Reality Check: Internet Advertising and Marketing

One of the “rules” of old-school advertising is this: Sucky ads have NEVER worked – PERIOD!

So a lot of bloggers are complaining because advertisers don’t want to pay to have their sucky ads appear on blogs. They want to believe it’s because people don’t CLICK on banner ads.  I guess that’s an easier truth to swallow than to admit your banner ads SUCK!

See the banner ad to the right? You can’t miss it – it’s the only one there! That’s a banner ad for my product, the 8 Week Power Blog Launch. I’d like to share a secret with you – IT WORKS! People click on that ad and visit the sales page. People are ACTUALLY buying the product.

There are several reasons for that banner ad’s success and they’re all related to my internet marketing strategy.

1. It’s the only ad on the page.
2. The product was created with a tightly targeted end user in mind.
3. The banner ad was also created with the same tightly targeted end user in mind.
4. Many readers of this blog are target end users.

Does every visitor to this blog click on the ad? NO!

Hire a professional to manage your marketing and advertising if you think that’s possibility!!!!

If you’re here, and you’re the owner of a really popular blog, that ad probably doesn’t catch your eye. If you’re here and you don’t have a blog, that ad won’t catch your eye. However, if you have a blog that you’re struggling to build, that ad is pure eye candy!

With that said, I have been pleasantly SURPRISED by the really successful bloggers who have picked up a copy and given it rave reviews. Cath Lawson for example – who has been providing PLENTY of “word of mouth” marketing for my Power Blog Launch product!

See, Cath has lots of “wanna be” bloggers who are faithful readers – and when she says, “This is good stuff,” her readers TRUST her and as a result, they follow the link and buy! Again, she knows her readers – and she thinks this is something they want and need so she’s promoting it.

(By the way, I use a “squeeze” page to market that product because it’s a MINOR SALE product. Read more about advertising and the major sale.)

When I created my own banner ad, I did so with the following in mind:

The human brain FILTERS information so you’re not overloaded with information. Being exposed to several THOUSAND ads a day means – hey – if you didn’t have a filter, your poor brain would do nothing other than process ad messages. No, you need time to sleep, eat and have sex – so the filters kick in so you’ll have time for what’s important in life.

Now, as an advertiser, it’s important to note that not EVERY advertising message gets screened!

Advertising that aren’t RELEVANT to your prospective customers GDP (Goals, Desires, Problems) are destined to get screened.  However, ads that don’t suck still have to be repeated because sometimes you just have to say something over and over again to get it to stick!

Advertising is an investment in new business!!!!

Advertising is NOT a form of welfare and needs to produce results.  In order to produce results, you HAVE to break through the filter with your marketing message!

If you need an example of the filter in action, think of what happens when you decide it’s time for a new car. you’re in the market for a new car, your brain will suddenly open the floodgates and allow all of those car dealer’s ads to start bombarding your senses! However, if you’re not in the market for a car, then your marvelous brain will filter out the overwhelming number of car ads.

THAT IS HOW ADVERTISING WORKS! It’s the same with ONLINE ADVERTISING AND MARKETING! It’s the same with OFFLINE ADVERTISING AND MARKETING!

If you create messages that don’t “break through” the filters – then your advertising and marketing messages WILL fall victim to the filters. Your message WILL be screened.

I’ve written an entire BOOK on this subject, Beyond the Niche: Essential Tools You Need to Create Marketing Messages that Deliver Results Rather than recap that book here, I’d suggest you pick up a copy.

If you’re a blogger and your blog is struggling – pick up a copy of the 8 Week Power Blog Launch. It contains many of the same principles covered in the book except it’s tightly targeted to creating a BLOG that delivers marketing messages that deliver results!

If you need a step by step guide to creating truly effective marketing messages for your small business- pick up a copy of my book Beyond the Niche: Essential Tools You Need to Create Marketing Messages that Deliver Results.