| One overlooked or misused form of advertising is free | | | | often would request the reader to send a "free, |
| advertising. However, this can be a very important | | | | self-addressed, stamped envelope" for the free report. |
| means of growing your business. | | | | In this way, the seller was able to get his materials in |
| There are innumerable free classified advertising sites | | | | the hands of several interested parties for only the |
| on the internet. Obviously, some will be better than | | | | cost of the report and the ad. The seller was saved |
| others, and the value of any site may be anywhere | | | | the postage by the reader who provided the envelope |
| from good for your business to a total waste of time. | | | | and postage. Enclosed with the report were materials |
| One immediately visible advantage of free advertising | | | | offering other items, often more reports, which were |
| is the adjective, "free". Many people starting internet | | | | sold by the seller. |
| businesses simply do not have the funds to buy | | | | If the seller had provided a report of value on the first |
| advertising. | | | | mailing, it was possible that the reader would purchase |
| By the same token, a disadvantage to free advertising | | | | one of the items. If not, the name and address was still |
| is that since it is free, everybody floods it with all kinds | | | | on the seller's records (mailing list) and the reader |
| of ads, and it is easy for your message to get lost in | | | | would receive more mailings and/or a collection of |
| the flood of advertisements. | | | | such names and addresses would be sold to others |
| Another disadvantage is that unlike people who look | | | | who had not built their own lists as yet. |
| through newspaper classifieds or advertising papers | | | | The same thing is done on the internet, and many |
| such as are found at the local convenience store, few | | | | successful advertisements offer free advertising, |
| people on the Internet actually visit online classified sites | | | | software, reports, or services in order to entice the |
| in hopes of finding a car or piece of stereo equipment. | | | | online reader to respond, thus placing his or her contact |
| Even if they do, they are not likely to see your ad if | | | | information at the disposal of the advertiser. |
| you are trying to interest someone in an internet | | | | This sort of advertising on the internet has spawned |
| income opportunity. | | | | two distinct "advertising" methods which, while free, are |
| So, how can you turn free advertising to your | | | | not actually advertisements. These two methods are |
| advantage? | | | | the writing of articles and the creation of lead capture |
| First, as mentioned, some sites will have the potential | | | | pages. |
| for improving your business in one way or another, and | | | | When someone writes an article of interest or value, |
| some will be totally worthless. Since the advertisement | | | | they can publish it for free at several sites on the |
| itself may or may not be effective, or may or may not | | | | internet. They are usually allowed to include a little |
| be effective at a certain website, testing is necessary. | | | | information about themselves, including a link to their |
| Different ads must be tried, and they must be tried on | | | | business website. Generally, to be most effective, the |
| different sites. | | | | article will be on a subject relevant to the topic of their |
| A difficulty in determining the value of a given free | | | | website and product. Since these articles may |
| advertising site is the fact that with the advent of | | | | eventually be placed on hundreds of websites over |
| automatic advertising submitters, many sites are hardly | | | | long periods of time and are mainly read by those |
| ever visited by humans any more. Only the automatic | | | | interested in the topic, they are very effective as |
| programs drop by and leave off their ads and move | | | | "advertising". If the author writes well and provides |
| on to the next site. Therefore, one of the first criteria | | | | value, the reader may come to respect the writer well |
| to look for might be whether or not ads must be | | | | enough to accept their advice or guidance and |
| manually posted. At least in that case, humans will visit | | | | purchase goods or services from them. |
| and may actually see your ad. | | | | With a lead capture page, the reader cannot get the |
| By the way, even a site which can be posted to | | | | free gift, which is often information, but sometimes a |
| automatically may be of value in the area of linking and | | | | service or product, without giving the advertiser their |
| search engine optimization. Most of these links will be | | | | name and contact information. The advertiser will then |
| fleeting or of little value to a search engine spider, but | | | | use this information to regularly make offers of their |
| you may be able to build a little stable of sites which | | | | products. It is quite common for an internet surfer to |
| will help search engines find your site. I know of | | | | leave his or her name and email address in order to |
| several sites where I regularly post ads exactly for this | | | | receive a course of some kind which is delivered by |
| purpose. (which requires manual submission) for | | | | email to their inbox. The course will be delivered as a |
| example is regularly visited by search engine spiders, | | | | series of messages over time, and each will contain |
| and if I place an ad there, the page I have linked to will | | | | the advertiser's sales message. The content of the |
| soon show up in search engine listings. | | | | course will often be relevant to the product being sold. |
| Second, free advertising is most effective if it is not | | | | In time, the advertiser assumes the stature of friend |
| used to sell anything. In fact, it will operate best when | | | | and expert in the eyes of the reader, and this will often |
| you use the free advertising to give something of | | | | result in a sale being made. |
| value away in order to establish a condition of trust | | | | Free advertising can often be effectively used to lead |
| between yourself and a prospective customer. In the | | | | potential customers to the lead capture pages or even |
| heyday of mail order advertising, this was often | | | | to the articles where they can begin to make the |
| referred to as the "two step" method. | | | | acquaintance of the writer. While the free |
| It worked, and still works, like this. The seller offers a | | | | advertisement seldom is effective in actually spawning |
| free report, such as "How to Make Money from Your | | | | a sale, it can be an excellent means of gathering |
| Kitchen Table". The ad simply makes the offer, and | | | | customers. |