertising.

The first rule is focusing your campaign. Being too scattered creates less control and even less results. Many Internet entrepreneurs are involved in some form of team marketing, or perhaps looking to recruit and/or sell some kind of product. One of the most powerful forms of advertising is the classified ad. Examples of very high traffic websites are craigslist.com and backpage, com. These two websites, alone, see millions of visitors every month. You would be crazy not to utilize them as a resource.

Once you have decided where to advertise, the next step is: How. Simply remember that age old sales mantra called: KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). How often have you seen an ad that goes on and on, trying to sell a product or idea? These ads get ignored on a very regular basis. The goal of your ad should never be to sell your product. Instead, your ad should stir the reader's curiosity so that they will then click on your link and go to your website. Let your website sell your product! Your ad's goal is only to create the interest to find out more information. Don't sell your product!

Here's another fact. The vast majority of people who surf the net are basically lazy. They do not want to spend a lot of time reading. They want the information fast and in bite size doses. Create your ad to hit them fast and easy, so that they will read it, and then click on your link. A good rule is keep your text to no more than 5 -9 lines and always double space after each line. The less Grey the reader sees and the more white, the better your chances are of them to read your entire ad.

Finally, more times over equals familiarity. Create an ad campaign where the reader sees you ad on a continuing basis. This means repitition. An ad done once, and never repeated, is lost in the mob. Always re-post your ad every few days, in the same classified section. You may want to experiment with two or three different headlines and copy, but be prepared to follow up and re-post again and again.

So remember, keep your ads simple. Keep them to the point. Don't try to sell anything but the desire to get more information. Follow up and repeat, again and again. If you follow these simple steps, you will see a marked improvement of results, and most importantly, many more hits on your website.

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