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[Daniel Herzner Contribution Level: 3]

I'm having a little bit of a tough morning and I hope you don't mind if I tell you why. I ran an ad in an opportunity magazine offering to provide a free training video series I'd created on how to become successful in MLM. Like Mike Dillard's materials, my aim is to keep my training 100% neutral. Well, the ad went nowhere – I can track exactly two opt ins back to this ad.

I got a call from another opp's magazine publisher this morning who wants me to advertise in his publication. I explained to him my situation with the first magazine as described above. He took a look at my ad in the competing magazine and suggested that an ad specifically on my opportunity, not one offering free, neutral training, is what I should run. People want to be told what to expect from an opportunity with compensation claims and ease of success. In other words, an ad barking about how much better my opportunity is than everybody else's is what I should be running.

Look, I know that people are always looking for easy. People want to be handed the keys to success on a silver platter. But I know that life does not work that way; especially not success in MLM. Do people have to get their asses kicked and lose a whole bunch of time and money jumping into a get rich quick "opportunity" before they wake up and realize that this industry will only reward those who take it and themselves seriously?

I was really appreciative of the guy's candor though. He did admit to me that an ad offering free training such as mine is probably not a good fit for his magazine. He'd suggested that only an ad about the great, shiny opportunity I have would do well. I don't know, should I try it? Placing this magazine ad is only a part of my marketing strategy in addition to all the stuff I'm doing online.

[Anthony Busciglio Contribution Level: 2]

I think that a paid ad in a magazine should probably be more opportunity based, and you should promote you're free education or boot camp on free sites through social networking sites. Just my opinion

[Daniel Herzner Contribution Level: 3]

Perhaps you're right. I figured my ad could've provided a little island of sanity amongst all the ads making claims of big dollars and easy riches. It kinda made sense to me that someone new to the idea of home biz would welcome a free education first before selecting their vehicle.

[colin myles Contribution Level: 2]

just a quick thought substitute the word "free "with "no cost". a lot of the good copy guys recomend this.

other than that the 2nd magazine guy is a good sales person. also go to trafficswarm and split test the wording of your ad for the url. you can see how many hits each gets. won't cost you a dime and will give you an idea as to which wording is drawing in people.

colin myles
http://www.colinmyles.blogspot.com

p.s.
good luck on your journey

[Andrew Collins Contribution Level: 1]

Colin,
I assume that this magazine is a hard copy, not an "e-zine".

One thing I learned a while back that improved my marketing (i.e. SAVED ME $$$) was that when you are in the offline world, like magazines, bandit signs, billboards, etc., you want to rely more on phone orders than websites.

The logic being that people are lazy, and the likelihood that people will go from sitting reading that magazine to log on to the internet is lower than the likelihood that they can make a phone call. Even if the copy is good, people are generally rather forgetful due to the massive number of ads they see daily.

Also good to use a live answering service or a line that you can forward to your phone.

Internet capture opt-in pages work best when linked on the web, not listed in print media.

Hope that helps. I have spent a LOT of valuable cash generating leads for several businesses, and had that same problem before.

Continued Success Colin.

[denise Mazzanti Contribution Level: 1]

Great post. I just posted an article on the Power of Positive Thinking and one of the things I mentioned is that while on a webinar for my company, the speaker mentioned that you should plan on making a 2 to 5 year commitment or you are cheating yourself and he is right. Nothing happens overnight. There is no get rich quick scheme.

denise
deezdezigns.com

[Anthony Busciglio Contribution Level: 2]

Great post. I just posted an article on the Power of Positive Thinking and one of the things I mentioned is that while on a webinar for my company, the speaker mentioned that you should plan on making a 2 to 5 year commitment or you are cheating yourself and he is right. Nothing happens overnight. There is no get rich quick scheme.

denise
deezdezigns.com

Damn right there is no get rich quick schemes. Hard work and education will bring wealth.

[Paul Sorgi Company: Vitamark International Contribution Level: 2]

Well, I have never done a magazine ad but I have used the newspaper...lots of calls most people looking for a JOB. If you want to travel down the road of mag advertising I would say Test, test, and test. Nothing wrong with advertising "WHY" join you and your amazing team because of all the great things you have to offer such as FREE training! Give it a shot but make it about you and why you are different. People join People not companies.

I hope this helps.

Paul
http://powerstepstosuccess.com

[Ethan Lanagan Company: ViSalus Sciences Contribution Level: 2]

Personally I would never waste my dollars advertising in a hard copy magazine. If its an MLM Magazine it is being read but other networkers. The only thing they are asking themselves most of the time is how can I call this guy and recruit him into my company! If by some chance they are looking for a new company what separates your company from the rest? I am sure there are a few things but usually its you!

Which means why would I follow you? The answer to that is leads me back to your content. So I would lead with content if you are trying to recruit other networkers.

I might sound crazy but maybe some of you could go recruit someone that is not in someone elses downline. haha.

Good post though.

[veronica fitzhugh Contribution Level: 1]

Greetings and Salutations!

I hope this message finds you well and prosperous.

There are effective short cuts.

Moses parted the Red Sea instead of going around it.

There are effective over night, get rich quick schemes.

When I shifted my paradigm from one of scarcity and want to one of abundance and giving and thanking, I became one of the wealthiest people I know instantly.

Cheers!