Generally, if you are seeking to increase your affiliate sales, you will be told that classified ads won’t work. Under certain circumstances, however, classified ads can help you increase your number of visitors and enhance affiliate sales.

Your first priority in creating a classified ad is to make it no more complicated than necessary. The ad is intended to promote visitors to your site and not direct sales. So then let’s start by examining what the headline of your classified ad looks like.

The most important part of putting together the headline for your ad is to employ particular words to which your audience will respond. There are certain terms that readers will always pay attention to; use them and your site will get clicks. Some particular words- “cheap”, “free”, “proven”, “shocking”- are certain to get your audience to do as you ask and give you clicks. Track each of your ads so that you know which ones are generating potential customers.

Use a generic URL such as www.yourdomain/?=trackingcode to make it easier for you to keep track of all of the advertisements you send to the same location. (A number of three of four digits- long enough to leave room for expansion, short enough to be remembered- should be used as the tracking code.) And be sure to write down each tracking code that corresponds to each ad you have placed. Use a different number, preferably randomized, for each tracking code. Thus, each code is different. Always use the same tracking code for its assigned ad.

The next step in creating your ad is the first line of the ad itself. According to many experts, the best way to make your ad appealing is to state a quantifiable benefit in this line. The reader must know right when he reads that first line that this product will help him. This can be best done by explaining precisely what the product will do for the reader.

The third line of your ad should be about a crucial feature of your product. This is sometimes called the unique selling proposition (USP). You need to keep the reader clicking onward to the end, where you show the physical details of the product and what you’re charging for it. Don’t add any extraneous material to your ad. The goal when advertising with classified ads is to use as few words as you can to achieve the greatest results.

The more words and diagrams you include in your advertisement, the less likely it is to result in sales. To avoid wasting your time, keep your statements as short and to the point as possible.

Once you’ve completed your advertisement, you must get it to where people will see it. The best places to place the ad permit free classified ads and have high traffic volume. Two of the best places to post your classifieds for free are Craigslist.org and Yahoo! Classifieds.

These sites require you to put the ads in the correct topics to list the ads without payment. This rule absolutely cannot be violated. If your ads are wrongly posted, they will be removed- and your registration could be as well. And always read the terms of service before posting to these sites.

Your overall success and profits will be greater when you follow this proven method of advertising using free classifieds. Increased affiliate sales and greater positive publicity for your promotions will come from taking these simple steps. Clicks and revenue are sure to follow once you finish producing and placing your ads.

Edward Brancheau helps people make and save money through his website, bankofgreen.com. Advertising helps build business and make money and a secret to advertising is classified ads. For a unique version of this and other advertising articles, visit advertising articles.

- Ed Brancheau