For the budget conscious internet marketer, learning how to use free classified ads is a worthwhile action – and one that doesn’t take up a lot of time.
For traffic generation and sales promotion it is risk free and at no cost. The following tips will help you make best use of this option.
Firstly, search and explore more than one free classified ads sites. This gives you both a different reach and a more diverse targeted audience.
Don’t Just Rely On One Classified Ad Site
Try to build a stable of about 6 or 7 sites to help maximize your success rate. With them, post new ads regularly and renew existing ads that have shown responses.
You may need to explore over a dozen or more to find ad sites that suit your products and services. Use
Google and keyword search for “your niche+free classified ads” or just Google ‘free online classified ads’ or similar phrase.
Browse through the group you have bookmarked as possibles. Become familiar with them and sign up, preferably using a public email address such as Hotmail or Yahoo.
You ought also have a URL shortener installed by this time anyway such as bit.ly/ or goo.gl/ as you will need to use them if you want to cloak an affiliate code in an URL. It is also a quick way to see if you ads are getting hit as they all keep stats.
Compelling Yet Credible Ad Titles
These are called magnetic titles. They capture some ones curiosity, yet remain believable. Most WON’T believe titles like “Make $5000 Each Day”.
Look at the ads you see in classifieds and on Google and get an idea if you are stuck for good copywriting. The aim is to grab someone’s attention. Look at ads – and see what grabs you or attracts your eye. These that stand out are a good guide for you to emulate.
Also take note of those that keep appearing (e.g. on Google’s right hand column) – advertisers are not likely to keep non-performing adverts
Use strong calls to action e.g. (sign up today, buy now, pay less, save now etc)
Examples of strong words are new, guaranteed, proven, safe, free etc
Keywords
Using a tool like Google’s AdWords tool is a source of finding popular keywords – use these creatively in your ad title.
In the ad body, be precise, emphasize benefits and use ‘call to action’ phrases such as “Click now to take advantage of time limited discount”
Find out a few popular keywords people use to search for your niche using Google. Google AdWords keyword tool is a great tool for keyword researching. Pick a dozen related keywords and try to creatively use those keywords in your ad title.
Simply enter your niche keyword or a key phrase and the tool displays the average monthly search counts of both the keyword you have entered and a large number of related key phrases
Next Step
Draw up about half a dozen (or more) variations of the same advertisement and post about 20 ads in each site.
You have say six free ad sites – therefore posting the 6 variations will give you 36 ad postings. Keep the rest for the next posting time.
Monitor the responses you get from the ads. Those that get responses (visits) are worth doing more of.
Summary
Use a strong title
Show the benefits, be specific
Include a call to action with a sense of urgency