Article marketing can be your chance to distinguish yourself from all of the other outlets for the same product or service on the web (or on your street) today. Do not worry that more than one site is selling the same product. How many places do you know of that do oil changes, cut hair, or provide food service? Plenty, I am sure. There is room for everyone. The secret is to do it a bit differently than everyone else.
Writing articles about the products or services you represent as a sales outlet gives you the chance to create a certain amount of trust with your prospect. A well-written piece that is informative provides information about your professionalism and the product you are representing. If you sell nail polish than helping educate your clients about nail polish is key to selling more of it. You want to WOW the buyer with free information. You want them to remember your name when they come back to buy that bottle of nail polish. You want them to tell their friends about the great article about nail polish they found…and forward it.
If you do not respect your reader, they will know. If you give them an article that has poor grammar, spelling mistakes, and no valuable information about the product or service, you have lost any chance at getting the reader to finish either reading your article, or clicking through for more information. They will see it as the emptiness that it is. Backup what you say with facts.
* Honest (unbiased are better) product reviews on the products you represent are always welcome. A good way to do this is with open comment sections for buyers to comment on products and services.
* Videos showing how the product works are priceless, especially if they are of a real user and not a commercially made advertisement. Many people get videos from customers who are eager to share an opinion about a product or service.
* The consumer wants to be ensured that their unique problems and concerns are going to be solved so expanding upon the benefits of the product that are not listed on the product sales page or in commercials helps create credibility. Consumer endorsements carry great credibility and are more believable than advertising.
The articles you write are your chance to give free information and educate the consumer without selling. If you see a need fill it. By offering information at no charge, you set yourself up as an expert without selling a thing. Experts are googled and tracked on the web. When someone is ready to buy, to whom do you think he/she will return? You, of course. You are the one that sold them the real story in the beginning. You are the one that asked for nothing. You are the one that is familiar to them, and they will return to you to buy—when they are ready.
You do this by first attracting their interest with the title, building on that interest with the first paragraph, create a desire in them for more information with the body text then give them a call to action at the end where they can have the desire for more information satisfied. They may not have even known they had a need for the product or service. They may not have had any idea that their unique problem could be solved. Now they do. In addition, they know where to find the solution.
There may be many other outlets for the product you represent and not all of them do article marketing. Some may dabble at it but are not willing to put themselves, their personality and their personal integrity into their business. Think of it like a bricks-and-mortar store. Many stores may sell the moisturizing lotion brand X. Not all of the retailers will advertise the product X. Not all of the retailers will merchandise the products so they are appealing to the consumer. Product X could be the best thing “since sliced bread” but if no one knows about it---well, it doesn’t matter, does it?
Take the time to know and understand your product before you write your first marketing article and you will be separating yourself from the herd. What are the features and benefits? What’s in it for the consumer? Be honest and find an appropriate marketing approach that differs from others and you’ll be exploiting a niche within that market. Aim to meet a need within the market segment. Show people how to use the product and back up the claims with a guarantee.
The bottom line is always respect the reader, represent yourself accurately and be an engaging writer if you want to win the marketing war with others in your niche. Keep in mind that online marketing is no different from the bricks-and-mortar trade. It’s all about location, placement, and trust. Premium real estate gets the attention. Premium placement in stores is seen first. People buy from those they trust. Period.
Note
I occasionally do product reviews. If you would like to be considered, you may send a sample to: Erin Snyder Dixon, PO Box 1189, Newport News, VA 23601. We do not receive any funding for reviews. If you would like to pass along a discount code, we will consider including it in the review. We don not guarantee that we will review a product or the time-frame in which we decide to do so. It is helpful if background info is included that can be included in the review. We review products (products, books, CDs, tools, etc.) that are related to health and beauty, or the written word.
No comments:
Post a Comment