There are hundreds, probably thousands of free advertising sites available to you on the worldwide web. Most offer classified ads that cost you nothing. Others offer free links to your page or web site. Here are some tips that might make the process simpler and a couple of things that you might consider doing first.

~ Have your ads ready to go. You should have several variations of each ad. Some should be 25 words, some 50 words, and some 100 word ads. Ideally you should have them already typed up on your text editor such as Write or Note Pad, so that you can just call one up and paste it into the box that is normally found at the site. This will speed up the entire process.

~ When you go to each site, check out what the policies and procedures are. These will normally tell you the number of words that are allowed, how long your ad will stay listed and any restrictions. They will also tell you whether they provide an active link for your URL and/or email address.

~ Go to the category that you are considering and check out other ads listed. See how they are set up. This will also show you if they furnish active links and how they are set up.If the site doesn't provide active links then you have to include your site URL and/or email address in your text if appropriate. When reviewing the ads, check to see if any are similar to your ad. If so, consider changing your headline or wording to make it a little different. Also check the sequence of dates of the ads (if the dates are
listed) to see whether your ad will be entered at the top or the bottom of the list. Many of the sites rotate, with the oldest falling off as new ones are added.

~ If you plan to maintain ads on the free sites, consider creating some type of log or index card system. List the site address, how long the ad will stay up, how many words and the date it expires, plus anything else you might think is appropriate.

Some sites we have placed ads listed our ad for seven days, two weeks, thirty days and others longer. Each is different. Some send you an email reminder that your ad is about to expire, most don't. So it is advantageous to keep some type of log if you are going to place these type ads on a regular basis.

Some sites also offer upgraded or premium ads. For an additional nominal amount they will list your ad with a color headline and your ad will stay at the top of the category you choose for a predetermined period. Some of the upgrade offers are pretty good and insure that your ad will not get lost in the hundreds of other ads that may be in the same category.

Remember, your goal is to create traffic to your web site or inquiries regarding your product and/or services. This is just one of a number of avenues to use in your marketing plan. You should also include paid advertising, direct email (not spamming), and targeted advertising in ezines such as the one you are reading.

Joe Reinbold