The ShoeMoney Marketplace has really taken off lately and is now the 3rd most traffic’d page on shoemoney.com (behind the main page and the gallery).
Last month the marketplace got over 1 million visitors.
I originally thought I would write this guide to send to advertisers. But then that does not really make sense because they would have already placed their listings… So here you go, my guide to writing marketplace listings that get visitors to your website.
Your number #1 goal is to get the user off of my site and on to your site.
That’s something you are not going to hear from most advertising places… but it’s the truth.
Converting the user once they get to your site is another topic (I will try to cover that shortly for you).
Headline/Title
The title will appear in the sidebar of shoemoney.com as well as in our weekly marketplace recap posts (it’s the only post on Sunday). It’s also displayed if people click directly on the marketplace link.
Headline Tips:
- Do use branding, mystery, and other weapons of marketing.
- Do give results, not features.
- Do not use your company name in the title (unless you are a nationally recognized brand).
Examples of what works for products: (Please do not copy word for word. Be creative, for Christ’s sake.)
- “1 amazing way to rank in Google” – uses mystery, and brand association.
- “Get paid while playing Starcraft” – gives result + brand association
- “The secret to SEO is revealed” – oohhh, what is it?
Your sole job is to get people to click on the listing.
Description:
The description is what appears on the listing page for your marketplace advertisement on ShoeMoney.com.
Description Page Tips:
- Do give testimonials from real users about the RESULTS of your product or service
- Do list the results of your product (feel better, afford the live style you always wanted, have whiter teeth, etc…)
- Do use weapons of marketing in your description like Scarcity, Brand Association, Social Proof, Authority, Pain, and a Call to Action
Example Description of a Product:
“Get the SEO service thousands of other users enjoy everyday to get free traffic. Click the link below to get started now! 10% discount to the first 15 people who use code ‘ShoeMoney’” (uses social proof, association, and call to action).
Be as brief as possible. The ads that get the most clicks are less than 300 words. This should not be a description of your company or features of your service. Again, this is simply used to get users from my site to your site as quickly as possible where they can read about your company or features on your site.
Don’t be a jerk
As you know, all ads are moderated. We reserve the right to edit or delete any ads not appropriate or misleading.
Go here to add your listing now.
With that said, we have never had to delete one yet. Just please respect my name and the ShoeMoney brand.
BTW – If you have not watched my weapons of marketing or Facebook advertising tips video, go do that now. While it’s not 100% relevant, a lot of the techniques are..
About the author...
Jeremy Schoemaker – who has written 2692 posts on ShoeMoney.com.
Jeremy "ShoeMoney" Schoemaker is the founder & CEO of the ShoeMoney Blog, Elite Retreat Internet Conference, & the PAR Program. In 2013 Jeremy released his #1 Amazon Best selling Autobiography titled "Nothing's Changed But My Change" - The ShoeMoney Story. Jeremy currently lives in Lincoln Nebraska with his wife and 2 daughters.
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{ 114 comments… read them below or add one }
Time to work on a landing page.
$89 for 2 weeks seems relatively inexpensive to me!
Somehow, this post has given me enough courage to finally request for a listing in the soonest time, Jeremy. Thanks for the pointers and I know my online pastry shop will get off the ground as soon as it’s on the Marketplace. Will email my details later, alright?
I’ll post an ad as soon as I’ve launched my online business.
Considering the number of people who visit this site I’d say there’s a lot of potential there.
Oh I’m sure of that. One million last month? That’s a wide, wide audience.
Wow, I am definitely working some overtime this week so I can list my website on the market place. It seems like a really good deal and I often find myself clicking on the ad to see what it is all about!
Good shit mr shoemoney!! I signed up for the marketplace and decided screw this and then i get sent an email with a super discount code, well played sir shoemoney well played.
Great tips, Shoe ! I didn’t use the marketplace until now, but I am planning to
Want to get your job, product, or announcement out to hundreds of thousands of very targeted ShoeMoney readers? Take your web marketing initiatives to a whole new level and add your own listing to the Marketplace roster now. I already did and I am still enjoying the fruits of my efforts. More power, Jeremy!
Yes, it’s always reassuring to advertise on a platform that supports you with tips and amazing tools.
Thanks for spilling the beans on of our best advertising sources!
We’ve taken out weekly marketplace ads for most of the year, and they’ve worked tremendously well for us. It’s a really great way to reach small/new businesses.
A few more tips:
1) Jeremy posts all marketplace listings for the week in his Sunday blog post. Placing your ad on Friday or Saturday is a great way to get to the top of that post.
2) The weekly blog post often attracts 50 or more comments. These are an incredibly valuable form of raw feedback on your ad and offer. Read them!
3) Punctuation isn’t allowed in headlines (wish it was!) and will just be deleted when you post. Unfortunately, this can lead to some awkward looking headlines.
4) This blog has a big international audience. If your offer is available to them, let them know it!
5) There is no ability to edit ads. Proofread carefully before purchase!
Marketplace ads have been a great investment for us. Give them a try!
Great comment here. This makes the post all the better. Thanks. Haven’t used them before.
Bookmarked this for future reference. Thanks for the tips man!
This is very helpful. Thanks for the additional info!
Shoe, you haven’t mentioned a price tag. Is having a listing on the Marketplace as expensive as the Elite Retreat?
$89 for 14 days. Sounds like a fair deal to me.
It is! I thought it would cost more than that. I hope he won’t increase the ad price anytime soon. I’m thinking I could use an ad listing here to promote my online business.
Is that like a fixed rate or are there conditions in these listings that might affect the rates?
Is there a discount for succeeding ad listings?
Um, why are exclamation points not allowed? So I can’t use even just one exclamation point?
I am shocked you have never had to delete one. A lot of people love to abuse the systems out there. However, I think most everyone who uses the feature appreciates the exposure.
How about becoming the first one to be deleted? You’ll go down in history, too. LOL
A great resource for anyone in Internet Marketing.
As I advocate when anyone is looking to get more traffic then go where your buyer hangsout.
Getting you ad in front of the relevant eyeballs is one of the keys to winning the traffic battle.
Good Luck
John
The real secret why the Shoemoney Marketplace is such a hit? It offers people something that they cannot obtain elsewhere. Enough said. Where are the Margaritas?
Yes it is. But going where the buyers hang out is just part of it. You also need to make sure that your ad posting is good enough to stand out and get noticed.
Excellent point. Posting in the best ad platforms does not guarantee conversions. It’s all up to the quality of the ad to compel or make people want your product or service.
Using powerful images and delivering great content help big time.
You know what they say: content is king.
I like the fact that this post emphasized the importance of having an element of “mystery” to your listings. People click not because they already know something – but because they want to know something. They want access to that elusive piece of information.
So true. If you ask me, I prefer mysterious ads over ads with too many marketing buzzwords.
Thank you for sharing this. Your description page tips are also great for using in blog posts to describe your product!
Totally premium stuff, buddy. Shoe, will Justin Goff have another guest post in the next few weeks? I’d like to have a refresher on his FB ad formulas, too.
I’d appreciate a few tips on FB advertising. The numbers on the first one I launched are very disappointing.
It’s kind of expensive to advertise on Facebook, though, isn’t it? But I do like the ability do target ads based on really specific demograpics, which is one huge advantage that FB has as a platform.
What FB ad formulas? Am I missing something here?
Creating good descriptions has always been one of my pain points. It’s great to come across tips that are fairly easy for me to follow. Thanks!
Nice read. I follow your marketplace listings every week since I find a lot of resources there. I was actually wondering how to go about posting an ad.
I think some of the previous marketplace advertisers can learn a few tricks from this post. I can’t help but notice a few listings that could benefit from better titles or descriptions.
As long as you can fit the most info in the shortest sentence possible, you listing should be a winner. Trust me, I’ve been using the Marketplace to get my brand across for the past 6 months.
Hi Patty, can you share a summary of some of your results? Or is that confidential? Thanks!
Associating a brand with powerful imagery helps ads convey the message more effectively. And I quite agree that the description should be as brief as possible. Great post, Jeremy!
Creativity and brevity can go a long way in making interesting ad listings.
That explosion of big words sure had me craving for a brewskie, Kris. How about a round on me at Orange tonight? Tina’s already there with the rest of the gang and I’ll be following in a minute or two.
You missed one, man. Creativity, brevity and *originality*. There is so much crap on the web now that your own, well-planned efforts will quickly go down the drain if they do not offer something new.
I couldn’t agree more on giving results instead of focusing on features. Most of the people I know don’t care about product features. What they want to know if how useful the product could be to them.
Product features are also important IMHO. They’re not just the primary consideration when people buy a product.
Definitely re-tweeting this!
Yes, but features are only useful insofar as what they can do for the user. I’ll read about the futures only if I know they will help me achieve results.
Talking about results instead of features also adds to the relevance of the ad content. And the more relevant it is, the less it sounds like a sales pitch.
Speaking of subtlety, I love how the marketplace section looks less like listings and more like a blog.
How about peppering site visitors with giveaways? That trick is absolutely a winner for me. A freebie or two can make a loyal fan out of a random visitor every time.
Is there a contest where I can win a free pass to Elite Retreat? That would be a nice surprise and treat to your readers.
That would be a very fine strategy to use word of mouth, Jeremy. Tell everyone you know about your website, give out business cards to passers-by in the street, and so on. Especially if you win an Elite Retreat pass…
I don’t think there is one. All the tickets were sold out already. Unless they made provisions for a free pass or two.
There have been no mention of contests and free passes in all his ER related posts. I guess the only way in to that conference is through one of those pricey tickets.
Many people think that having a good website is all you need to get tons of visitors. Wrong answer. Getting traffic to your site takes hard work and diligence and is not accomplished overnight. Of course, with a few tips and tricks from the one and only Jeremy Schoemaker, you’ll definitely good to go. What do you think, Shoe? Is this an awesome description or what?
One thing I’ve learned from the Shoemoney Blog is awareness. Since the web is currently the most exploited media these days, most search engine submit software and services are nothing but scams, and it’s time we start to take a stand against them. You can either have yourself conned or get a listing now.
That’s true.
Your photo journal’s awesome! I’m not surprised at all that it’s generating a lot of traffic.
must be those bunnies…
Shoe, honestly, I like the old Shoemoney pictures. Can’t you put them back on?
Yeah, I know, right? If I’m an advertiser I know I’ll be hitting lots of birds here because of those Playboy Mansion pics. Hot!
Did you make this Shoemoney Marketplace primer with me in mind, Jeremy?
Shoe, when does the Humongo Nation team select potential candidates for tour inclusion? I hope my online laundry and press shop will catch their attention.
My theory for garnering as much traffic to your website without a fuss? Make sure your primary aim is to help visitors and potential surfers achieve a goal, solve a problem, be entertained, find out quality news or have a good laugh. What’s your two cents’ worth on this?
Excellent point about leveraging the power of humor. Making people laugh or smile translates to being able to sustain their interest.
You should probably add a link to this post on your “Add a Marketplace Listing” page. Sort of adding guidelines to ensure quality of submitted ads.
This is probably one the best suggestions I’ve ever seen on the comments section today, Shoe. Another gem of a post, too!
One more suggestion though. Shoe, can you remove that annoying thing that keeps popping up at the bottom of the page?
Seconding the suggestion. Gonna be really useful and accessible especially if I’m using a mobile browser.
Hopefully, an FAQ as well for covering all inquiries related to marketplace listings. Thanks in advance!
Another superb post, buddy. Shoe, speaking of Marketplace entries, how about if I have two separate brands I want to take up a notch? Is there a possibility they will be listed in separate weekends? Please do share your thoughts on this.
I guess everything listed for the week will be displayed the same time. The earlier you get a spot, the better your listing will be in the post.
And by “better”, it means above-the-fold. Right?
A good description can serve as an excellent bait. If you put everything on your description there won’t be any need to click on the link pointing to your site, right?
Jeremy, what’s the difference of gathering as much potential web marketing customers and jumping the shark? I have come across some articles in and around the Internet that say you have sold out and became mainstream. Please do share your ideas.
Shoe, is it true that using landing pages leads to fast fulfillment of your PPC advertisements? Please verify since I am currently designing a new video-based landing page for my website. Thanks a million. Best wishes from Columbus.
Any update on that query I had about the SBA program, Shoe? It seems the Lending Club is not entertaining applications from Oklahoma. Kindly confirm.
I would think so. I think it’s going to be more effective to create a landing page for PPC ads, instead of just linking to your home page or whatever. If people click on the ad and have trouble looking for what they want, your chances at conversion are diminished.
good point there, almira. you want to direct them, not let them get lost.
I started checking out the listings every week after I found an ad that helped me a lot in generating traffic to my website. For me, this marketplace is the best place to find the resources I need. Kudos and more power to you, Jeremy!
I picked up quite a lot of tricks from his posts. I’ve been following this blog for over a year now. There’s always something worth finding here.
Just one question I have been itching to ask for a long time, Shoe: How much does it cost to be on the list?
Hope it doesn’t cost as much as an ER7 ticket…
Are you going to ER7? I didn’t expect the fast sellout. I’ve been planning to register for that. Seems like I have to wait for another year to do that.
Check out one of the links. You’ll find the marketplace ad listing price there.
It’s great to have Logonerds on the roster, Shoe. With their superb designs for the price of a lobster dinner at Abe’s, it’s a great deal indeed.
They also designed that trippy banner for Bob’s fishing depot. Superbly made yet not costly in any way. I am thinking about contacting them to update my design, too.
I’ve learned a lot not just from your post but on some of the comments as well.
Yes, the discussion here in the comments section is really diverse. From short in-your-face responses to long, detailed contributions, the Shoemoney blog is definitely one addiction I couldn’t stop. Keep the great stuff coming, Jeremy!
You can encounter some useless crap sometimes, too. LMAO
Yeah, comments like the one just above.
I haven’t watched those videos before. A lot of great stuff there. You never fail to come up with interesting content. Thanks for sharing them!
Those videos right there are like a staple of Shoemoney’s excellent offering. You can’t watch and not find them useful.
I think there’s something that pops up below so you can get free access to those vids.
What makes great copy? Something even the advertiser can easily relate to without using too much literary gibberish.
True. I hate reading ads and listings then getting lost in the lingo. I mean, just get straight to the point, man.
Me, too. I think advertisers of tech products, etc. are the ones most in danger of using jargon.
Thanks a lot for the tips, Jeremy! I’m looking forward to reading the next series, the ones on converting the users/visitors.
Me, too. Thanks to Twitter, people are clicking on inbound links. But I need conversion tips from an expert like Jeremy, and quick!
Again, great list of tips. I think using figures/numbers is pretty effective at catching people’s attention, too. As in “Top 10 Lists” or “Grow your business by 100 percent”.
Excellent point, Fiona. Especially if you’re trying to reach business owners who are always conscious of the bottom line.
Awesome stuff as always. Love the tip on testimonials. Lots of advertisers still underestimate ‘em.
I think it’s going to be more effective to create a landing page for PPC ads, instead of just linking to your home page or whatever. If people click on the ad and have trouble looking for what they want, your chances at conversion are diminished
Thanks for these points. This is a great learning especially to those who are still beginning to understand these principles.
Hm, great tips . But the price also is too expensive.
hi,
you are great mann, hope to learn from you
regards,
che mie,
Malaysia
Jeremy, this is why you stand miles ahead of other bloggers.
Ok you got us for another ad. But the dream is to do a shoemoney system prank with our Zug.com comedy crew.
Thanks for this post. Some solid advice about headlines and descriptions – some excellent food for thought for our business as we are just getting our minds around advertising.
This has been one of the best sites I have been to. I have learned so much just reading your blogs and look forward to going through the whole site this weekend. Thanks.
Excellent tips! I will put them to use one day.
thanks for the step by step
I think I will become a great follower.Just want to say your article is striking. The clarity in your post is simply striking and i can take for granted you are an expert on this subject.