Pre-written Affiliate Ad Copy Sucks

The Ineffective Ad
Trina L.C. Sonnenberg

Being that I publish this ezine, I receive and read a lot of ad copy. Additionally, in marketing my business, I have joined many list building programs which utilize mailers. Don't get me wrong... I'm not here to bash these kinds of programs; on the contrary, I think they're an effective method of advertising, provided you know how to use them. It isn't this type of program that I want to talk about; it is the ad copy that people use in them.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again... Pre-written affiliate ad copy sucks!

Sure, your guru says that this subject line and this copy are sure things, but do you think that your ads are really being read? Let me ask you this too... Do you open every single email with a subject line identical to the one before it? I mean really...

Every day, I open one of my many mailboxes, and I see the same subject line repeated a dozen times or more. What is the chance that someone will open your message, out of even three that have the same subject, much less actually read the copy inside?

Remember, when you are an affiliate marketer, you are competing with hundreds of others, all using the same ad copy that was provided to you. You'd be better off making up your own. Your guru has already set you up for failure by giving everyone the identical marketing tools (ads). (I'm sure they don't do it on purpose, or should I say with intent, but they do.) Actually, you'd be better off if they provided you with no ad copy at all, just information about the product/program, so you could go it solo.

If you are a copy and paste advertiser, STOP IT RIGHT NOW! At the very least, change what they give you and make it your own. Take the headline and change a few words. Use your thesaurus. Read the copy and personalize it. Ask yourself this question.... If I read this, would it really inspire me to take action, or would I file it? Make your ad a little different from the others that are being put out by hundreds of affiliates.

Hey! Here's a good one... Write your own ad from scratch, and make it a short testimonial. Let people know what YOU like about it, not what the creator thinks about it. (If you haven't had any experience with what you're promoting, you'd better get some quick. Sincere testimonials sell.

Do yourself a favor, and quit being a copy and paste advertiser. You are really wasting your time, you know. Make your message stand out from the others, not blend in with the scenery. Tell them why they should do business with you over everyone else marketing the same thing.

People do a lot of weird things, but I really can't see anyone staring at their mailbox, seeing the same subject line over and over again, and playing eenie, meenie, miney, moe... to chose one to open.

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About the Author:
Trina L.C. Sonnenberg
Publisher - The Trii-Zine Ezine - Your Trusted Source for Internet Business and Marketing Information. Serving online professionals since 2001. ISSN# 1555-2276
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Author of: My Journey A Lifetime of Verse http://stores.lulu.com/triizine
Internet Marketing Mavens
http://internetmarketing-mavens.com
Keywords: affiliate marketing, affiliate programs, ad copy, marketing