Do you read classifieds ads? I do because I run an advertising ezine and I can tell you it's an education at times. Ads are
first impression
unsuspecting public gets of you and your business. They are "make or break", so do yours shape up? Let's take a hard-hitting look -- names omitted to protect
guilty!Frightening Realities
One of
most frightening things -- and, I admit, amusing for me -- was when I ran a spoof ad contest a few months ago. I wrote
spoofs and I thought they were as obvious as
day's long.
Various stuff like ...
I GET PAID when I go to
BATHROOM! Do You??? Guaranteed amazing home-business plan! Works in your smallest room! Very convenient. No Smelling!! Queue here: http://regurgitate-it.com
As one reader wrote, "If this ISN'T it, WE're IN TROUBLE!!!"
<< sidenote >>
If you like this kind of thing, you really should subscribe to Wild Bill's CRAZY ADS - published every Monday, God Willing! To subscribe go to: http://www.MakingProfit.com/newsletters
<< end sidenote >>
Well, we were in trouble! Something I really didn't expect was that people sent in some WRONG answers. That is, they mistook real ads as being works of comedy. Now you can titter, but ...
It's FREE and it WORKS.
Deposit $25 to $50,000. Expected payout: Each $25 deposit will pay out $51,200.00
Here's A Switch - The COMPANY Works For YOU!
FREE $19.95 for anyone who can't make 2 sales in 24 hours!
Retire Early !!
... are all excerpts from just a few of
ads that someone judged to be bogus when they were in fact, perfectly real.
Apply
Hype-O-Meter Test
Clearly, there are people who have caught on to
rule "if it sounds too good to be true, it is", but many more have not.
Whilst
word FREE isn't hype, it's far too overdone. Nothing is really free anyway, because at
very least it costs you your time to check it out. Free is very often better defined as "included in
price". By all means use free offers to get traffic, but watch how you use it and be truthful from
start if there is a condition attached.
Sadly though, there are too many people being suckered into believing
unreal stuff floating around on
net. Do you really, honestly think that you can make a living giving things away, doing nothing, selling nothing?
You won't as many of
recent failures of programs using this model attest. There's a new one born every week and people sign up to promote them in their droves. All WANTING to believe that this will be their ticket on
Internet's Magic Carpet Ride.
Repeat, Repeat, Repeat ...
Whilst it's true that once you find an ad that works you should keep advertising it, what won't work is repeating
same ads as everyone else. All you are doing is spending time -- your time and that is NOT free even if
ads were.