Admit it, you hate writing. I don't know if it was a mean third grade teacher, or what. And the problem is that to grow your business to attract new clients you need to write articles and blog posts to bring your online marketing to life.
More bad news? Unless you have a writer on staff, it can be overwhelming trying to write killer marketing articles. You're a busy business owner who has appointments to see, orders to place, a business to run. You don't have time to sit there, with your head in your hands, wondering how on earth to write an article that would convince people to buy your products and services.
I have good news for you. Writing an article that sells is simpler than you think. And, I'm going to help you do it.
You see, one of my clients had the same issue that you do. He had some pretty good content on his site, but it wasn't increasing his sales. And, on top of it, he was having writer's block. He was in rough shape.
I asked if he could write a letter to his best friend. He replied, "Of course I can! I'm no Shakespeare, but I can write a letter." Well, since I wasn't really looking for a "Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?," I felt pretty confident in moving forward.
I told him to imagine that his friend had the same issue that clients looking for his service would have. What would he say to him? What knowledge would he share? What solutions would he offer? He was to write the letter, in his personality, and when he was done, he was to send it to me to look at.
I have to tell you, he was pretty reluctant at first. He clearly thought I was wasting his time. But, two hours later, his letter was in my inbox and his first draft of a great article was complete. He just didn't know it yet.
When you write your articles, one of the biggest things to remember is that you aren't writing to the masses. You are writing to the small, select group of people who are truly looking for a solution to their problem. Your solution.
When you write a personal letter to a friend, you interject all that you know, explaining where you got your knowledge to foster credibility. You throw in some of your personality, just like when you verbally speaking to them. You offer a solution that, ultimately, involves your help.
So, if you can write a letter to your best friend, you can write an email marketing article that sells. Of course, the letter will take a little modification and editing to make it "client suitable", but just keep in mind these seven key attributes when finalizing your article and you'll be fine:
Write in a user-friendly format. Using bullets, headlines and sub headlines makes your articles easier to read which translates into people staying at your site, and not clicking to your competitor. As an added bonus, it also makes it easier for search engines to rank your site.
Add links to other pages. Let readers know that you have more information on the topics that interest them. Use the links to take readers deeper into your site where they can get to know you better, and convince themselves that you are the one they want to give their business to.
Use images. Images, pictures, graphs - they all draw the reader's attention. Also, articles with images have a greater likelihood of being shared via social media outlets. As they say, "A picture is worth a thousand words," or in this case, unlimited cash potential.
Input some humor, but not too much. You don't need to make readers roll on the floor in laughter, but you do want your articles fun and interesting to read.
Incorporate your Personality. Give your reader a sense of who "you" are. Design your web article to have a human feel.
Mention other people and blogs. This gives you credibility and shows your potential customer that you are trying to provide them all of the information they need to make an informed decision. It also allows you to network with other professionals who may return the favor and put links to your information on their site.
Provide information your readers can use right this moment. Not sure what that is? Ask yourself what problem may have prompted them to visit your site. Give them something tangible that provides them immediate relief for their issue.
For twenty years Charlie has been providing marketing and management consulting services to Fortune 500 companies that include AETNA, AT&T, Cendant, GTE, and Pitney Bowes as well as mid-sized companies like Citizens Utilities and Hartford Steam Boiler, and publications that include Fortune, Hemispheres and Forbes and numerous small businesses. His marketing articles and marketing strategies have been widely published in both online and print publications including Business Week. He's the CEO of Marketing For Success and is co-founder of Clients Delivered with his partner Kevin St. Clergy. Want a website that all but guarantees that you'll be joining the pros? http://clientsdelivered.com/website-development/
More bad news? Unless you have a writer on staff, it can be overwhelming trying to write killer marketing articles. You're a busy business owner who has appointments to see, orders to place, a business to run. You don't have time to sit there, with your head in your hands, wondering how on earth to write an article that would convince people to buy your products and services.
I have good news for you. Writing an article that sells is simpler than you think. And, I'm going to help you do it.
You see, one of my clients had the same issue that you do. He had some pretty good content on his site, but it wasn't increasing his sales. And, on top of it, he was having writer's block. He was in rough shape.
I asked if he could write a letter to his best friend. He replied, "Of course I can! I'm no Shakespeare, but I can write a letter." Well, since I wasn't really looking for a "Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?," I felt pretty confident in moving forward.
I told him to imagine that his friend had the same issue that clients looking for his service would have. What would he say to him? What knowledge would he share? What solutions would he offer? He was to write the letter, in his personality, and when he was done, he was to send it to me to look at.
I have to tell you, he was pretty reluctant at first. He clearly thought I was wasting his time. But, two hours later, his letter was in my inbox and his first draft of a great article was complete. He just didn't know it yet.
When you write your articles, one of the biggest things to remember is that you aren't writing to the masses. You are writing to the small, select group of people who are truly looking for a solution to their problem. Your solution.
When you write a personal letter to a friend, you interject all that you know, explaining where you got your knowledge to foster credibility. You throw in some of your personality, just like when you verbally speaking to them. You offer a solution that, ultimately, involves your help.
So, if you can write a letter to your best friend, you can write an email marketing article that sells. Of course, the letter will take a little modification and editing to make it "client suitable", but just keep in mind these seven key attributes when finalizing your article and you'll be fine:
Write in a user-friendly format. Using bullets, headlines and sub headlines makes your articles easier to read which translates into people staying at your site, and not clicking to your competitor. As an added bonus, it also makes it easier for search engines to rank your site.
Add links to other pages. Let readers know that you have more information on the topics that interest them. Use the links to take readers deeper into your site where they can get to know you better, and convince themselves that you are the one they want to give their business to.
Use images. Images, pictures, graphs - they all draw the reader's attention. Also, articles with images have a greater likelihood of being shared via social media outlets. As they say, "A picture is worth a thousand words," or in this case, unlimited cash potential.
Input some humor, but not too much. You don't need to make readers roll on the floor in laughter, but you do want your articles fun and interesting to read.
Incorporate your Personality. Give your reader a sense of who "you" are. Design your web article to have a human feel.
Mention other people and blogs. This gives you credibility and shows your potential customer that you are trying to provide them all of the information they need to make an informed decision. It also allows you to network with other professionals who may return the favor and put links to your information on their site.
Provide information your readers can use right this moment. Not sure what that is? Ask yourself what problem may have prompted them to visit your site. Give them something tangible that provides them immediate relief for their issue.
For twenty years Charlie has been providing marketing and management consulting services to Fortune 500 companies that include AETNA, AT&T, Cendant, GTE, and Pitney Bowes as well as mid-sized companies like Citizens Utilities and Hartford Steam Boiler, and publications that include Fortune, Hemispheres and Forbes and numerous small businesses. His marketing articles and marketing strategies have been widely published in both online and print publications including Business Week. He's the CEO of Marketing For Success and is co-founder of Clients Delivered with his partner Kevin St. Clergy. Want a website that all but guarantees that you'll be joining the pros? http://clientsdelivered.com/website-development/
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