Copywriting Gems: 100 Amazing Advertising Tips!

by Larry Dotson

Copyright © 2005 by L.D. Publishing

All rights reserved. Reproduction and distribution

are forbidden. No part of this publication shall be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted by any other means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without written permission from the publisher.

This publication is designed to provide accurate

and authoritative information with regard to the
subject matter covered. It is sold with the
understanding that the author, and the publisher
is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or
other professional advice. If legal advice or other
professional assistance is required, the services of
a competent professional should be sought.

Larry Dotson and L.D. Publishing does not accept

any responsibility for any liabilities resulting from
the actions of any parties involved.

Note: This is not a free ebook. It is for your own use.

Don't give it away to others.

1 Turn your ad into an article. It could be a story,

or how-to article. This will lead readers into your ad
without them knowing it's an ad. They'll already be
interested when they get to your sales pitch. For
example, you could start your ad, “Once upon a time…”
or “Free Report! How to....”.

2 You could upsell to your customers. When they're

at your order page, tell them about a few extra related
products you have for sale. They could just add it to
their original order. For example, you could say, "Our
new e-book would make a nice edition to the report.
Just click here to add it to your order. It's only $15
more."

3 Tell your customers if they refer four customers to

your web site, they will receive a full rebate of their
purchase price. This will turn one sale into three sales.
You could also offer them other things in return for
referrals like free e-books, free software, coupons,
discounts, etc.

4 When you sell a product, give your customers the

option of joining an affiliate program so they can make
commissions selling your product. This will multiply
the sale you just made. For example, just imagine how
many sales you could have with 1000 affiliates selling
for you. It could eliminate ever buying any paid
advertising again!

5 Use the phrase "invest in our product" instead of

the words “buy” or “purchase”. This makes prospects
feel they're investing in their future if they buy. You
could also tell people how much others have got
back from your product by publishing testimonials
of people who have made money or reaped the
benefits.

6 Use logos and slogans for your business. They

make it easier for people to remember and identify
your business. For example, how many times have
you had a problem and the first thing that popped into
your mind is some business’ logo or slogan. It's
almost like an automatic reaction.

7 When you ship out or deliver your product, include

a coupon for other related products you sell in the
package. This will attract them to buy more products
from you. For example, haven't you ever bought a
product and saw an ad or flyer inside the package
that made you want to buy another product?

8 Send your customers a catalog of add-on products

for the original product they purchased. This could be
upgrades, special services, attachments, etc. If they
like your product, they will buy the extra add-ons.
For example, if you were selling computers, you could
offer software, extended warranties, printer paper, etc.

9 Use the word "fast" in your ad. People want fast

results, fast delivery, fast ordering, etc. Nowadays,
we usually value our time more than our money.
For example, you could say, "Our product works
fast!" Another example, "Our product comes with
fast shipping options."
10 Send your customers free products with their
product package. The freebies should have your ad
printed on them. They could be bumper stickers, ball
caps, T-shirts, etc. This will allow other people to see
your ad and order. The freebies could also be trials
and samples of other products and services you
sell.

11 Use the word "guaranteed" in your ad. People

want to be assured they are not risking their hard-
earned money buying your product. For example, you
could say, "Our product comes with a 90-day money-
back guarantee!" Another example would be, "Don't
forget our product comes with a lifetime guarantee!"

12 Use the word "limited" in your ad. People want

to own or receive things that are exclusive or rare
because they are considered to be more valuable.
For example, you could say, "This special edition
will be limited to the first 500 who order!" Another
example would be, "Order before (date) to get
this limited version of our e-book!"

13 Use the word "easy/simple" in your ad. People

want easy ordering, easy instructions, easy to use,
easy payments, etc. For example, you could say,
"It's the easiest way to lose weight!" Another example
would be, "It's easy to order - just click here and fill
out your information!"

14 Use the word "testimonial" in your ad. People

want to see believable proof before they buy your
product. It should be reputable and specific proof.
For example, you could say, "Check the hundreds
of testimonials we have received!" Another example
would be, "All these testimonials below were given
voluntarily without payment!"

15 Use the words "discount/sale" in your ad. People

want to find bargains. They could be rebates, one
time sales, percentage offers, get-one-free offers, etc.
For example, you could say, "Get a 50% rebate if you
order before (date)!" Another example would be,
"Order before our buy-one-get-one-free sale ends!"

16 Use the word "free" in your ad. People want free

incentives before they do business with you. They
could be free books, accessories, services, etc. For
example, you could say. " Free shipping with every
order over $50!" Another example would be,
"Order within the next 5 minutes to get 3 extra
bonuses free!"

17 Include emotional words in your advertisements.

Use ones like love, security, relief, freedom, happy,
satisfaction, fun, etc. For example, you could say in
your ad, "Imagine meeting the love of your life and
feeling the pleasure of happiness. You'll have the
security of knowing you won't be alone any more."

18 Use the word "important" in your ad. People do

not want to miss important information that could
affect their lives. People will stop and take notice.
For example, your headline could read, "Important
Warning!...” Another example could be, "Important!
Stop And Take Notice!..."

19 Use the word "new" in your ad. People want

new products or services that will improve their lives
like new information, tastes, technology, results, etc.
For example, you could say, "Learn a new revolution-
ary way to lose weight!” Another example would be,
“New! Just Released!..."

20 Show your prospects how much enthusiasm

you have for your product and business. If you're
convincing enough, they will be enthusiastic too.
For example, you could say, "I'm so EXCITED
about our new product!” Another example would
be, "I can't wait for you to experience these benefits!"

21 Make copies of your web site in many different

languages. This'll allow foreign speaking people to
read your web site and advertisements. For example,
if one of your visitors couldn't read English, would
they buy from you? It would be very unlikely. You
could just have all the languages of your web site listed
on your home page so they could click on the one
they could read.

22 Use a lot of headlines on your web site and e-zine.

Some types of headlines are free offers, questions,
problem solvers, sales, and statistics. For example,
"Free E-book", "Want To Get Out Of Debt?", "Free
Article", etc. You could also turn the headlines into
graphics to make them look more professional.

23 You could end your ad copy with a discounted

price. Just list your regular price and then offer a
discounted price off the order ‘right now’. You could
also offer a rebate that takes effect instantly. For
example, you could say, "Instead of paying $99, you
could order now and get an instant rebate of $20 -
you only pay $79!"

24 You could end your ad copy with a free sample

or trial of your product. If your ad didn't attract them
to buy, maybe a free sample or trial would. If
you were selling an e-book, you could give them a
free sample at the end of your ad copy. For example,
you could say, "If you're still not sure about ordering,
download a FREE sample chapter!"

25 Sell a few back-end products that are not related

to your main product but are needed by all humans.
Every customer that buys from you is human. Think
about it - everyone eats, right? For example, you
could say, "Free Bonus 1# A Free $30 Dollar Coupon
To The Restaurant Of Your Choice!"

26 Use the words "you/your" in your ad. People want

to know that you are talking to them. This'll make them
feel important and attract them to read the whole ad.
For example, you could say, "You could be the winner
in our next contest!" Another example would be, "You
are experiencing the benefits already, aren't you?"

27 Offer daily or weekly visitor bonuses. This will

increase your repeat traffic and sales because your
visitors will visit regularly to get the visitor bonuses.
For example, you could say, "Every week I will be
giving away a new e-book to my web site visitors.
Sign up to be reminded when it's ready each week."

28 Make your visitors curious about your product

by telling them they need to sign up to get into a
password protected site to read the rest of the ad.
This will give your product extra perceived value
because it is so well guarded. Just like a diamond in
a bank vault.

29 Remember the little things about your web pages

really count. Include the title of your site at the top
right corner, a description about your site, etc. For
example, if I visited your web site and didn’t know
or understand what it was all about, I would probably
leave right away.

30 Turn your banner ad into a trivia question. Post

the question on the banner and tell readers they can
win a prize if they answer the question at your site.
People love trivia because it makes them feel smart
when they get the right answer. The prize is just an
extra incentive for them to click on your banner.
31 Motivate people to buy your product. Tell them
positive things. For example, you could say, "You can
now reach your goals and change your life if you buy
our product.” If you come across positive in your ad
copy, they will become positive about reaching their
goals using your product.

32 Increase your ratio of visitors who purchase your

product(s). You could change your headline, offer a
stronger guarantee, add testimonials, etc. For
example, one week you could have your headline say,
"How To Lose 5 Pounds In Two Days!" and the
next week use, "Lose 5 Pounds In Only 48 Hours!"
Just see which one pulls more orders per visitors.

33 Get your sales letters and web site evaluated for

free. Visit business discussion boards and ask other
participants to evaluate them. Don't get discouraged
if someone gives you a lot of negative feedback
about your web site. Most people are only trying to
help you. Take the criticism constructively.

34 Personalize all your e-mail messages so they get

read. Include the recipient's name in the subject line.
This will grab people's attention quickly. For example,
wouldn't "(your name), Learn How To..." get your
attention more than just "Learn How To..."? I figured
you would say that.

35 Test different web site color themes to see which

combination will sell your product better. You can
also test the size and style of your web site text. For
example, red usually signals: stop, anger, excitement,
love, sex, fun, etc. Another example, blue usually
signals: relaxation, authority, coolness, etc.

36 Promise your readers an end result or outcome

in your ad. You must give them a solid guarantee
that your product will solve their problem. For
example, you could say, "I personally guarantee you
will get over your shyness in 10 days or less or your
money back."

37 Attract people to link to your web site. You could

offer them a discount on the products you sell or
give them free items for linking. For example, you
could say, "Get A Huge 30% Discount On Our
E-book If You Agree To Link To Our Web Site For
At Least One Month!”

38 Develop your own opt-in email list by giving your

visitors a reason to give you their e-mail address.
Allow them to sign up to free items and contests. Just
get their permission to e-mail them again in the
future for other things. For example, you could
say, "Sign Up For Your Chance To Win A Color
TV!"

39 Create a "PR" web page for your business. List

information that could be considered newsworthy
for e-zines, newspapers, magazines, etc. There are
many ways to get into the media, like launching a
unusual product, donating a large amount to charity,
holding big events, etc.

40 Give your business and products credibility by

linking to web sites that have written positive stories
about your business. You could link to them right
in your product ad. For example, you could say,
"Just See What (name) Magazine Is Saying About
Our Newest E-book!"

41 Allow your visitors to decided how much they

want to pay for your product. I only recommend it
for products that don't sell or ones that hardly sell.
Tell them you'll accept offers via e-mail or your
web form. You could even accept fair barter deals
for other products and services.

42 Never assume people believe the information in

your ad copy. You need to back-up all your claims
with indisputable evidence. For example, you could
include testimonials, expert endorsements, third
party tests or studies, strong guarantees, a list of
customers, pictures of customers, etc.

43 Give your customers free shipping. If you can't

afford that, you can give free shipping to customers
who buy over a certain dollar amount to raise profits.
You could also charge other businesses for inserting
ads in your product package. This will make up for
your free shipping losses.
44 Test your web site regularly for ordering glitches,
bad links, broken graphics, etc. Those types of
errors will make your business look unprofessional.
If your visitors can't order, navigate to where they
want to go or see pictures of your product, they likely
won't revisit or order.

45 Build a professional looking web site even if you

have a small budget. You could use free graphics,
designs, list servers and other tools offered online.
Just go to your search engine or web directory of
choice and type in "free (what you want)" and you
will usually find it.

46 Use a lot of sub-headlines on your web site. This

will hold people’s attention and keep them at your
web site longer. Sometimes people don't have time
to read a whole sales letter. This will allow you to sell
to people who are skimmers. Plus it will get the
reader’s full attention at the same time.

47 Allow your prospects to choose between a retail

or wholesale price. Of course you need to make a
profit on the wholesale price. Just charge people a
monthly or yearly membership fee to always get your
products at wholesale cost. Your business would be
like the offline wholesale shopping clubs.

48 You could reward your potential customers if they

spend over a specific dollar amount. Tell them if they
spend over $100, they get a 10% discount. You
could also extend the offer over a certain period of
time and attract them to revisit your web site. For
example, you could say, "Buy Over $50 Worth Of
Merchandise Within The Next Month And Get A
20% Discount!"

49 Make your visitors feel comfortable at your web

site. Give them your main business address. Your
visitors may not trust you if you're using a P.O. Box.
If you want to make them feel really comfortable, give
them your business, home and cell phone number.
Then they will know they can get hold of you if they
need help.

50 Give your visitors a free membership to your

online club. People want to belong to something,
why not your online club? You could also give
away a free e-zine for club members only. You
could make money by offering a deluxe membership
for a monthly fee.

51 Tell your audience what kind of support they'll

get after they buy. It could be free consulting, tech
support, free servicing, etc. This may also answer
some of their buying questions ahead of time. People
don't want to buy products without knowing you
will be there to help if they have problems.

52 Make your classified ads stand out in a crowd.

Use all capital letters in the headline, divide letters
with extra spaces, add in text symbols, etc. For
example, you could write, "WIN a VACATION to
Las Vegas!" Another example would be, "Win A ($)
Trip To Las Vegas!"

53 Spice up your web site's wording by using plenty

of adjectives. It gives your visitors a clearer vision of
what you're explaining or describing to them. For
example, if you were describing a software program
you could say, "This easy-to-use software gently
guides you through the whole set up process."

54 Don't make your banner ads look like ads. Most

people ignore banner ads. Design them to look like
content and have people click to read the rest. For
example, you could say, "How To Increase Your
Sales By 200% by Larry Dotson. To Read Click
Here!"

55 Ask people at the end of your copy why they

decided not to buy. This will give you new ideas on
how to produce ad copy that’s more profitable. Have
a web form or e-mail link in place so they can answer
you. You may find out they don't like your guarantee
or graphics. It could be anything.

56 Market your web site as a free club instead of

a web site. This'll increase your repeat visitors and
sales because people enjoy belonging to groups.
You could have a members’ message board, give
visitors' membership IDs, give them membership
graphics to place on their web sites, etc.

57 Tell your potential customers that your ordering

system is highly secure. Also reassure them that
you take every effort to protect them. People want
to feel they are safe online. They want to know that
you care about their well-being. Tell them all about
what you currently do for them to make them feel
more secure.

58 Check your web site links regularly. If people

click on a link and it doesn't work, they usually
won't risk wasting their time clicking on another one.
For example, would you revisit a web site after two
of the links you really wanted to click on didn’t
work? You probably wouldn't even bookmark the site.

59 Give visitors a positive experience when they're

at your web site. Provide them with original content
and free things. They'll tell all of their friends about it.
You could also persuade them to tell their friends
about it by starting an affiliate program. It could pay
per sale, per click or per lead.

60 Use pictures or graphics on your web site that

support the product you're selling. They could give
your visitors a clearer vision of your product, the
benefits of the product, people's emotion when they
own the product, etc. You could also use ‘before’ and
‘after’ pictures.
61 Use a handwritten letter on your ad copy instead
of text. Write the ad on a piece of paper, scan it and
publish the ad on your web page. Adding a personal
touch will always increase your sales. If you don't
want to write the whole letter by hand, you could just
put your signature at the end.

62 Publish a list of famous and respected customers

who have bought from you on your ad copy. People
will think that if these people bought from you, they
should also trust your business and purchase your
products. Make sure to get their permission first.
For example, you could say, “Here is a list of some
of our most valued customers:…”

63 Show ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos for your products

on your web page copy. Show the problem picture
and then beside it, show the picture of how the
problem was resolved when they used your product.
This will give your prospects a clearer mental image
of the possible benefits of using your product.

64 Include an article or review which has been written

about you or your business with your ad copy. This
will show people that your business is respected and
will increase your credibility. You could include the
full review or an excerpt of it.

65 When you offer free bonuses in your ad copy, also

list the dollar value beside each bonus. People will
feel they're getting a good deal and it will increase the
value of your product. For example, you could say
"Bonus 1# Free Internet Advertising E-book Valued at
$47!"

66 Hire a famous person to endorse your product or

service. Make sure the person is well-known to your
target audience. Include their picture and statements
in your ad copy. Using a picture endorsement is
more powerful because it shows the endorser
likes your product enough to show his or her face.

67 Include your own picture in your ad copy. This

will show people that you're not hiding behind your
ad copy and will increase their trust. Also, include
your contact information below the picture and a
brief statement or quote. If you feel adventurous, you
could include an online audio sound bite or video
clip of yourself.

68 Provide a privacy statement and all your contact

information on every page of your web site. This'll
persuade your visitors and prospects to trust you.
For example, if your contact information was only
on your home page and they had a question about
ordering one of your products on another page, they
might just get frustrated and leave your web site.

69 Ask your potential customers plenty of ‘yes’ and

‘no’ questions in your ad copy. The questions should
remind them of their problem and make them think
about what will happen if they don't purchase your
product. For example, you could say, "Do you want
to get out of debt?” “Do you want to have financial
security?"

70 Tell your potential customers they will receive a

free prize if they find the five words in your ad copy
that are misspelled or spelled backwards. The longer
you can keep someone reading your copy, the greater
chance of them purchasing. You could also have them
find hidden links, hidden graphics, etc.

71 Give your prospects extra incentives so they will

order quicker. It could be free shipping, a faster
shipping option, free gift-wrapping, etc. For example,
you could say, "Free gift-wrapping to the first 1000
people who order." Another example, "Free shipping
to anyone who orders before (date)."

72 Make your small business look big on the world

wide web. Design your web site using professional
graphics, ordering systems, organized layouts, etc.
For example, on the web no one really knows if you’re
a one-man business or huge corporation, unless you
tell them. Just design your web site to look
professional.

73 Attract a lot more customers by giving them clear

ordering instructions. Give them all the information
they need so they can complete their order easily.
For example, you could say, "Please fill out all of the
order form below. We accept all major credit cards
and online checks. Please click the "Order" button
only once. You don't want to get double charged."

74 Give your customers buying incentives so they'll

make repeat purchases. Offer them discounts, free
gifts, bonus points, etc. For example, if you give your
customers points every time they buy something,
they will start collecting them and buy more things.
They will want to save up enough points to get a free
product.

75 Tell people about your site whenever you get a

chance. Those people will tell other people and so
on. It's a cheap way to multiply your advertising.
For example, if you’re at a grocery store, mention it
to people you talk to; the check clerk, the bag boy,
etc. Every little bit helps.

76 Write and send press releases for your web site.

Use strong headlines, make it newsworthy, and
tell the journalist why their readers would like it. You
could increase your chances of getting your release
read or published by communicating with editors
regularly and creating a professional friendship with
them.

77 Make your long ad copy interesting enough so

people click through to the next web page. If it's not,
they won't take the time to click and read more.
For example, you could say, "Click here to read more
and to get a top secret tip!" Another example, "Click
here to read about the 10 free bonuses!"

78 Design graphics, templates, buttons and banner

ads for other sites. Allow people to use them in
exchange for your web link on their home page. For
example, you could require the users to say on their
web site, "These graphics were made possible by
(your business name and web site address)."

79 You could hold a special $1 sale for your potential

customers. They'll come to your web site to buy your
product for only a dollar, but may buy other products.
For example, you could sell an e-book for one dollar and
have ads near it for other e-books you sell for, say, $27.

80 Start an e-zine for your web site. When people

read each issue they'll be reminded to revisit your
web site. They'll see your product ad more than
just once, which will increase your orders. You’ll need
to have at least 50% original content in it so people
don't unsubscribe because they read your information
in other e-zines.

81 Form an online community. It could be an online

message board, e-mail discussion list or chat room.
When people get involved in your community, they
will regularly return to communicate with others.
You could also invite your online community to free
"how to" classes hosted in your chat room or by
teleconference.

82 Write articles and submit them to e-zines, web

sites and magazines that accept article submissions.
Include your business information and web address
at the end of the article. You could also give the
editors extra incentives to publish your article, like
freebies, affiliate commissions, offers to publish
their article, etc.

83 Give away an electronic freebie with your ad on

it. Allow your visitors to give the freebie away as well.
This'll increase your ad exposure and attract people
to your web site at the same time. You could also
use it as a bonus for another product you sell or
as a free surprise gift for your most loyal customers.

84 Combine your products or services into one big

package deal with offerings from other businesses.
You could share a web site and advertise the pack-
age deal which would mean double the traffic. It could
be one or more business. If the business is your
competition, you would want to use a neutral product.

85 Submit your freebie to the online directories that

list your particular item or service for free. If you're
offering a free e-zine, submit it to all the free e-zine
directories on the Internet. There are free e-book
directories, web site directories, general freebie
directories, free article directories, etc.
86 Participate on message boards. Post answers to
other people's questions, ask questions and post
appropriate information. Include your signature file
at the end of all your postings. Some message boards
let you include a text link at the end of your message.
Plus you can learn great tips reading all the postings.

87 Exchange classified or sponsor ads with other

free e-zine publishers. If there is a huge subscriber
difference between e-zines, one can run more ads
to make up for it. You could also offer free items
or affiliate commissions. Another idea would be to
offer them an ad on your web site too.

88 Post your ad on free advertising areas on the

Internet. You can post it on free classified ad sites,
free for all links sites, newsgroups that allow ads,
free yellow page directories, etc. Of course all
of those areas have different rules for submissions
so you may have to structure your offer differently
each time.

89 Maximize the effectiveness of your banner ads.

Don't just use the same ad on every banner, use a
variety to attract the greatest number of clicks.
If you are hosting banner ads on your web site for
affiliate programs you have joined, you could use
a banner rotator to give each one equal exposure.

90 Make your web site load much faster by cutting

down on banner ads and using more buttons.
Button ads are also smaller and take up less space.
Also there is nothing wrong with text links. They
usually pull in more response than banner ads
because people nowadays often ignore banners.

91 Offer free advertising space to well-known and

respected companies on your web site. Sometimes
people link their business credibility to yours. If
you sell advertising this might help too. People will
see high profile ads on your web site and want
to advertise there too.

92 People have been taught all their lives to respect

people in authority. Tell your visitors that you are
the president or CEO of your business. For example,
you could sign your ad or web site, "(your name) Vice-
President of (the business)." Another example, "(your
name) Author Of The Book (title)."

93 Offer people a free telephone consultation before

they order your product. When they get to know
you personally, it could convert to more sales. You
could also use a chat room or message system on
your web site to communicate with them.

94 Test the "bill me later option" on your web site.

Most people are honest and will pay you. It is a
powerful little technique and could increase your sales.
You would just have to e-mail them a bill or charge
their credit card a few weeks later. You could offer
Cash On Delivery (COD) too.

95 Find a charity your target audience would likely

support. Tell people in your ad copy that you will
give a percentage of the profits to that charity. You
could give them a few choices of which charity their
percentage of the profits should go. Just let them
check the one they want when they order.

96 Hold a "Buy the Most Wins” contest on your web

site. Tell people each monthly winner will get their
entire purchase refunded. This will get some of your
customers to compete to get all their purchases for
free.

97 Attract visitors to your web site by offering them

a free course. You could package the course on
a follow-up autoresponder and send lessons daily.
You could offer other autoresponder courses in
your first autoresponder course to allow them to
see your message even more times. Just include
your ad in each lesson.

98 Interview people related to your industry and

get their legal permission to convert it to an article.
Promote your web site by submitting it to e-zines.
You could make it a column and interview someone
new every week. If an e-zine elects to run your
column regularly that would be free ongoing exposure.
99 Make your readers visualize they have already
bought your product in your ad. Tell them what
results they have got from it and how it makes them
feel. They'll already become emotionally attached
before they buy. For example, you could say,
"Imagine using our product to increase your sales by
600%!"

100 When you make your first sale, follow-up with the
customer. You could follow-up with a "thank you"
e-mail and include an advertisement for other products
you sell. You could follow-up every few months.
For example, you could attach or link to an e-book
catalog on all the product you sell or resell.