Copyright (c) 2006 Diane Hughes

I was driving down the street the other day and saw a billboard. A big billboard. One so big it practically eclipsed the sun! It advertised a sunny vacation destination and as I gazed at that picture I was momentarily whisked away in my mind to a beach with lapping waves.

Then I had to laugh because almost directly after that billboard came a small one. Not just smaller tiny. I dont remember what it advertised but the disparity between the two heightened the importance of the vacation and minimized (in my mind, at least) the message of the second.

It made me think of the internet and internet marketing. The Internet is the great leveler in that it allows each business large or small to potentially reach the purchasing public in the same way. Theoretically the small mom-and-pop shop and a giant, multinational corporation has the same amount of real estate, your computer screen, to make their pitch. If youre closer to the mom-and-pop shop than you are to the multinational corporation, here are some ideas to help you get your name out there. After all, no matter what size of start you have, its only one sale after another that will keep you in business!

Google AdWords are a great way to do that, for the same reason: Your one-man-show (or, one-woman-show!) has the same amount of AdWord space as meganational corporations like GE or GM.

These popular ads are 4 lines long. The top line is the title, there are two middle lines, and the fourth line is the URL. Every single add is the same. Unfortunately, too many businesses use the same-old approach when writing AdWords ads.

Here are some great ideas to help you AdWords fly off the screen and shake your prospects by the shoulders and say hey, go to this site!

Title Line Ask a question in your Title line and dont answer it in the middle two lines. Instead, simply entice your prospect to visit your site for more information. (For example, Do you want to earn more money without working harder?)

Remember the AIDA principle (Attention, Interest, Decision, Action) and get your prospects attention with the title). Be shocking, outrageous, and catchy.

Body text Write down what you want to say, then work on shortening it. Dont try shortening your ad first. Dont waste words. Each word is precious. Be sure to use power words and short, readable sentences. Write several ideas down and have a few friends pick their favorite.

Throughout your ad, use powerful, motivating words like free, fast, and new. (For example, Hurry, for a limited time, you can get this free solution downloaded to your computer instantly! Tantalize your prospects with the words learn more.

This section requires you to use the Interest and Decision portions of the AIDA sales-writing format.

URL Dont forget about the URL! Harness the power of the fourth AdWords line. If you dont have a URL that talks about your business, consider buying one. Preferably, buy a URL that shows how you provide a solution dont highlight the problem. (For example, www.DownloadMoneyMakingIdeasNow.com)

Use a clever URL to help people take action and click to your site.

One great AdWords ad might look like this:

Want to earn huge cash online? Quit your job. Dont waste time commuting. Live free! www.Work-From-Home-Success.com

Another one might look like this:

Dont click on this site. We want serious investors. No window-shoppers. www.Double-Your-Money-In-One-Year.com

Enjoy the same sized billboard as the multi-national corporations. Be clever and daring and get customers to your site!