OPENING COMMENTS:  Thank you for taking the time to read this. It is my hope to convey some basic principles about advertising so new marketers will be likely to be successful.  Those more experienced marketers already know most of this, but a bit of refresher is always a good thing.  First, I let me say that this is just my opinion, but it is offered FREE and, as we know, you get what you pay for.

This said, consider that I do make about half my income selling web-based services or products on the internet.  The other half comes from a retirement from the United States Navy, where I served for over 20 years.  I was one of the youngest retired people at age 36.  During that time, I was a Navy Journalist (Broadcast Specialist).  During my final Navy assignment, I served as the Advertising Manager for Navy Recruiting District in New England for three years.  I have about 30 years in the business. 

Recently, I gave up working for the "Man" at a day j-o-b because I couldn't stand all the BS associated with it.  All of the total insanity and required sucking up, being treated like a square peg in a round hole by incompetent and inconsiderate people became too much to deal with day after day  -- plus, by the time I bought gas and spent two hours going back and forth, it was evident that it was a waste of time and money.  Does this sound familiar to you?

Today, I enjoy the many perks of working independently, on my own, making the kind of money many of us only wish they could make.  Today, I am FREE do what I want.  My time is all mine to whatever I want to do.  I quit chasing dollar bills.  Additionally, I have been doing this Internet thing now for about 15 years.  I've been scammed to death, lost lots of money, and made to feel like a real idiot by slick scammers.  I guess you could say that I've paid for my education.    

I owe much, well actually, I owe practically all, of my success to my ability to effectively advertise.

Advertising tips

Keep it simple! - Keep your message direct and to the point. 

Write for your reader! Don't write a bunch of corporate speak, or cliches, or blab.  Phrases like "management solution," "best in its class," "cradle to grave," "end of the day" and all of the rest of the computer/management blab does nothing but kill sales!

Make me want to read it!  There are two parts of the email ad.  First, the headline or subject. Second, the body.  If you don't get my attention in the subject line, I'll never read the body and won't visit your site.   Get my attention in the headline.  Make me want to click onto your site in the body of your ad.  Finally, sell me at your site.  You are never going to sell me in the headline or the body, only at the site.  

Use selling words!  Start using plenty of selling words.  For example, new, improved, updated, hot, and FREE are great.  But, the the best I have ever seen is, "UNCONDITIONAL Money Back Guarantee." 

Like us, you probably get stacks of junk mail and loads of email messages every day.  Many of these marketing materials are written by top writers and sent to vast audiences at great expense.

Because companies invest heavily in these direct mail marketing efforts, they are careful to monitor results.  Professional marketers keep the strategies that work and toss the ones that don't.

Watch your "junk mail" closely and you will get some great ideas on how to make your next ad, sales letter, or web page a selling success.  Here are popular words and phrases we find over and over again in top ads.  They are used a lot because they work!

Make It Easy

Both consumers and business customers love a product or service that is easy to get and easy to use.

* It is a breeze to use
* Do-it-yourself
* Simple step-by-step instructions
* Easy to duplicate
* All under one roof
* Call free 24 hours a day
* Everything you need in one easy-to-use bundle

It's Effective

People buy fast when they know your product or service will get the results they hope for.  Use these words and phrases to demonstrate your effectiveness:

* Our proven, tested formula
* A strategy thousands have counted on
* For five-star results
* Get professional results
* Our experts are standing by for your call
* Highly effective

Add Style and Excitement

Most of us buy, in part, because the product or service will give us an emotional boost.  We feel better, more hopeful, or more excited after we buy.

* You deserve a pick-me-up
* This lavish display
* Bold new innovation
* Dazzling results
* A touch of the exotic..dazzle..charm
* A spirited look and sporty feel

Your Guarantee

Sales jump when you insure confidence with your guarantee.  If you are selling through the mail, a guarantee is necessary.  So make it sell with all the sizzle and importance you can muster.

* Guaranteed for a lifetime of precision results
* Our money-back, no-risk guarantee
* If you aren't satisfied, we'll buy it back
* We stand behind our service 110%
* Guaranteed lifetime updates
* Our 30-day, 90-day, 1-year warrantee.
* Lifetime Replacement Guarantee

Feel free to adapt these winning words and phrases to fit your ad or copy.  As you listen to the radio, watch TV, surf the Net, or read the paper, look for more selling phrases that could boost your ad response.

Here are the top selling words: 

Gain, Health,  Value, Happy, Healthy, Advice, Trustworthy,  Safe, Wanted, Good-looking, Safety, Announcing, Comfortable, Right, Your, Proud, Security, People, Amazing, Winnings, Why, Sensational,l Fun,  Fast, Remarkable, Discover, Win, Revolutionary, Bargain, Cash, Startling, Hurry, Results, Miracle Free Easy, Magic, New,  Proven, Offer, You, Guaranteed, Quick, Sale, Love, Challenge,  Introducing, Benefit, Compare, Save, Alternative, Improvement, Money, Now, Suddenly.

Here are the top words that will kill a sale:

Buy Decision Worry, Obligation, Dead, Contract, Failure, Liability, Pay, Bad, Hard, Owe, Sell, Death, Earn, Loss Order, Read, Difficult, Fail, Spend, Wrong. Obligation 
 

DO IT IN THREE TO FIVE SECONDS

Do it in three to five seconds!  That is how long the average reader is going to spend reading your ad body, if your subject line attracts them. 

Subjects (or headlines): Make it short, sweet, and powerful.  Remember, you reader is going to pick this headline out of perhaps hundreds of others.  It has to be attention getting!!

Body:  Compel your reader to click your link. 

Closing:  I like to use "Your Online Friend," "Sincerely yours,"

P.S. Most people read the P.S. first.  Put in a P.S. and you will get more and better results. 

What to say:  Say just enough in the subject to get them to read the body.  In the body say just enough to get the reader to click your web site!

What not to say:   Don't say too little and don't say to much.  Remember this simple rule:  subjects get attention,  bodies get the reader to click on your site.  Your site sells the reader and makes them want to buy your product or service.  If you don't do these things correctly, you will make no sale.  If done correctly, you will make lots and lots of sales.     

Please check back from time to time as I intend to update and modify this section as time goes on.  Thank you.