TOP 3 TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE TEXT ADS

By Debbie Weil
Publisher, WordBiz Report

TIP 1: You need a useful, tangible offer

Online text ads are a form of direct response marketing. Your goal is an instant click. NOT a sale; nor even a lead. That's the job of your landing page. You're not looking to get married. Nor to go out on a date that requires preparation and decision-making.

The most effective offer is one that screams,"You get... " Not: "Let us tell you about our fantastic company and our products and services." Instead, "Here's what you get right away when you click through." In B2B (business-to-business) it means something useful and educational.

Does this sound like a micro way of looking at text ads? It is. You're looking for a baby step. Or a "shy yes," as marketing mentor Alex Mandossian puts it.

Your offer should be something tangible as well as relevant to the interests of the newsletter audience. A downloadable PDF almost always inspires a click. (It's proven particularly successful with WordBiz subscribers.) You can't lose with a white paper or tip sheet titled: How to... Top 10 Tips... Checklist for...

TIP 2: Make it oh so easy and quick

This applies both to the logistics of fulfulling your offer AND to the mental image you create in your copy.

Streamline the number of steps it takes for a visitor to click through to your landing page, give you their contact information (don't ask for too much) and then click to a second page where you provide a link and clear instructions on how to download your PDF white paper or tip sheet.

Does the copy in your ad conjure up an "offer" that's quick and easy to get? Offering a free trial for 30 days of your service may sound valuable. But it requires time and effort. The reader must go through multiple steps to learn more, to get signed up, and perhaps even speak with a sales rep. Too much work. Make it clear that your reader can obtain your "offer" in less than a minute.

TIP 3: Finish the conversation on your landing page

Remember, the click-through is not your end goal. If you can customize your landing page for each campaign, do so. Reiterate your offer. Emphasize its value. Make it crystal clear what your visitor needs to do next - and why it's worth the effort. The landing page is where you convert a click to an initial "conversion."

If you're asking for an email address in return for giving them access to your PDF tip sheet, be sure to state your privacy policy. Or make it clear that you have one.

Follow these three simple tips and watch your click-throughs and conversions markedly improve. It takes attention to detail and sound WIIFM ("what's in it for me") thinking to make text ads effective.

EXAMPLE OF AN EFFECTIVE WORDBIZ TEXT AD

The ad below ran recently in the top position in WordBiz Report. It had a click-through rate of nearly 2 percent (over 222 unique clicks). Of those, 154 completed the sign up process on the landing page. That's an initial conversion rate of about 70 percent.

CLICK HERE to see a critique of ExpressWeb's effective landing page.

Advertiser Joel Bines, president of Crossover Solutions and its ExpressWeb microsites, told me he expects a "10X ROI" on the text ad above. That's ad jargon for a return on investment that's 10 times the cost of the campaign (in this case, the price of one ad insertion plus licensing my e-book).

He's expecting to close two sales with total revenues of $13,000 to $15,000. Not bad for a 50-word text ad.

How to advertise in WordBiz Report