Product Information Article Marketing Can Drive Sales

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.

The Writer's Life

Many of you know me as the manicurist behind the chair, or product educator on the stage. I love both of those lives as they guide me all over the world to meet so many fascinating people. Clients and fellow beauty professionals feed my soul with their stories.

This past weekend was all about nurturing the novelist in me. "whoa, hold up a minute," I hear you saying. "I knew you wrote technical articles for the trades and have books for the spas...but novels?"

For quite a while there has been a little voice in my head. No, I'm not crazy (I don't think...)but there is a novel just waiting to make it to paper. Not the paper from my printer either. I want it on a bona fide publishers paper stock.

I'm not ready to let you in on the details yet but you can bet it will have something to do with my first love, the world of beauty.

To get there, I've had to alter my course a bit. Learning some new tools and stretching outside my comfort zone seem to be a requisite part of the plan. I'm not giving up my pursuit of journalistic or technical endeavors. I'm just dipping my feet in the water of a long held dream.

On Sunday morning I boarded a jet bound for New York City. The weather threatened to foil the attempt and failed. Yay for me. Snow and icy, dangerous roads hampered the efforts of others too. In the end it turned out to be a small, cohesive group of writers from different backgrounds and headed in different directions. We would end up hanging on every word.

Mike Geffner (yes, the famous sports writer) and Marcela Landres (big time book editor) led the group with a frank discussion of what has to happen to get your word in print. Perhaps a sign should have been hung at the door: no wimps, whiners, or divas allowed.

That part I know. To get in print grow a thick skin. But, my career path has been a bit different than most, and at times I have been a bit all over the place with my efforts. While those efforts have given me much success and a nice living, something much more focused is needed for the long term project of a book.

After listening to Mike talk, it sunk in that I could have been doing so much more. There is an easier way. He gave us concrete, simple, and effective devices and systems to get our efforts in front of decision-making eyes. Wow! I should have been doing this stuff for the last 20 years.

Marcela drove home exactly where I need to be when my novel is ready for submission. Boy, do I have some work to do! It's tough to look at the road ahead all at once. For me, it's easier to break it into manageable bite-sized pieces. I got a lot to chew on. Over tea, Marcela had us jotting notes furiously. So many workshops and nobody had let us in on the secrets. In some ways I felt robbed of the money thrown away in the past. Every question I had, got answered. Honestly. What a change.

This is where those of you who know me will laugh. This is not the first workshop I have been to. "Yeah, you are right. But, I honestly believe that relevance of the material changes over time." So, yes this was the second and my friends are saying, "it won't be the last."

The techniques I learned in the last workshop were just the beginning. I would have shortchanged myself had I not gone back because there was so much more work to be done to take to the next meager level I want to conquer. You figure, I had to buy a plane ticket and get my frosty self through the winter weather to get there on my only day off. They priced the workshop at an affordable $99 dollars. It was a no-brainer. I spent a ton of money on college and while well worth it, it did not give me the skills to get well published. This will.



I came home with a laundry list of actionable items. I really think I can do this. And yes, I'll probably traipse back to the city when I've implemented what I've learned.

So, to everyone who may have butterflies in their stomach about who I'll be writing for...don't stress. I love what I do now and plan on doing it for a long time. Articles are my bread and butter. Perhaps not as much ghostwriting? Maybe some of my kind supporters in high places will let me share the byline? I'm hoping that those of you who have given me such wonderful opportunities over the years will continue to support me and herald my efforts. I need your support to make this happen. I need your encouragement and ongoing mentoring. Most of all I need your trust that I will continue to be frank and up-front with you--and yes, turn in my pieces on time. I love you all and hope this is a journey we can make together.