If you don't have a list of your own then take advantage of someone else's to increase web site traffic!

What if I told you that there is a cost effective way to increase web site traffic and get your ads in front of an audience of 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, or even 50,000 targeted, eager-to-buy, people?

Would you be interested?

I thought you would be?

The answer is not that hard; in fact it is pretty simple. It is one of the most effective ways to advertise on the internet. The little secret is utilizing ezines to promote your product, service, or newsletter.

You see, there are thousands of ezines and newsletters on the internet that will allow you to advertise in them. This is a powerful tool that can increase web site traffic and get your ads in front of thousands of people. Best of all these are people that have an interest in your niche! Because they have willingly signed up to receive the ezine that you are going to place an ad in.

If you sell widgets then you need to find ezines that talk about the widget industry. The beautiful thing about placing a sponsor/solo ad in an ezine is that you are, in essence, performing a joint venture. In some ways it is better than a joint venture because you do not have to share the revenue with someone. You simply pay to run the ad and then wait to get the results.

In order to effectively utilize ezine ads to increase web site traffic, you need to focus on 2 things.

FIND EZINES THAT ARE RIGHT FOR YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE

The first key to effective ezine advertising is to locate ezines that are in the same industry as your product or service. You certainly do not want to place an ad about fishing equipment in an ezine about online marketing!

In my opinion, the best place to search for ezines is the Directory of Ezines. It is the largest and oldest directory on the web.

You can find it at http://www.directoryofezines.com

In the DOE (Directory of Ezines) you will find thousands of ezines. I am sure that you will be able to find some in your niche market. If not, and yours is an in demand market, then there is an opportunity to start your own ezine! We will save that for another article?

Do some research and find out how large their mailing list is, how often they send out their publication, and how much the advertising cost.

Do not focus on how large the list is for each ezine. Some ezines with smaller, more targeted lists can be some of your most profitable. I recommend visiting the site of the ezine and subscribing to it so you can get a look for yourself. Please do not pay for an ad to an ezine without reading the publication yourself to see if it is a high quality publication.

I would suggest buying ads in as many as you can afford and tracking the results to see how effective each has been. When you find one that converts well then you know you will be able to go back to that one over and over again!

Now that we have located the ezines that we want to advertise in, it is time to take a look at the second factor for successful ezine promotion.

WRITE AN EFFECTIVE AD THAT WILL GET THE CLICKS!

In order for ezine advertising to effectively increase web site traffic you must have a terrific ad that pulls people in and makes them click. If you are advertising in a targeted ezine for your market, you already have a laser targeted audience. The trick is to get them interested enough in your ad to force them to click through to your site.

Mainly, there are two types of ads in an ezine:

1. Solo Ad
2. Sponsor Ad

First, let's discuss the solo ad. This is usually the most expensive ad to run in an ezine. The reason for this is because it is the only ad on that page. These are also the most effective ads to use in ezine advertising. Focus Now?These ads are going to every subscriber for that ezine as a solo email! It is almost as if the person that publishes the ezine is promoting the product for you.

There are 3 ways to lay this ad out that work really well.

1. Compile the email like a mini-sales letter. Make sure that you use direct response tactics that will get the clicks.

2. Put the ad in the form of a brochure that provides the potential customer with valuable information about the product or service. Try to make them think that this is a product they can't live without.

3. This is my favorite! Write the ad in the form of an article that endorses the product or service. Give examples of how you have used the product or service successfully in your business. Make the article an Advertorial?These work really well. Most people like good information, so supply them with some.

The second form of ezine ads is the sponsor ad. Usually, there are three sponsor ads in an ezine, the top sponsor ad, the middle sponsor ad, and the bottom sponsor ad. The top ad is usually the most expensive but you get the best conversion!

The middle sponsor ad would be the next in line in cost and conversion with the bottom ad being the cheapest and least converting ad. You need to do whatever your budget will allow, but I would strongly suggest a top sponsor ad if you are going to use sponsor ads.

Sponsor ads need to be written much like a classified ad. Make sure that it applies solid direct response principles, because the goal is to get the click!

Many ezines also have free classifieds that you can put your ads in. I would encourage you to utilize these as well. The more you get your name in front of people the more and more hits you will begin to see on your site.

One last thing! Make sure that you track all of the ads you run. When you find an ad that generates a great conversion then expand your marketing methods using that same ad. You will also find that some of these ezines perform better than others when it comes to conversion, so track it!

Ezine advertising will increase web site traffic! It has been a proven marketing method for me and I am sure that it can be for you as well. If you will take these tips and use them as a guide then your sales will explode. Remember, not all ezines are created equal, so keep looking until you find the ones that get you the clicks you're looking for.

Mark Williams can show you how to start and grow your own internet home based business with proven techniques to increase web site traffic. For more tips visit his site: Increase Web Site Traffic