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| 06/04/04 | MillionDollarMatrix goes FREE! # |
Rostislav Roytman
 |
Hey folks,
For last few month I've been surveying businesses all over the Net, I asked them several questions and this one was first - "Is email marketing dead?". 68% answered - "Yes, it does more harm than profit!". Then I asked them another question - "What do you think would save email marketing?". The answer was - "Email marketing campaign should be targeted and prospects in those targeted categories should be interested to receive our offers! Also, they should agree to receive our offers!"
Well, let me tell you - MillionDollarMatrix deliver exactly that! Our members can send their Solo Email Ads to a super-responsive audience in 25 highly-targeted categories! All members agreed to receive offers from other members! All MDM members are business owners and affilites and are on the look out for new products and services! Bingo!
Just listen to what one of our members has to say - "Hey guys and gals!
After shutting down my FreedomActionPlan seminar due to the email marketing upsets with Yahoo suing people, no longer do I sell leads nor market to my data base of nine million USA networkers myself.
I wanted to find some way for newbies to market successfully with.
Today I sent my first MDM email message to one list of 144 members.
Spent $10 and gained two pro hosting affiliates into my program...
...INSTANTLY!
Well....
So far, this MDM has MY attention!"
Do yourself a favor, hop right over to...
http://www.milliondollarmatrix.com/default.php?id=2
Yours in success,
Rostislav Roytman
CEO MillionDollarMatrix
Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 06/04/04 | And now, a word from your sponsor :-) # |
Nancy Verini
 |
I'm Nancy Verini, Co-Founding Partner of Home-Business-Builders. We're not another affiliate program, we are an all-inclusive training and marketing resource
for ANY BUSINESS.
The success of network marketers is found in the contact list of leads and prospects. Anyone that's bought leads in the last year or more knows that finding people interested in your business is like finding teeth in chickens. It just isn't happening.
There's a better way! Check out our list building system at http://cdmpros.com/members/nancyv/
Utilizing every resource to maximize your marketing efforts, and effectively communicate with that list doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Everything you need,including a state of the art autoresponder is one place at http://www.isoregister.com/9810354341/nancyv
What else could there be? How about unlimited use of The Complete Advertiser, our own ezine for your personal use, embedded with all of your own program links? As a member of the HBB group, your marketing program links will be added to our team rotator.
This entire system costs less than $30 a month. Are your lead purchases and advertising costs draining you more than that?
Even though we are not an affiliate program or mlm, the system we use does produce income itself, in multiple streams, in addition to building a responsive contact list.
If you'd like to visit our forum, take a look at the system, get to know our members, you'll find it at www.home-business-builders.net To become a member of our
group, log into the forum, introduce yourself, ask for a mentor, and we'll get you started immediately.
We're helping people to build home businesses around the world, no matter what business they're in. We can help you too.
Nancy Verini
Co-Founder, Home-Business-Builders
Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 06/04/04 | Spam-a-thon Friday! # |
Nancy Verini
|
Let's see those ads! Come on, some shameless promotion here please! Show us your business, tell us your prices, give us your links!Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 06/04/04 | All successful Entrepreneurs do this # |
Steven Wilson
 |
All Successful Entrepreneurs Do This
by John Baker
Everyone wants to make money! Some want to make money
by owning their own business. All successful entrepreneurs
have the self discipline to build their business. Most of us have
heard the saying "you need money to make money". Basically
what this means is you must invest money in your business if
it's to make money. Some 24% of all startup small
businesses fail within two years. That's because the life
of your business depends on you during these early years.
If you must depend on the business it will probably fail.
The first years of a business rarely show profit, because you
are re-investing your money back in it.
Most of us spend money on entertainment, whether it's
eating out at nice restaurants, movies, cars, bikes, games,
big toys, etc..... Some of us can come up with cash for
our online business by not eating out one time a month!
That should not be so hard to do, as lots of us are spending
more and more money on weight loss products!
If you want your business to grow you must feed it. You must
spend money to make money, even if it's a small amount, it
will still grow some. You cannot win the lottery without
first buying a ticket!
All successful entrepreneurs spend a certain amount each
month on their business. Sure you say they are making money
so they have it to spend. But actually you start out
investing a larger percentage of your profits then you will
later on as your business grows. Most people who start an
Off-line business usually invest a large amount of capital
before they see any money coming in. You have to continually
re-invest your money.
That's where an On-line business is unique. You can start
with very little capital and invest as you learn. You do
still have to invest some money and time, or you will not
grow. You have to spend wisely though, where you will see
results. You must read and do some research before you
spend. There are lots of ways to throw your money away if
you are new and not careful. There are also many ways to
receive valuable information online that's Free. One way is
reading Free articles by those who are successful. You will
find many of these Free articles at:
http://www.best-home-business-ideas.net
Also if you're in an MLM or affiliate program, you should
have an up-line leader. They will help you along with good
advice because it's in their best interest for you to
succeed!
-----------------------------------------------------------
This article may be reprinted providing it is published in
it's entirety, including the author's bio and hyperlink to
the URL below.
-----------------------------------------------------------
The author, John Baker, is the editor of
Best-Home-Business-eNews. A newsletter dedicated to
supporting the home business entrepreneur. If you're looking
for some of the best home business opportunities, tools,
thoughts, ideas, and support from a dependable source, come
by, visit,and grab a FREE subscription today at:
http://www.best-home-business-ideas.net
or email your questions to:
mailto:admin@best-home-business-ideas.net
Best Wishes
Steve
Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 06/03/04 | The role of hope # |
Steven Wilson
|
The Role of Hope In Business
(by Susan James)
.
Whether or not we apply non-physical applications to the expansion
of our business, there is a non-physical element that can play a major
role, if we use it.
It's a simple term that's been around our lives for ages, but we may
not know the mechanics of this term as a tool. The term? Hope.
Hope is like a reflecting pool in our mind. It is reflecting a possibility
or many possibilities that may manifest for it.
However, to make this pool in our mind even more attractive, it is a
magnetic pool. Hope is a wonderful, but useful pond that calls to it
many, many golden fish to fulfill its purpose.
It's the same for those of us in Business.
Business, in order for it to support us in our physical lives has to keep
expanding in some way. It has to keep rolling and moving. Energy has
to be constant within and around the business. If it is not, then our
business becomes not a bounty filled pond, but instead a cesspool of
drudge and mud and moss.
Hope is our higher nature showing us what we can do in and with our
business. It shows us the things we may accomplish. These things that
hope brings to us, usually show up in the form of *desires, and
wouldn't it be nice*, and ideas and inspiration.
Hope is a magnetic pull of that reality which is on the verge of
manifesting.
Hope is like a commander that organizes and mobilizes us on many
levels; emotional/mental and spiritual. It pulls various aspects of
ourselves together in order to meet its mission.
As we swim in the pool of Hope, in full cooperation with it as a tool,
we begin to manifest our businesses in ways that feed us creatively
and along the way brings us more wealth, wisdom and power.
If you are a Dreamer........then Follow That Dream as Elvis would say.
The Dream is where the river of Hope takes us in our waterfall of
business.
If you are a Dreamer, then you are one filled with pools of Hope. That
hope is the magnet of your business expansion.
If you kill the dream, or allow others to kill it for you, then your pool
of hope, goes down the drain with it.
Let the hope that you have for your business and how it helps to build
your life, be your guiding light. You will find it at the end of the
rainbow along with the pot of gold.
Susan James (Copyright 2004)
================================================= .
Author/Consultant Susan James writes of User Friendly Physics and
The Immaculate Physics Applications to our lives. From Millionaires
to Weight Loss, Susan writes from personal application of Maverick
Momentum methods. For information on award winning books and
courses along with free e-media please visit: www.susanjames.org as
well as www.immaculatephysics.com both divisions of Vast Five
Productions. www.vastfive.com
Best Wishes
Steve
Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 06/03/04 | Home office tax deduction # |
Jessica*Richmont Direct Consultant
 |
The easiest way to set up your office is in a separate structure a(detached garage, barn or guest house) and use it regularly and exclusively for your business. It does not have to be your primary place of business, but you can't use it for anything else. You must use the home office regularly and exclusively to meet with clients, patients, or customers in the ordinary course of your business. Keep a log for proof. This is one of the ways to meet the IRS's standards.
You have to prove that your office actually is your principal place of business and is used regularly and exclusively for that purpose. The principle place of business rule is not a problem for some individuals for example, freelance writers, telephone salespeople and professionals who work in their homes. These people earn their keep from what's done in the office.
It is recommended to document with photos showing that the space is clearly devoted to business endeavors. The next issue is to add up the deductions. You can generally deduct portions of your mortgage-interest expense, property taxes, association fees, depreciation, repairs, utilities, security, garbage pickup, housekeeping, yard maintence etc.
The IRS permits any "reasonable" method, including square footage or number of rooms, if they are of similar size. Take the busines allocation, say, 10 percent, and deduct the remainder of your mortage-interest expense and property taxes as you normally would on Schedule A. For sole proprietors, home-office deductions ar initially reported on Form 8829 (Expense for Business Use of Your Home,) and the total is then carried to Schedule C. The IRS won't let you use home-office deductions to create a tax lost from the business, but any excess is carried over into future years. One piece of tax-planning advice that might be helpful is to bunch all of your big expenses (computer, fax, answering machine) into one tax year so you pass the 2 percent threshold.
Jessica
TWM
Co-Leader
http://hop.clickbank.net/?jessie/jmgracia Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 06/03/04 | re: How to save money on income taxes # |
Nancy Verini
|
Steve and Jessie,
This is so important, and so many of us pay more than our fair share because we don't know what we're entitled to and the IRS sure isn't going to tell us!
Thanks for the info, I'm going to copy both these posts and put them in our forum!
Nancy
> Jessica*Richmont Direct Consultant wrote:
>
>This article will show you some of the overlooked deductions, that many Self-Employed people often overlook or don't understand, when dealing with the IRS on tax returns.
>This article is intended to help those Self-Employed People out there, who often overlook many deductions when preparing their tax return to submit to the IRS.
>
>
>Even though the laws change each year, and many times there are many new ways to help save you money, some of these will stay the Same.
>
>
>1. Mileage- you can claim your mileage on the vehicle that you use for your business.
>
>
>2. Home office deductions- many people often overlook this one because they aren't quite sure how it works, if your business is run strictly out of your home, you can use many utilties as an office expense.
>
>
>3. Meals & Entertainment- these can be written off when used for the business
>
>
>4. Mobile phones & pagers- many people often overlook these when writing off business expenses.
>
>
>5. Vehicle & equipment depreciation- this can only be used on the vehicle that you drive to and from the job sites.
>
>
>6. Sub Contractors- don't forget to 1099 all the Sub-contractors that you had work for you during the year, this will take some of the tax burden off of you.
>
>
>7. Charitable Contributions- don't forget any money that you donate or goods, can also be written off at tax time.
>
>
>8. Job Expenses- Keep a list of all of your Job Expenses during the year, this will help offset a great amount of your Income.
>
>
>9. Bookkeeping expenses- keep a log of any money that you pay for this expense weather it be for Notary Public work, filing, submitting bids for you.
>
>
>10. Automobile expenses- any repairs made to the company vehicle, Gas.
>
>
>these are just a few of the many deductions out there.
>
>Make sure to keep up with all of the current IRS changes so that you don't shor change yourself.
>
>Jessica
>TWM
>Co-Leader Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 06/03/04 | How to save money on income taxes # |
Jessica*Richmont Direct Consultant
|
This article will show you some of the overlooked deductions, that many Self-Employed people often overlook or don't understand, when dealing with the IRS on tax returns.
This article is intended to help those Self-Employed People out there, who often overlook many deductions when preparing their tax return to submit to the IRS.
Even though the laws change each year, and many times there are many new ways to help save you money, some of these will stay the Same.
1. Mileage- you can claim your mileage on the vehicle that you use for your business.
2. Home office deductions- many people often overlook this one because they aren't quite sure how it works, if your business is run strictly out of your home, you can use many utilties as an office expense.
3. Meals & Entertainment- these can be written off when used for the business
4. Mobile phones & pagers- many people often overlook these when writing off business expenses.
5. Vehicle & equipment depreciation- this can only be used on the vehicle that you drive to and from the job sites.
6. Sub Contractors- don't forget to 1099 all the Sub-contractors that you had work for you during the year, this will take some of the tax burden off of you.
7. Charitable Contributions- don't forget any money that you donate or goods, can also be written off at tax time.
8. Job Expenses- Keep a list of all of your Job Expenses during the year, this will help offset a great amount of your Income.
9. Bookkeeping expenses- keep a log of any money that you pay for this expense weather it be for Notary Public work, filing, submitting bids for you.
10. Automobile expenses- any repairs made to the company vehicle, Gas.
these are just a few of the many deductions out there.
Make sure to keep up with all of the current IRS changes so that you don't shor change yourself.
Jessica
TWM
Co-Leader Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 06/03/04 | Home based business tax deductions # |
Steven Wilson
|
Keep More of What You Make - Start A Home-based Business
by: Direct Selling Women's Association
The best advantages of owning a home-based business are you can turn non-deductible expenses into tax deductions. The deductions you create for your Schedule C have a more significant impact on the total taxes you pay than do deductions on Schedule A. Schedule C deductions not only reduce federal income tax, they also reduce self-employment tax, Medicare tax, and state and local taxes.
Some favorite tax deductions for home-based businesses include the following:
Meals and Entertainment can be 50% deductible when you are with prospective or existing clients, vendors, etc. If you are in a service business or sell products, most everyone is a potential client. It is important to follow the simple documentation guidelines issued by the IRS and to understand there are limitations. An example of a deduction you cannot take is dining out with your spouse. Even if you are business partners, the IRS says no to this. If together, you take a potential client to lunch then the meeting expense is deductible.
Trips must be mostly business-related to be deductible. If a small element of fun is involved, you will most likely have a completely deductible trip. The deductions will not apply to a spouse who tags along, unless it is also a working trip for the spouse. Compliance with IRS regulations can be tricky, so it is best to check with your tax advisor before assuming your trip to Hawaii will be deductible.
Utilities and other expenses for the portion of your home or apartment you use exclusively for business are powerful deductions. Without a home-based business, the most one can deduct is interest and property taxes (on Schedule A). In relation to a home-based business, a portion of utilities, maintenance, cleaning, lawn service, pest control, etc. can be deducted on a Schedule C.
Income Shifting. Let us say you have three kids who are ages 10, 12, and 14. You can pay them to work in your business. (Children must be eight years old to be paid for working in a family-based business.) Each child can earn up to $4,700 in 2002 without paying income tax. You also have the advantage of not paying Social Security or Medicare taxes on your dependent children who work in your business. In this example, you have shifted $14,100 tax-free dollars to your kids. This is clearly better than allowance! There are rules, however. The kids have to actually work and be paid fair (not excessive) wages for their services
These are just a few of the many tax advantages available to owners of home-based businesses. It is strongly recommended you enlist a qualified tax advisor to help you learn how to document your expenses and how to legally take every deduction to which you are entitled.
This article has been provided by Vicky Collins, The Financial Center Director for the Direct Selling Women’s Association. The Association offers a community web site where direct sellers enjoy 24-hour access to industry specific information and resources designed to help them successfully manage their direct selling business. Discover this one-of-a-kind, all-inclusive business-building resource at www.mydswa.org or contact them at info@mydswa.org.
Best Wishes
Steve
Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 06/02/04 | Working at home # |
Steven Wilson
|
Working at Home - The One Thing You MUST Know
by Trent Brownrigg
You will spend more time, effort, money, and headaches in the beginning of starting a home business than with practically anything else in your life. However, when it all comes together, the hard times will seem like a distant memory because it will all have been worth it.
DO NOT GIVE UP! DO NOT GIVE UP! DO NOT GIVE UP!
I could repeat that phrase 1,000,000 times and it wouldn't be enough!
Remember, there is a very sharp curve when it comes to internet marketing. Your income stays the same for what seems like an eternity, and then slowly rises for a while. Before you know it your income suddenly skyrockets seemingly out of nowhere and continues to grow.
When you first start to work at home you will spend day after day reading, learning, promoting, spending money, etc... trying to learn all you can to get your home business to make money, and with little results. You want to kick yourself for ever getting started but now you are on a mission to make it work. After a while you start to break even. You are not losing anything now, at least, and it feels good, but not good enough. You want more!
Then, one day, it's like an Angel comes down and says, "Ok you have proven yourself; now you will succeed.” BAM, just like that, you start earning enough to put a little away, pay off debt, take a vacation, or reinvest into your business.
That is when it really gets exciting!! You have now learned enough to start teaching others and you can now apply your knowledge to find more ways to earn. Your business grows more all the time, increasing your income everyday. You can now quit your day job to work at home full time. Soon you will be financially secure.
It can be rough to start a home business and jump onto the work at home wagon. Many people give up without ever really giving it a true effort. In order to succeed you need to:
1) keep learning
2) work hard
3) develop your mind and skills
4) ask questions
5) apply your knowledge.
Find a mentor and copy what they do, but add your own twist to it. Visit forums to learn from others that are successful. Do something constructive and worthwhile with your home business every day and you will reap the rewards soon.
Remember there are no get rich quick opportunities and you can’t be lazy just because you work at home. Being in business for yourself means working very hard, especially for the first year or two. It sure beats the alternative, doesn’t it?
--------------------------------------------------
Trent Brownrigg is a successful internet marketer, webmaster, and author of business articles. He will personally help you build a secure financial future. Visit http://www.work-at-home-jobs-iowa.com
for more details.
Best Wishes
Steve
Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 06/02/04 | re: re: Jessie Here # |
Jessica*Richmont Direct Consultant
|
Hi Cathy, yes it means Christian,..
Hugs Jessie:)
> Cathy Hastings wrote:
>
>Hi Jessie,
>
>What does the "C" stand for? (CWAHM)
>
>Glad to see someone with so much enthusiasm. Can you share it? ha,ha
>
>Cathy
>
>> Jessica*Richmont Direct Consultant wrote:
>> Hi Nancy Steve,invited me and I joined to see more about you,..
>>Hi I am Jessica you can call me Jessie, I am a CWAHM of four kids, wonderful kids, I am thew new Co-Leader for TWM working with Steve and happy he picked me,I love sharing with everyone,..
>>I am with Richmont Direct, a great Team Leader,..and Tupperware,.
>>Hope we can caht more,and by days you will all know more of me,.
>>Hugs jessie:) Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 06/02/04 | re: Jessie Here # |
Cathy Hastings
|
Hi Jessie,
What does the "C" stand for? (CWAHM)
Glad to see someone with so much enthusiasm. Can you share it? ha,ha
Cathy
> Jessica*Richmont Direct Consultant wrote:
> Hi Nancy Steve,invited me and I joined to see more about you,..
>Hi I am Jessica you can call me Jessie, I am a CWAHM of four kids, wonderful kids, I am thew new Co-Leader for TWM working with Steve and happy he picked me,I love sharing with everyone,..
>I am with Richmont Direct, a great Team Leader,..and Tupperware,.
>Hope we can caht more,and by days you will all know more of me,.
>Hugs jessie:) Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 06/02/04 | re: Jessie Here # |
Nancy Verini
|
Jessie,
Thanks for stopping by! I was so glad to see you teamed up with Steve and kept the TWM Network going! I was so upset to see him go, and thrilled to see the Network back. Tupperware? We need to talk!
Nancy
> Jessica*Richmont Direct Consultant wrote:
> Hi Nancy Steve,invited me and I joined to see more about you,..
>Hi I am Jessica you can call me Jessie, I am a CWAHM of four kids, wonderful kids, I am thew new Co-Leader for TWM working with Steve and happy he picked me,I love sharing with everyone,..
>I am with Richmont Direct, a great Team Leader,..and Tupperware,.
>Hope we can caht more,and by days you will all know more of me,.
>Hugs jessie:)Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 06/02/04 | Jessie Here # |
Jessica*Richmont Direct Consultant
|
Hi Nancy Steve,invited me and I joined to see more about you,..
Hi I am Jessica you can call me Jessie, I am a CWAHM of four kids, wonderful kids, I am thew new Co-Leader for TWM working with Steve and happy he picked me,I love sharing with everyone,..
I am with Richmont Direct, a great Team Leader,..and Tupperware,.
Hope we can caht more,and by days you will all know more of me,.
Hugs jessie:)Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 06/01/04 | Writing ads # |
Steven Wilson
|
WRITE ATTENTION GETTING ADVERTISEMENTS
The most important aspect of any business is selling the product or service. Without sales, no business can exist for very long.
All sales begin with some form of advertising. To build sales, this advertising must be seen or heard by potential buyers, and cause them to react to the advertising in some way. The credit for the success, or the blame for the failure of almost all ads, reverts back to the ad itself.
Generally, the "ad writer" wants the prospect to do one of the following:
a) Visit the store to see and judge the product for himself, or immediately write a check and send for the merchandise being advertised.
b) Phone for an appointment to hear the full sales presentation, or write for further information which amounts to the same thing.
The bottom line in any ad is quite simple: To make the reader buy the product or service. Any ad that causes the reader to only pause in this thinking, to just admire the product, or to simply believe what's written about the product - is not doing its job completely.
The "ad writer" must know exactly what he wants his reader to do, and any that does not elicit the desired action is an absolute waste of time and money.
In order to elicit the desired action from the prospect, all ads are written according to a simple "master formula" which is:
1) Attract the "attention" of your prospect.
2) "Interest" your prospect in the product
3) Cause your prospect to "desire" the product
4) Demand "action" from the prospect
Never forget the basic rule of advertising copywriting: If the ad is not read, it won't stimulate any sale; if it is not seen, it cannot be read; and if it does not command or grab the attention of the reader, it will not be seen!
Most successful advertising copywriters know these fundamentals backwards and forwards. Whether you know them already or you're just now being exposed to them, your knowledge and practice of these fundamentals will determine the extent of your success as an advertising copywriter.
CLASSIFIED ADS
Classified ads are the ads from which all successful businesses are started. These small, relatively inexpensive ads, give the beginner an opportunity to advertise his product or service without losing his shirt if the ad doesn't pull or the people don't break his door down with demands for his product. Classified ads are written according to all the advertising rules. What is said in a classified ad is the same that's said in a larger, more elaborate type of ad, except in condensed form.
To start learning how to write good classified ads, clip ten classified ads form ten different mail order type publications - ads that you think are pretty good. Paste each of these ads onto a separate sheet of paper.
Analyze each of these ads: How has the writer attracted your attention - what about the ads keeps your interest - are you stimulated to want to know more about the product being advertised - and finally, what action must you take? Are all of these points covered in the ad? How strongly are you "turned on" by each of these ads?
Rate these ads on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the best according to the formula I've given you. Now, just for practice, without clipping the ads, do the same thing with ten different ads from a Wards or Penney's catalog. In fact, every ad you see form now on, quickly analyze it, and rate it somewhere on your scale. If you'll practice this exercise on a regular basis, you'll soon be able to quickly recognize the "Power Points" of any ad you see, and know within your own mind whether an ad is good, bad or otherwise, and what makes it so.
Practice for an hour each day, write the ads you've rated 8, 9 and 10 exactly as they've been written. This will give you the "feel" of the fundamentals and style necessary in writing classified ads.
Your next project will be to pick out what you consider to be the ten "worst" ads you can find in the classifieds sections. Clip these out and paste them onto a sheet of paper so you can work on them.
Read these ads over a couple of times, and then beside each of them, write a short comment stating why you think it's bad: Lost in the crowd, doesn't attract attention - doesn't hold the reader's interest - nothing special to make the reader want to own the product - no demand for action.
You probably already know what's coming next, and that's right. Break out those pencils, erasers and scratch paper - and start rewriting these ads to include the missing elements.
Each day for the next month, practice writing the ten best ads for an hour, just the way they were originally written. Pick out ten of the worst ads, analyze those ads, and then practice rewriting those until they measure up to doing the job they were intended to do.
Once you're satisfied that the ads you've rewritten are perfect, go back into each ad and cross out the words that can be eliminated without detracting from the ad. Classified ads are almost always "finalized" in the style of a telegram.
EXAMPLE: I'll arrive at 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon, the 15th. Meet me at Sardi's. All my love, Jim.
EDITED FOR SENDING: Arrive 2pm - 15th - Sardi's. Love, Jim.
CLASSIFIED AD: Save on your food bills! Reduced prices on every shelf in the store! Stock up now while supplies are complete! Come on in today, to Jerry's Family Supermarkets!
EDITED FOR PUBLICATION: Save on Food! Everything bargain priced! Limited Supplies! Hurry! Jerry's Markets!
It takes dedicated and regular practice, but you can do it. Simply recognize and understand the basic formula - practice reading and writing the good ones - and rewriting the bad ones to make them better. Practice, and keep at it, over and over, every day - until the formula, the idea, and the feel of this kind of ad writing becomes second nature to you. This is the ONLY WAY to gain expertise in writing good classified ads.
DISPLAY ADVERTISEMENTS
A display or space ad differs from a classified ad because it has a headline, layout, and because the style isn't telegraphic. However, the fundamentals of writing the display or space ad are exactly the same as for a classified ad. The basic difference is that you have more room in which to emphasize the "master formula."
Most successful copywriters rate the headline and/or the lead sentence of an ad as the most important part of the ad, and in reality, you should do the same. After all, when you ad is surrounded by hundreds of other ads, and information or entertainment, what makes you think anyone is going to see your particular ad?
The truth is, they're not going to see your ad unless you can "grab" their attention and entice them to read all of what you have to say. Your headline, or lead sentence when no headline is used, has to make it more difficult for your prospect to ignore or pass over, than to stop and read your ad. If you don't capture the attention of your reader with your headline, anything beyond is useless effort and wasted money.
Successful advertising headlines - in classified ads, your first three to five words serve as your headline are written as promises, either implied or direct. The former promises to show you how to save money, make money, or attain a desired goal. The latter is a warning against something undesirable.
EXAMPLE OF A PROMISE: Are You Ready To Become A Millionaire - In Just 18 Months?
EXAMPLE OF A WARNING: Do You Make These Mistakes In English?
In both of these examples, I've posed a question as the headline. Headlines that ask a question seem to attract the reader's attention almost as surely as a moth is drawn to a flame. Once he's seen the question, he just can't seem to keep himself from reading the rest of the ad to find out the answer. The best headline questions are those that challenge the reader; that involve his self esteem, and do not allow him to dismiss your question with a simple yes or no.
You'll be the envy of your friends is another kind of "reader appeal" to incorporate into your headline whenever appropriate. The appeal has to do with basic psychology: everyone wants to be well thought of, and consequently, will read into the body of your ad to find out how he can gain the respect and accolades of his friends.
Wherever and whenever possible, use colloquialisms or words that are not usually found in advertisements. The idea is to shock or shake the reader out of his reverie and cause him to take notice of your ad. Most of the headlines you see day in and day out, have a certain sameness with just the words rearranged. The reader may see these headlines with his eyes, but his brain fails to focus on any of them because there's nothing different or out of the ordinary to arrest his attention.
EXAMPLE OF COLLOQUIALISM: Are You Developing a POT BELLY?
Another attention-grabber kind of headline is the comparative priced magazine headline: Three For Only $3, Regularly $3 Each! Still another of the "tried and proven" kind of headlines is the specific question: Do You Suffer From These Symptoms. And of course, if you offer a strong guarantee, you should say so in your headline: Your Money Refunded, If You Don't Make $100,00 Your First Year.
How To headlines have a very strong basic appeal, but in some instances, they're better used as book titles than advertising headlines. Who Else wants in on the finer things - which your product or service presumably offers - is another approach with a very strong reader appeal. The psychology here being the need of everyone to belong to a group - complete with status and prestige motivations.
Whenever, and as often as you can possible work it in, you should use the word "you" in your headline, and throughout your copy. After all, your ad should be directed to "one" person, and the person reading your ad wants to feel that you're talking to him personally, not everyone who lives on his street.
Personalize, and be specific! You can throw the teachings of your English teachers out the window, and the rules of "third person, singular" or whatever else tends to inhibit your writing. Whenever you sit down to write advertising copy intended to pull the orders - sell the product - you should picture yourself in a one-on-one situation and "talk" to your reader just as if you were sitting across from him at your dining room table. Say what you mean, and sell HIM on the product your offering. Be specific and ask him if these are the things that bother him - are these the things he wants - and he's the one you want to buy the product...
The layout you devise for your ad, or the frame you build around it, should also command attention. Either make it so spectacular that it stands out like lobster at a chili dinner, or so uncommonly simple that it catches the reader's eye because of its very simplicity. It's also important that you don't get cute with a lot of unrelated graphics and artwork. Your ad should convey the feeling of excitement and movement, but should not tire the eyes or disrupt the flow of the message you are trying to present.
Any graphics or artwork you use should be relevant to your product, it's use and/or the copy you have written about it. Graphics should not be used as artistic touches, or to create an atmosphere. Any illustrations with your ad should compliment the selling of your product, and prove or substantiate specific points in your copy.
Once you have your reader's attention, the only way you are going to keep it, is by quickly and emphatically telling him what your product will do for him.
Your potential buyer doesn't care in the least how long it's taken you to produce the product, how lone you have been in business, nor how many years you've spend learning your craft. He wants to know specifically how he is going to benefit form the purchase of your product.
Generally, his wants will fall into one of the following categories: Better health, more comfort, more money, more leisure time, more popularity, greater beauty, success and/or security.
Even though you have your reader's attention, you must follow through with an enumeration of the benefits you can gain. In essence, you must reiterate the advantages, comfort and happiness he'll enjoy - as you have implied in your headline.
Mentally picture your prospect - determine his wants and emotional needs - put yourself in his shoes, and ask yourself: If I were reading this ad, what are the things that would appeal to me? Write your copy to appeal to your reader's wants and emotional needs/ego cravings.
Remember, it's not the "safety features" that have sold cars for the past 50 years - nor has it been the need of transportation - it has been, and almost certainly always will be the advertising writer's recognition of people's wants and emotional needs/ego cravings. Visualize your prospect, recognize his wants and satisfy them. Writing good advertising copy is nothing more or less than knowing "who" your buyers are; recognizing what he wants; and then telling him how your product will fulfill each of those wants. Remember this because it's one of the "vitally important" keys to writing advertising copy that does the job you intend for it to do.
The "desire" portion of your ad is where you present the facts of your product; create and justify your prospect's conviction, and cause him to demand "a piece of the action" for himself.
It's vitally necessary that you present "proven facts" about your product because survey results show that at least 80% of the people reading your ad - especially those reading it for the first time - will tend to question its authenticity.
So, the more facts you can present in the ad, the more credible your offer. As you write this part of your ad, always remember that the more facts about the product you present, the more product you'll sell. People want facts as reasons, and/or excuses for buying a product - to justify to themselves and others, that they have not been "taken" by a slick copywriter.
It's like the girl who wants to marry the guy her father calls a "no good bum." Her heart - her emotions - tell her yes, but she needs to nullify the seed of doubt lingering in her mind - to rationalize her decision to go on with the wedding.
In other words, the "desire" portion of your ad has to build belief and credibility in the mind of your prospect. It has to assure him of his good judgment in the final decision to buy - furnish evidence of the benefits you have promised - and afford him a "safety net" in case anyone should question his decision to buy.
People tend to believe the things that appeal to their individual desires, fears and other emotions. Once you have established a belief in this manner, logic and reasoning are used to support it. People believe what they "want" to believe. Your reader "wants" to believe your ad if he has read it through this far - it is up to you to support his initial desire.
Study your product and everything about it - visualize the wants of your prospective buyers - dig up the facts, and you'll almost always find plenty of facts to support the buyer's reasons for buying.
Here is where you use results of tests conducted, growing sales figures to prove increasing popularity, and "user" testimonials or endorsements. It's also important that you present these facts - test results, sales view, and not that of the manufacturer.
Before you end this portion of your ad and get into your demand for action, summarize everything you've presented thus far. Draw a mental picture for your potential buyer. Let him imagine owning the product. Induce him to visualize all of the benefits you have promised. Give him the keys to seeing himself richer, enjoying luxury, having time to do whatever he would like to do, and with all of his dreams fulfilled.
This can be handled in one or two sentences, or spelled out in a paragraph or more, but it is the absolute ingredient you must include prior to closing the sale. Study all the sales presentations you have ever heard - look at every winning ad - this is the element included in all of them that actually makes the sale for you. Remember it, use it, and don't try to sell anything without it.
As Victor Schwab puts is so succinctly in his best selling book, How To Write A Good Advertisement: Every one of the fundamentals in the "master formula" is necessary. Those sitting across from him at your dining people who are "easy" to sell may perhaps be sold even if some of these factors are left out, but it's wiser to plan your advertisement so that it will have a powerful impact upon those who are "hardest" to sell. For, unlike fact-to-face selling, we cannot in printed advertising come to a "trial close" in our sales talk - in order to see if those who are easier to sell will welcome the dotted line without further persuasion. We must assume that we are talking to the hardest ones - and that the more thoroughly our copy sells both the hard and the easy, the better chance we have against the competition for the consumer's dollar - and also the less dependent we will be upon the usual completely ineffective follow through on our advertising effort which later takes place at the sales counter itself.
ASK FOR ACTION! DEMAND THE MONEY!
Lots of ads are beautiful, almost perfectly written, and quite convincing - yet they fail to ask for or demand action form the reader. If you want the reader to have your product, then tell him so and demand that he send his money now. Unless you enjoy entertaining your prospects with your beautiful writing skills, always demand that he complete the sale now, by taking action now - by calling a telephone number and ordering, or by writing his check and rushing it to the post office.
Once you have got him on the hook, land him! Don't let him get away!
Probably, one of the most common and best methods of moving the reader to act now, is written in some form of the following:
All of this can be yours! You can start enjoying this new way of life immediately, simply by sending a check for $XX! Don't put it off, then later wish you had gotten in on the ground floor! Make out that check now, and "be IN on the ground floor!" Act now, and as an "early-bird" buyer, we'll include a big bonus package - absolutely free, simply for acting immediately! You win all the way! We take all the risk! If you are not satisfied, simply return the product and we will quickly refund your money! Do it now! Get that check on its way to us today, and receive the big bonus package! After next week, we won't be able to include the bonus as a part of this fantastic deal, so act now! The sooner you act, you more you win!
Offering a reward of some kind will almost always stimulate the prospect to take action. However, in mentioning the reward or bonus, be very careful that you don't end up receiving primarily, requests for the bonus with mountains of requests for refunds on the product to follow. The bonus should be mentioned only casually if you are asking for product orders; and with lots of fanfare only when you are seeking inquiries.
Too often the copywriter, in his enthusiasm to pull in a record number of responses, confuses the reader by "forgetting about the product," and devoting his entire space allotted for the "demand for action" to sending for the bonus. Any reward offered should be closely related to the product, and a bonus offered only for immediate action on the part of the potential buyer.
Specify a time limit. Tell your prospect that he must act within a certain time limit or lose out on the bonus, face probably higher prices, or even the withdrawal of your offer. This is always a good hook to get action.
Any kind of guarantee you offer always helps you produce action from the prospect. And the more liberal you can make your guarantee, the more product orders you will receive. Be sure you state the guarantee clearly and simply. Make it so easy to understand that even a child would not misinterpret what you are saying.
The action you want your prospect to take should be easy - clearly stated - and devoid of any complicated procedural steps on his part, or numerous directions for him to follow.
Picture your prospect, very comfortable in his favorite easy chair, idly flipping through a magazine while "half-watching" TV. He notices your ad, reads through it, and he is sold on your product. Now what does he do?
Remember, he's very comfortable - you have "grabbed" his attention, sparked his interest, painted a picture of him enjoying a new kind of satisfaction, and he is ready to buy...
Anything and everything you ask or cause him to do is going to disrupt this aura of comfort and contentment. Whatever he must do had better be simple, quick and easy!
Tell him without any ifs, ands or buts, what to do - fill out the coupon, include your check for the full amount, and send it in to us today! Make it as easy for him as you possibly can - simple and direct. And by all means, make sure your address is on the order form he is supposed to complete and mail in to you - your name and address on the order form, as well as just above it. People sometimes fill out a coupon, tear it off, seal it in an envelope and don't know where to send it. The easier you make it for him to respond, the more responses you'll get!
There you have it, a complete short course on how to write ads that will pull more orders for you - sell more of your product for you. It's important to learn "why" ads are written as they are - to understand and use, the "master formula" in your own ad writing endeavors.
By conscientiously studying good advertising copy, and practice in writing ads of your own, now that you have the knowledge and understand what makes advertising copy work, you should be able to quickly develop your copywriting abilities to produce order-pulling ads for your own products. Even so, and once you do become proficient in writing ads for your own products, you must never stop "noticing" how ads are written, designed and put together by other people. To stop learning would be comparable to shutting off from the rest of the world.
The best ad writers are people in touch with the world in which they live. Every time they see a good ad, they clip it out and save it. Regularly, they pull what makes them good, and why they work. There's no school in the country that can give you the same kind of education and expertise so necessary in the field of ad writing. You must keep yourself up-to-date, aware of, and in-the-know about the other guy - his innovations, style, changes, and the methods he is using to sell his products. On-the-job training - study and practice - that's what it takes - and if you have got that burning ambition to succeed, you can do it too!
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
1. WHAT'S THE MOST PROFITABLE WAY TO USE CLASSIFIED
Classifieds are best used to build your mailing list of qualified prospects. Use classified to offer a free catalog, booklet or report relative to your product line.
2. WHAT CAN YOU SELL "DIRECTLY" FROM CLASSIFIEDS
Generally, anything and everything, so long as it doesn't cost more than five dollars which is about the most people will pay in response to an offer in the classifieds. These types of ads are great for pulling inquiries such as: Write for further information; Send $3, get two for the price of one; Dealers wanted, send for product info and a real money-maker's kit!
3. WHAT ARE THE BEST MONTHS OF THE YEAR TO ADVERTISE
All twelve months of the year! Responses to your ads during some months will be slower in accumulating, but by keying your ads according to the month they appear, and a careful tabulation of your returns from each keyed ad, you will see that steady year round advertising will continue to pull orders for you, regardless of the month it's published. I've personally received inquiries and orders from ads placed as long as 2 years previous to the date of the response!
4. ARE MAIL ORDER PUBLICATIONS GOOD ADVERTISING BUYS
The lease effective are the ad sheets. Most of the ads in these publications are "exchange ads," meaning that the publisher of ad sheet "A" runs the ads of publisher "B" without charge, because publisher "B" is running the ads of publisher "A" without charge. The "claimed" circulation figures of these publications are almost always based on "wishes, hopes and wants" while the "true" circulation goes out to similar small, part-time mail order dealers. Very poor medium for investing advertising dollars because everybody receiving a copy is a "seller" and nobody is buying. When an ad sheet is received by someone not involved in mail order, it is usually given a cursory glance and then discarded as "junk mail."
Tabloid newspapers are slightly better than the ad sheets, but not by much! The important difference with the tabloids is in the "helpful information" articles they try to carry for the mail order beginner. A "fair media" for recruiting dealers or independent sales reps for mail order products, and for renting mailing lists, but still circulated amongst "sellers" with very few buyers. Besides that, the life of a mail order tab sheet is about the same as that of your daily newspaper.
With mail order magazines, it depends on the quality of the publication and its business concepts. Some mail order magazines are nothing more than expanded ad sheets, while others - such as BOOK BUSINESS MART - strive to help the opportunity seekers with on-going advice and tips he can use in the development and growth of his own wealth-building projects. Book Business Mart is not just the fastest growing publication in the mail order scene today; it's also the first publication in more than 20 years to offer real help anyone can use in achieving his own version of "The American Dream" of building one's own business form a "shoestring beginning" into a multi-million dollar empire!
5. HOW CAN I DECIDE WHERE TO ADVERTISE MY PRODUCT
First of all, you have to determine who your prospective buyers are. Then you do a little bit of market research. Talk to your friends, neighbors and people at random who might fit this profile. Ask them if they would be interested in a product such as yours, and then ask them which publications they read. Next, go to your public library for a listing of the publications of this type from the Standard Rate & Data Service catalogs.
Make a list of the addresses, circulation figures, reader demographics and advertising rates. To determine the true costs of your advertising and decide which is the better buy, divide the total audited circulation figure into the cost for a one inch ad: $10 per inch with a publication showing 10,000 circulation would be 10,000 into $10 or 10¢ per thousand. Looking at the advertising rates for Book Business Mart, you would take 42,500 into $15 for an advertising rate of less that THREE TENTHS OF ONE CENT PER THOUSAND. Obviously, your best buy in this case would be Book Business Mart because of the lower cost per thousand.
Write and ask for sample copies of the magazines you have tentatively chosen to place your advertising in. Look over their advertising - be sure that they don't or won't put your ad in the "gutter" which is the inside column next to the binding. How many other mail order type ads are they carrying - you want to go with a publication that's busy, not one that has only a few ads. The more ads in the publication, the better the response the advertisers are getting, or else they wouldn't be investing their money in that publication.
To "properly" test your ad, you should let it run through at least three consecutive issues of any publication. If your responses are small, try a different publication. Then, if your responses are still small, look at your ad and think about rewriting it for greater appeal, and pulling power. In a great many instances, it's the ad and not the publication's pulling power that's at fault!
HOME BASED BUSINESS INDEX
Best Wishes
SteveReply by Private Message (new win) |
| 06/01/04 | re: Hello Members # |
Nancy Verini
|
The holiday was great here, except for all the rain:-(
I'll be back in this afternoon!
Nancy
> Steven Wilson wrote:
> I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe holiday
>
>weekend.I guess it is now back to work for all.
>
>See you in the trenches.
>
>Best Wishes
>SteveReply by Private Message (new win) |
| 06/01/04 | Hello Members # |
Steven Wilson
|
I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe holiday
weekend.I guess it is now back to work for all.
See you in the trenches.
Best Wishes
SteveReply by Private Message (new win) |
| 05/30/04 | Hello, looking for assistance from the members! # |
Danielle Costa
|
Hi everyone and I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful and safe holiday weekend!
I'm turning to the Ryze networks I belong to for some help!
Aside from the wonderful opportunity I'm apart of with Co-Op World, I'm in search of a legit and FREE data entry/typist position that I can do from home. Like so many others, my family can't afford investments towards WAH ops so I'm searching for a position in this field that won't cost me anything to get started making an income.
If you can help me, I'd appreciate hearing from you!
Thank you!
Danielle Costa
http://www.co-opworld.com/member/47223Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 05/29/04 | Back Online # |
Nancy Verini
|
Sorry its been so long since I've been in here to post, a long weekend resulted in a long week!
However, we're back, and I'm looking forward to hearing from everyone soon! Its a holiday weekend here in the US, so it may be a few days before we have the whole gang chatting, but I'll be around, checking in, and looking for some classic Home Business Building news to pass along.
If you have time between burgers and dogs and parties, drop us a line!
NancyReply by Private Message (new win) |
| 05/20/04 | re: # |
Rostislav Roytman
|
Hi,
I agree with you Nancy that online advertising has lost it's power in a way, it just not so profitable as it used to be. That's why I created my MDM, the concept is very simple yet powerful. Let me explain...
There are thousands of free safelists out there that marketers use to advertise their products and services on but the simple true is - noone reads their email ads! Everyone try to sell their own products or services and just hit the delete button when receive emails from others! I always wander, how on earth marketers expect their ads to be read if they don't read others?
Conclusion - safelists are dead!
Now, what I've created is a program where members can send their ad for only $10 per mailing to one of our 25 targeted categories. Every member tell us what their interests are and agree to receive email ads about the topic they're interested in. Every member has actually paid to receive other members email advertising and DO read these ads and ACT. Targeting is the answer BUT also it is very important to advertise to people that HAVE money and are don't afraid to spend it on something they need! These two ingredients are the answer to the problem in online advertising.
I received an usolicited testimonial today from a very famous internet marketer, his own database has more than 9 million people in it. Listen to what he said:
**********************************************************
Hey guys and gals!
After shutting down my FreedomActionPlan seminar due to the email marketing upsets with Yahoo suing people, no longer do I sell leads nor market to my data base of nine million USA networkers myself.
I wanted to find some way for newbies to market successfully with.
Today I sent my first MDM email message to one list of 144 members.
Spent $10 and gained two pro hosting affiliates into my program...
...INSTANTLY!
Well....
So far, this MDM has MY attention!
Will keep you all updated on future sends and results!
**********************************************************
We just launched 2 weeks ago and don't have a lot of members just yet BUT the results are amazing. It works!
So, what I'm saying is, don't leave the internet marketing arena just yet, it still work and work well for the smart marketer!
I don't want to advertise here that's why don't provide you with any links. If Nancy will publicly say "yes" then I'll post here the link to my program.
Yours in success,
Rostislav Roytman
> Nancy Verini wrote:
> Terri, this is a very good topic, and you've brought up a very good point about the big companies. The originals like Tupperware and Mary Kay did make millionaires, so have a lot of other companies, but it seems that sometimes if you're not in a company within hours after it launches, some of them have thousands of reps before they launch, the fortunes have been made before you've got your name on your website.
>
>So what's the solution? You said you're interested in having home parties and targeting women as your primary market. I've come across some forum/conferencing services that rent conference rooms for online parties. I've never used them myself, but I've heard they're pretty successful. This can combine your online abilities with an "offline concept". Check out the WAHMoms sites with forums.
>
>The problem of finding the company you represent everywhere you look, post, and try to advertise is something we're all dealing with. The internet is so saturated its almost impossible to target your specific market using the standard online advertising methods. This is where I take my business offline. Maybe we don't have to build a better mouse trap at all, just go back to the original mouse traps like print ads, post cards, business cards, etc. Some of your best customers may not be visiting the message boards, but reading their local papers.
>
>The best offline advertising I've found, especially for the women's niche is craft shows, flea markets, holiday bizaars, anything you can rent a table, hand out samples, cards, smile and shake hands, offer "business seminars" in the home, showing your product and how you sell it. You can usually rent a table for $10-20. I used to do this with crafts, and I had a sign-up sheet for anyone that wanted a sample. If they were willing to give me their contact info, and I gave them a $1-2 sample of something, well, think about what you pay for a live email lead, and that's a pretty good deal! If they wouldn't give me their info, I'd still give them a sample with my info on it. And the lead is a local person that you can have an ongoing relationship with as a customer or a new business partner in your downline.
>
>I'm not sure what your advertising budget is, I'm in New Jersey and things are pretty expensive here, this may be something to save for;
>Many local hotels rent conference rooms, you could even share a room with a friend who's in business. Invite as many people as you can, grocery store bulletin boards, post cards, local papers, hand out flyers, etc. Try to present it as an event, demonstrations, free gifts, etc. Even if you don't break even in sales, you may acquire enough new customers to make it worth the expense, some may be willing to do a home party themselves.
>
>I'm not against online advertising, but so much of it has become a cyber shouting match, everyone selling, no one buying, we still have to pound the pavement offline, point and click advertising just isn't enough. Reply by Private Message (new win) |
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