FFA Marketing: posting your links free

Ffa marketing is as well established and entrenched as Safe list advertising. It has its good points and its bad - its proponents and its detractors. Saying this, I guess I rather fall in the ‘proponent’ category. However, I do advise reason and caution when using this particular resource. There has been a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding regarding this venue, of which you need to sort out for yourself.

Ffa marketing falls into two distinct categories:
1. Posting your link free
2. Paying for an upgrade and then emailing the posters

This article will discuss posting your link free to the boards.
==============

1. Posting your link free:

A. Posting your link free at Ffa sites is a valid way for creating link backs and even hits to your site/s. When ever you post a link to an Ffa or classified board, the search engines will pick up on this - PROVIDED IT STAYS UP LONG ENOUGH FOR THIS TO OCCUR!

So, considering the short time links usually stay up on sites - doesn’t happen if you don’t constantly resubmit your links. Ffa marketing is something you must do religiously.

I do happen to have links up on Ffa and some classified ad boards that DO appear in Search Engines. Reason: links never rolled off that particular section or I had bought or been gifted into a permanent position on that venue.

B. Members will read your free posts and respond. Yes, this does happen. I equate these venues to your local newspaper, shopper and etc classified ads. People do not read every link, but they do scan. People do check the boards to ensure their own links are showing up. Plus, if a person is specifically looking for something they will check the classifieds and Ffa boards. The downside is, again, the links tend to roll off quickly in some of the categories.

To effectively market posting your links free with Ffa boards you need a submitter. There are a number of places to get submitter accounts.

1. Ffa submitter included in your subscription to XtreamNet Marketing Center. There are actually several submitters in the Center. One blasts to a Network of over 50,000 boards and 2 million members. There is another submitter that goes to the MS-4 collection of sites. This is the abbreviated version of the MS-6 submission service . Then there is a link to sign up for the free silver version of Blastomatic.

2. MS-6 submission service.
This is a totally awesome site whose primary function is auto submitting to the Search Engines. Then, it has one of the most comprehensive and complete link ups and submission forms to most of the major Ffa networks that exist on the net.

You set up your venues with Profiles. You create your subject line, ad copy, profile info, link and keyword or words. Then, you can add your profile to the auto submission scheduler to submit and then resubmit your sites automatically to their database of search engines. This is a very powerful tool.

Also, using the various forms, you can then submit your links/profiles to the various Ffa and classified Networks. This is a somewhat time consuming undertaking but worth your effort daily if possible, couple times a week for sure. The Search Engine submissions are automatic once you set them up.

3. Blastomatic:
I have used the free/silver service for almost 3 years and really like the program. It submits primarily to the Worldwidepromoter Network, which is simply huge. This is a site you must join. When you do, use a marketing email account as you, as in all Ffa networks, will receive return email. Note: once you join you cannot change your email address as a free member, so plan ahead.

You create your ad, set your keywords and subject line. Then you verify your email address. You will actually need to do this at least once a week to keep current.

Once you have verified your email addy with the various groups, you blast your ads. You will receive one main verification link from TrafficWave which you must click on. Once done your ad will blast to the entire Network. You will receive other emails from various boards leading you to believe you must confirm your ad or email. This is not the case at all. With TW, once you verify the main link your link/ad is posted to every board iin their system.

What ever email address you use absolutely DO NOT put an auto responder on it. The quickest way to get yourself and your ip banned at this venue is to use an auto responder.

I find this most effective if you use it daily. As it auto submits your ad, once your ad is set up this takes very little time to accomplish.

4. AdBlaster:



I especially like this one as this runs from your computer and auto submits your ads for you. This keeps your links on the boards. I set up various ads to submit on every hour in different categories. This way I have at least one of my venues up at all times on the boards. I set up a different marketing email account for each link, create the individual ads, save, then load them into the submitter. I schedule the times then let the software do it’s thing.

Thus, AdBlaster is a very efficient and effective way to keep your links out on the boards. Of all the various blasters discussed above this one is by far my favorite as it simply runs on its own and frees up my time to do other things. Like have a life? Not! Lol.

C. When you use Ffa boards to post your links, expect return email. Just as with Safe list advertising, you receive email back. The email comes from the board owners and the Pro members. Also, here are some two rules which you need to observe:

1. Do not set up auto responders on the email you use to post your free links. The boards and networks specifically do not allow those. Should you be caught you risk being banned across the entire Ffa NETWORK!

2. If you want to send your ads to the members, join a board or two as a Pro members. There are many boards and networks to choose from. My two boards link up primarily to the Worldwidepromoter Network in addition to a couple others so we average about 2500 - 3000 leads (posters) per day.
XtreamFFA
XtreamNet FFA

D. Strategies:
1. Use an auto submitter to keep your links posted constantly. See discussion on this above

2. Use a different email address with each link you post.
Most boards only allow you to post one link per email address. If you want your link to appear in more than one category (with the AdBlaster and MS-6 submitters you can do this easily) or have multiple venues to promote on the boards then you need different email addresses.

I highly suggest you use a good commercial email for this. Do not try to use AOL, hotmail, MSN and other similar services. They are extremely email marketing unfriendly - especially with Ffa sites and safe lists. Yahoo and Gmail seem to be the best of the free web-based services. I use Just4uu commercial email with no problems at all.

3. Create several links for your venue.
If you want to post your venue in different categories (recommended), you need unique links in order to do this. For my own venues I simply create memberships which then gives me the separate urls for this strategies. You can also get yourself some tiny urls, create link tracking urls, or build yourself little mini marketing websites. I use Ecomplanet, aka http://www.myownweboffice.com/ extensively for this purpose. For link tracking I like the MyAdTrack

In summary, Ffa marketing remains a valid and popular means of promoting your sites. It is not the end all and be all of marketing. It has certain limitations and downsides which, once understood, are easily managed. It is a TOOL - one which can be quiet effective if used properly.
The flip side of posting your links free to these sites is going Pro and then sending your email ads to the posters. This topic will be covered in another article.

- Cherie Hallday
XtreamNet.org http://myweb.ecomplanet.com/XTRE9297