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Ads That Produce Results - Ezine Advertising

It's an oldie, but a goodie. Advertising in e-zines, electronic magazines or newsletters, has been around forever. This may not be the sexiest new ad trend, but it is affordable and if used right... it works.

Ok, everyone knows — or should know — about pay per click (PPC) ads through networks like Google and AdBrite. You've probably been keeping track of long tailed search keywords and working on links, content and everything you can find to increase the traffic to your site to improve your bottom line. Whether you're brand new to Internet marketing or a seasoned pro, there's one place online that you may have overlooked.

Search engine ads, video, rich media... all buzz words that are in high demand and can be pretty expensive. Ezine (electronic magazine) advertising is a tried and true method for exposing your product to an audience that is tightly targeted to your offer. This is a preselected niche group that has asked to receive a steady stream of information on topic that relate directly to what you are selling. This type of advertising can be expensive in an e-zine with a huge circulation, but it doesn't have to be. With a bit of creative planning, you can make the ROI of this ad campaign a winner.

Ad Types

Ezines ads break down into three main groups.

• Classified Ads - These small text ads you see at the bottom of newsletters are classified ads. These ads are the most affordable since they don't take up much space and go out in the footer of the regular mailing. The amount of space for classified ads is tight so the copy has to be carefully crafted to grab the reader's attention and compel action. Don't get crazy with exclamation points and capital letters - avoid empty words - Fantastic, Super, Great, Amazing and Free are all turn offs and should be deleted from any ad copy. Think about the kind of ad that would get you to click and work on creating one that works. With a few descriptive words, explain why a look at your product is an opportunity that should not be missed.
• Sponsor Ads - These ads may be banners, rich media, or plain text, but they are placed at the top of the newsletter or inserted in the middle of the text. Prime real estate in the newsletter world. Some ezines have more than one sponsor ads. Sponsor ads are more expensive than Classified ads and can contain more words so your ad can be more descriptive. Sponsor ads are more effective than Classified Ads as their position in the newsletter is better.
• Solo Ads - If you want all eyes on your ad, solo ads are the most effective way to get there. A solo ads gets sent out with no content — it only contains your ad. This is usually the most expensive option, but can be the most effective if the e-zine you're advertising with doesn't overdo it. An e-zine that sends several solo ads on a weekly basis will become a nuisance to subscribers and the response rate will reflect that annoyance. People subscribe for content and getting bombarded with ads instead is never looked at as a good thing.

Get to know the e-zines - Subscribe

Not all ezines are equally welcomed by subscribers. Spam blocked ezines are not where you want to place your ads. You are your own best consumer testing panel for this. Take out a subscription to about two dozen and see which ones you look forward to receiving and which ones bombard you with unwanted ads instead of the content you want. You'll recognize the difference within the first couple of weeks.

Most newsletters and e-zines have a set format. You'll see about seven components on average. Look for at least half of those components to be crisp, informative, original content related to your topic. If more than half of the email is devoted to ads, people may consider it spam and your ad won't be looked at. If one piece of content is buried in ads, you're definitely looking at a newsletter verging on getting trashed instead of opened. Worse, you'll be associated with spam in the minds of potential customers or clients. If you want your brand to build trust, limit your ads to e-zines that will help achieve that goal.

This is also a good method to find out if solo ads in a specific e-zine are a good idea. Do you get several ads emails for every issue with content or are you happy to see the newsletter knowing that you'll be reading some good tips or information on your topic? Do the e-zines and newsletter you subscribe to post the content issues online with the ads intact? This can offer extra views that are worth paying for.

Subscriber Benefits

Subscribing to the newsletters you want to place ads in may give you an edge when it comes time to run the ad. Many ezines reward subscribers with better ad rates and ad specials that the general public is not offered.

Free Classified Ads - A few of the ezines you subscribe to will allow you to submit a free classified ad as a bonus for subscribing. Some even allow you to submit your ad every week for free. If you take advantage of these freebies, you'll find a few gems that do pretty well and are worth the effort of submitting. Additionally, many ezines post their ads online. I receive a steady trickle of visitors from such ads.

Subscription Specials - From time to time, you'll receive some great advertising specials. The key here is to keep your eye out for them and be ready to respond because these deals are usually limited in number and time of availability

Some common specials you'll see are buy one get one free solo ads (your ad alone goes out to the entire list of subscribers), volume ad discounts, and ad packages. The ad packages usually have a mixture of ads for example, a solo ad, top sponsor ad, and a classified ad.

Off Season Ad Specials - Summer and mid Winter (December and January) are usually slower months in terms of advertising. Many ezine owners who don't normally offer ad space in their publications will offer special deals to subscribers. These advertising specials are limited in number and may sell out quickly. A recent ad I ran in one of these ezines produced the best response I've had yet.

Submitting Articles - As a subscriber, you'll get to submit articles to some of the ezines. This is an increasingly popular method of getting your message prominently in front of ezine subscribers for free. The key to this method is to offer quality information and then put a subtle pitch for your website at the end in the author's bio. This method works best if you own your own website versus affiliate or replicated web sites.

Additionally, you can submit your article directly to other ezine publishers who accept them, to article announcement lists, and to article directories. I highly recommend that you do not miss out on this type of promotion. In fact, hire a ghost writer if you have trouble writing. There are hundreds if not thousands of places online that will accept articles for free. You'll recover your investment.

Ad Swaps

If you have your own newsletter or offer a service, you may be able to barter for ad space. A good tip is to offer to trade a service that is a bit more expensive than the cost of the ad. If you provide ad space on your site for $40 and an ad in the ezine would cost $35, the editor may be more tempted to make the swap.

If you want to save money and put your ad campaign in high gear, employ the methods mentioned and keep a sharp eye out. The combined savings will be quite substantial. Of course, that means an increase in your profit margin.

Related Sites of Interest:

Email Marketing Tips

Ezines Are Effective In Advertising Your Online Business

How to Create Your Ezine Ad Campaign - Evaluating Ezines

Jogena's eZine Directory