Advertising needn't be expensive, and for those in the know; advertising can also be free. But occasionally your 'free' ads can get lost in the e-zine jungle. And, unfortunately, many people misuse their free ads. By 'misuse' I mean; do not word their ads appropriately. How many times have you seen the exact same ad for the exact same product? Probably too many times. Why would you want to risk having your ad placed directly underneath somebody else's ad that is exactly the same as yours?

The best way to use, not misuse, your ad is to use a two-step system. Don't use the advertising material that the affiliate program has supplied. Why? Because it will be the same material that every other affiliate will be using. Try to write your own ads. Don't worry about inventing that eye catching headline and having those action generating words, leave all that hype to the so-called experts.

One of the most effectively worded ads is an ad that is clear and straightforward. There's no need to hide your product underneath an ALL CAPS heading, a lot of BS promises and finally a URL that is as long as my grandma's knitting yarn. Ultimately you want to aim for a short two-liner. Why? Because it will be quicker to read and it will stand out from all of the 5 to 8 liners. Most of the longer ads disguise the actual product with a lot of fancy words, only to have the prospect 'click away' within 5 seconds of reaching the site, because: 'they've seen it before'. That's an instant loss. You don't even get a chance to capture the prospects' details.

That leads me to the two-step system. What you will need:

• an autoresponder (free is fine, but doesn't look as professional when it's laden with 3rd party ads).

  OR

• a direct response one to two page mini web site.

An autoresponder will allow you to use your two-liner very effectively. The prospect will know that the information (this is where you can place the much longer ad copy that is usually supplied with affiliate programs, but please try to rewrite some of it in your own words) will be delivered to them instantly, and you will be able to capture their e-mail address in order to send follow-ups if the 'fish' aren't biting. Remember, it has been said that a prospect will need to see an ad approximately seven times before they will buy.

A direct response mini site presents the prospect with the ad copy, similar to your first autoresponder message, and immediately offers them a way to order the product, as should your autoresponder message.

Both of these methods work quite well, and implementing them is really a very simple process. Be simple, be direct and above all else, be quick. The Internet has changed the meaning of customer service; people are no longer willing to stand in line or wait for the mailman. They want their product and they want it now! So you need to be - IMMEDIATE!