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ADVERTISING OVERLOAD !
By Kim Skinner

The other day, I wrote a new classified ad to promote my free e-zine. I showed it to a friend, as I always do, and asked his honest opinion.

Without going into too much detail, he basically told me that the ad was boring. "If, by the slightest chance, the headline got my attention," he said, "the rest would put me to sleep."

Hmmm. I realized something was definitely wrong.

After a few more botched attempts, and a little bit of soul searching, I realized what was wrong.

I was suffering from, what I like to think of now as, "Advertising Overload."

Advertising Overload, simply put, is what happens when you've been online for a substantial length of time, and seen so many ads, that you become desensitized. You lose your ability to write an ad that will attract attention.

Here are a few symptoms:

• When reading classified ads in an e-zine, you look at the URL's before reading the actual ad, to see if you recognize it. (And you usually DO!)
  
• When you read the headline of an ad, you immediately become suspicious. "Yeah, sure. Where's the catch?"
  
• When browsing a web page, do you scroll down to the bottom of the page, to see the price, and THEN decide if you're going to read the sales letter?

Sound familiar?

Personally, I don't think Advertising Overload in and of itself, is really a problem. But, when you rely on your copyrighting skills as a source of income, it can be devastating to your business.

Think back.....remember when you first realized that you could make money online? Remember the excitement, the euphoria of reading yet another ad for some new MLM program?

If you're like I was, you bought it all. The hype, the promises, and the exaggerations of riches beyond your wildest dreams. Although it still pains me to admit this, I actually did wrap up that $5 bill in a piece of paper and mailed it to the last name on the list in the chain letter. Eventually, though, I smartened up. After being scammed a couple of times, most of us do.

My point is this; just remembering how you felt back then, when reading classified ads, or sales letters, will help you to avoid becoming a victim of Advertising Overload.

Putting yourself back there will make you realize that not everyone who is reading your ad is suffering from this syndrome.

That's how I was feeling when I wrote my most recent (boring) ad. I was trying to grab the attention of the reader, assuming that he/she was feeling the same things I was. Desensitized. This is simply not true.

Most online surfers haven't spent their days, and nights, working online, placing ads. They haven't been reading free articles for hours, trying to learn as much as possible, until they couldn't think straight anymore.

But, you and I have. I mean, I'm assuming that since you're reading this article, you're an online marketer. If so, you know exactly what I'm talking about. You'll have no trouble believing me when I say that currently, as I write, it is 1:12 AM.

When you write your ads, look for signs of Advertising Overload. If you recognize them, that's half the battle in overcoming it.

Don't write your ad to the you, NOW. Write it to the you, BEFORE. The you who was excited, and wasn't suffering from Advertising Overload.

I have a secret tool that I use. I just found it recently, and it has all but cured my Advertising Overload. It reminds me how to write some killer ads.

You may have seen it. It's all over the web by now. It's simply a free e-book that someone sent to me recently. It's called "Magic Letters That Create Millions In Profits."

If you already have it, use it. Have it up in the background when you're writing ad copy, so you can refer back to it. It's a great help.

If you don't have it, it's available on my site at this URL.

Writing ads, reading ads, studying ads.....they're all good habits to be in. But don't let it effect your writing in a negative manner.

We all do, or will, suffer from Advertising Overload, at one time or another. It's just another challenge that online marketers face. And those who find a way to overcome it, will ultimately be more successful because of it.

Kim Skinner has been helping others set up and promote their Internet businesses for nearly 3 years. Visit her web site for free tips on everything from how to decide on a product to sell, to running a full time business on the Web. <http://www.advertisingtips.net/article.htm> <mailto:info@advertisingtips.net>

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