JUNE 2009
Greetings & Salutations:
This month, let's explore the world of ...
Classified Advertising
When I have finished, you'll know more about the classified
advertising game than 90% of the self-styled mailorder "gurus"
who got rich selling "how-to get rich in mailorder"information.
To begin with, there are two reasons the self-styled mailorder
"gurus"don't show you their "successful"classified
ads. -- (1) They don't have any because they've never done it,
but they did read about it somewhere and copied the idea from
something a real mailorder professional wrote years ago ... you
are supposed to "do what they say, not what they do."--
(2) If they do, really, have a "successful"classified
ad, they don't want you ... and a few hundred others ...
using the same ad; diluting the effectiveness of the ad for them.
One of my all-time "big"response ads was:
FREE BOOK -- "Offshore Banking Is Not Evil."
Over 30,000 people requested that "freebie"in 1988.
-- Every "Free"booklet I sent out cost me nearly $3
... plus the cost of the ads. Instead of the usual 15%
to 20% conversion rate (paying customers) I usually got from
"inquiry"ads, the rate was a low 2% to 3%. -- That
promotion ate my lunch.
In 1989, I changed the ad to read:
OFFSHORE BANKING is not evil. Free.
Each inquirer received a one-page flyer ... which cost me
about 20¢ to send to them ... offering the book for $10.
-- The response to the ad was much, much smaller but the $10
price tag on the book paid for my ads and my conversion rate
went up to 30%, producing a significant profit on the very first
mailing.
Unfortunately, when the self-styled mailorder "gurus"...
who got rich selling "how-to get rich in mailorder"information
... tell you that "you can get rich by running classified
ads,"almost everyone gets the impression that, all you have
to do is run a classified ad and your mailbox will be filled
with cash, checks and money orders. -- That's a misleading, half-truth,
at best.
The truth of the matter is ...
There Are Three Distinct Purposes For Classified
Advertising!
One purpose ... the one most people envision ... is that of
actually "selling"something in the ad - or - getting
people to send you money for "information"about your
product or service (enough to pay for the ad and give you a profit).
That approach might work if you are "selling"a very
specific product or service (something you can fully and completely
define, in detail, in just a few words), to a very specific targeted
audience (so knowledgeable of the product or service your ad
will be readily understood), at a very "cheap"price
... usually less than $3. -- Or ...
You might be able to "sell"a Catalog ... for $1
to $3 ... if the catalog itself appears to have a perceived "value"for
the reader ... such as: "WOOD WORKING Equipment,
Tools & Accessories - over 3,000 items. Catalog $2."--
That would work because the reader knows that a catalog with
3,000 items is worth something. Of course, you probably
aren't going to make any money directly from the ad
because it will probably cost you more than the $2 to print and
mail the catalog. -- But ...
If you are trying to get people to send you money for "information"about
your product or service ... no matter what it is ... you've got
to make your classified ad so intensely intriguing that the reader's
mouth waters in sheer anticipation of receiving it.
Granted, if you can get $1 to $3 for your information, you
can eliminate a lot of tire-kickers - but - you'll also get a
much smaller response to your ad - and - in most
cases, when the inquirer realizes they have "paid good money"(even
if it's only $1) for your "advertising"materials, you
have less chance of converting that person to a "paying
customer."-- That's why I never asked for even a SASE (i.e.
Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope) in any of my classified ads.
Unfortunately, the self-styled mailorder "gurus"...
who got rich selling "how-to get rich in mailorder"information
... know that their high-powered, bull-stuff (you know what I
mean) ads have mislead you into believing you can "get rich
selling stuff in classified ads." So, they attempt
to teach you the "art"of classified ad writing in their
"get-rich-quick-in-mailorder"materials.
Using the A.I.D.A. formula (i.e., Attention - Interest - Desire
- Action) ... although they have (probably) never done it themselves
... they try to teach you how to write hard-selling ad-copy in
50 words or less.
Hey! If you think it's hard writing a 4 to 16 page letter
to sell your products or services, try it in 50 words or less.
-- That's why they don't give you any real examples.
Okay! Selling something, or getting people to send you
money for something, is one purpose of classified ads. -- What
is the second purpose?
Believe it or not, the second purpose is ...
The original "How-to Make Money From Classified
Ads"method!
Nearly 40 years ago, I paid $1 for the report. -- it's bundled-up
in my old archives somewhere - but - I'll never forget the ad
it used to teach the method:
DINING ROOM SET. Table, 6 chairs, hutch,
server. Solid oak. (($25)) Moving. Must
sell. (The price was optional.)
Using that ad, the writer explained a little bit about the
psychology of the ad ... especially the "imperative"at
the end and, if memory serves, he gave a number of different
imperatives you could use in your ads. -- The price was optional
because he only recommended listing a price when it was so low
it made the reader's mouth water. -- The rest of the report was
about "how & where"to find old furniture, equipment,
cars, etc., to "sell"in the Classified Section of the
newspaper.
It ain't mailorder, but ... believe it or don't ... back in
my younger days, I made a nice piece-of-change using that method.
(I'm sure it'll work just as well today ... if'n you wanna try
it!)
That brings us to ...
The Best Purpose for Classified Advertising!
If you haven't already guessed it -- the best purpose for
classified advertising is Lead Generation ... getting inquirers
... building your mailing list.
That's what the self-styled mailorder "gurus"...
who got rich selling "how-to get rich in mailorder"information
... really mean by what they say in their high-powered,
bull-stuff ads - but - they know That's "not" what
they mislead you into believing. So, they have to mislead
you further by trying to teach you to write hard-selling ad-copy
in 50 words or less. But ...
The BEST Classified Ads ONLY Locate & Identify
Your Prospects!
All you should ever want from your Classified Ad is for interested
readers to "raise their hands and be recognized."--
That's it. Nothing more.
Even the original "How-to Make Money From Classified
Ads"method only used Classified Ads to locate and identify
those people who might want to buy the used merchandise you had
available.
When any "legitimate"mailorder marketer tells you
that you can make big money from small classified ads, they mean
you can use Classified Ads to locate and identify prospective
customers who want or need products or services like yours. --
Once you have located and identified a prospective customer,
it is up to your sales material ... like any good salesman ...
to "make the sale."
Only the self-styled mailorder "gurus"... who got
rich selling "how-to get rich in mailorder"information
... will mislead you into believing anyone gets rich "selling"products
or services in Classified Ads.
Although most mailorder marketers ... professionals and amateurs
alike ... make it a point to create a separate inquiry (classified)
ad for each of their products or services, back in the early
1980s, I realized that anyone who responded to a classified ad
about any kind of money making opportunity was a "prime"prospect
for any and all of my products.
So, I came up with 2 or 3 "generic"ads that pulled
the names and addresses of people who were interested in making
money ... the idea was very simple. All I wanted the reader
to do was "raise their hand,"then I could send them
mailers on any and all of my money-making products and services.
Now, I'm gonna tell you ...
A REAL SECRET About Classified Advertising!
Every month ... as the editor of "WorldWide Business
Exchange"... I wrote over 100 Classified Ads for my
subscribers. They didn't even know what I was doing for
them. -- And, every month ... regular as clock work ... I would
get cussed-out by one or more of them.
Why did they cuss me out? -- Because, they had sent me 4 or
5 pages of sales material "selling"their products or
services - or - they sent me their hard-selling classified ad
they spent hours and hours writing but, all I did was put a half-dozen
words in the publication.
A month later, they would call or write to apologize ... when
they discover that my half-dozen words out-pulled all of their
previous efforts.
Why? -- Because ...
Classified Ads ARE NOT Intended To Sell!
Classified Ads should "tell"- or - "arouse
curiosity"... get the reader to ask for more information
... not sell!
Think about it!
A Classified Ad is called a "classified"ad because
it appears under a "classified heading"in the publication.
Therefore, anyone reading that specific "classification"must
be interested in the products or services so classified.
<>So, all you have to do is "tell"them what
you have - or - "arouse their curiosity"about what
you have. -- Since they are already reading the "classified"ads,
they know they have to get in touch with you, somehow, in order
to get all the details. Your ad just has to tell them how
to contact you.
YES!! You can make a fortune from small classified ads
... once you realize that ...
Classified Ads Are Only a Tool For Prospecting!
it's up to your sales material ... like any good salesman
... to "make the sale."
Another Lesson to be Learned
Email marketing is much the same as Classified Advertising.
Your email message should never try to sell your product or service.
It should only entice the reader to visit your sales page for
the whole message.
Let your Sales Page do the selling ... as it should.
Can you stump the old master? --
Betcha can't!
Over the past 50 years (man and boy), I have made bundles
of money in direct selling, service contracting, wholesale merchandising,
entertainment (I was a professional Trumpet player, vocalist
& Radio Announcer), freight forwarding, import/export, retail
merchandising, warehousing, real estate, electronics manufacturing,
finder's fees, closeout merchandising, financial brokerage, business
consulting, steel fabrication, gold and coal mining, offshore
banking, mailorder, writing, and publishing. -- That being the
case ...
No matter what business you're in ... whether you're just
starting, well on your way, or at the top of the heap ... I've
probably been where you are, done what you are doing. -- So ...
Anytime you have a question about 'how' to do something in
your business - or - if you have any comments about anything
I've said in issues of this e-Letter; or if you want to add your
2 cents worth ... just "ask" me or "tell"
me.
Send your Questions, Comments or 2 Cents Worth
to ...
with "Question" - "Comment"
- or, "2 Cents Worth" in the SUBJECT.
If I, personally, don't have an answer to any question you
may ask, I will contact some of the professionals in your field
of endeavor (I will probably know one or more personally) to
get the real 'skinny' for you.
Note: If you want to ask a question anonymously
just tell me so when you send in the question. -- Nobody but
you and I will know who asked the question.
Copyright - 2009, J.F. (Jim) Straw. All rights reserved.