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by Chris Small

Use Personal Endorsements

Personal endorsements and testimonials are going to provide far more credibility than banner ads and pretty pictures ever will. You must have them. Write your own. Ask your customers for feedback. Ask your upline for their testimonial. Ask your downline. Get as many legitimate words of praise for the program that you are promoting as possible.

Have you ever seen the ads that read; "I lost xx pounds - ask me how". They are everywhere; in newspapers, on buttons that people wear, laundromat bulletin boards, bumper stickers, etc.. As distasteful as they may be, they are a testament to the power of personal testimonials.

Utilize the Full Value of Ezines

The most effective way to reach your prospects is through ezines. I won't go into all the reasons why you should have your own, there are already many fine articles on that subject. Let's just say that if you don't publish your own ezine, then you will have to pay someone else who does to present your marketing message. Even if you do have your own ezine it is very wise to buy or barter advertising space in other Internet newsletters to increase your exposure.

There are several ways present your message in ezines. The most common, but least effective, is through the use of classified ads. They do work, and are cheap to buy, but you will see far better results with a higher profile ad. Placing your message at or near the top of the publication gives it a much better chance of being seen. These "Sponsor Ads" or "Featured Ads" not only stand out from the rest of the ads, but they carry more credibility too. Also, many publishers will allow you to include more copy in the higher paying ads.

In your own ezine you can take liberties and write full articles that discuss the merits of your affiliate program. This can be a very effective method, but you need to remember to write it with the readers interests in mind. Nothing turns people off faster than blatant self serving commercials. Always use the WIIFM principle. The reader needs to know, "What's In It For Me".

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