Think about that for a second...because it is quite powerful and it is also what "guru's" do. Yes, they started advertising in ezines and/ or newsletters initially, however eventually they used this very same process to set themselves up so that eventually they would never have to advertise again...or at very least be more selective.

Have I gotten your attention now???? Excellent...

Ok, idea behind advertising is to gain exposure, however, you need to understand that a one time shot in an ezine, regardless of how big subscriber base is, isn't going to give you exposure you need. This is a misconception that many people have about advertising, whether it be on or off line. People will get all excited thinking mannn I just paid for an ad in such and such ezine with a subscriber base of 225,000 or their local city paper with a subscriber base of 150,000 and their sales counter or phone is going to ring off wall.

How does it make you feel?

Turned off, maybe a little used because you know all that site wants or sales person wants is your money? There isn't that feeling that someone has a vested interest in what you really need. There is no content to help you along way or give you a few insider tips.

If you don't like it, then what would lead you to believe that YOUR potential customer would react any differently??

Yes, I know you are a good person and that you have only best intentions at heart and your program/product or service will help. However, your customer doesn't know you or your intentions.

But instead of "hard selling" if you took time to help your prospect make a good informed decision and let them get to know those intentions by providing good, quality information, yup providing good CONTENT... that changes things greatly.

Not only just for customer, but it creates a huge win in many ways for your business.

Let's look at four WINs you create when you go route of content vs hard sell.

WIN #1 - Your Customer

Your prospect is looking for information, kind of info (content) which will help them make a good informed buying (or participating) decision. Give them that information and your a enabling them to build trust in you and from that trust they are more open and will accept your recommendations.

Go route of a hard sell however and your visitor is turned off and they are off to someone who will give them what they need. Not because their product is any better necessarily, but because they went that step further in giving them information/content they needed to help them.

WIN #2 - Search Engines

Your goal is to get your site listed in top 10 or at very least 20 spots in a search engine. Search engines are in business as well, just like you. They are in business of giving people best quality sites based upon their search criteria. They look for content.

Help a search engine and they turn around and of course help you by ranking you. You are concerned about traffic, right? Well ranking in a search engine can mean difference between getting a good quality visitor and not. You can have 1000s of hits a day, but it isn't quantity that counts, it is quality of prospect. If you are in ranking where that quality prospect can find you, then you have a quality visitor and someone more apt to buy. However, to get that spot you need content it's a Scratch a Search Engines back and they will Scratch Yours. Give Search Engines QUALITY CONTENT and when their spiders come around to index your site...you get stand to get a good positon.

WIN #3 - Your Affiliate Program / Merchants