I’ve had this question several times now:
“How can I come up with an idea for an article?”
So I thought I’d give you an example of an article I wrote recently and explain where I got the idea from. Simply put, Terry Dean sent me an email I thought was interesting, and I used it as a starting off point. [His is one of the few lists I'm on because I value the information he gives.]
Here is his email, with permission:
“Hi Peg,
Are your sites converting enough visitors and leads into sales of your products and services…or for affiliate products you may be recommending?
If you’re in the vast majority of online marketers, the answer to the above question is a solid NO.
While there are several places you could look to find the problems, let’s go to one of the most common problems…one of the issues that pops up again and again.
You simply don’t have enough proof.
You’re not proving the claims you make.
This is especially common today when everyone tells you to sell with emotion. Make an emotional pitch…which I agree with 100%. BUT that emotion must be backed up with logic, facts, and proof about what you’re promising.
Otherwise it becomes hype your visitors simply don’t believe.
The real path to success is to make a strong promise you can fulfill, and back this promise up with proof.
The most common proof elements everyone talks about are testimonials.
I’m not knocking those at all. Testimonials work. That’s why you see them on every type of ad and website you can imagine.
But do you realize they’ll losing a little of their luster. The government has put limitations on them (that you also need to include typical customer results with them). And you’ll find in some markets people simply don’t belive the testimonials.
Does that mean you should quit using them? NO WAY. It simply means they shouldn’t be your ONLY method of proof.
You can also include photos…for example a before and after photo of how much weight you personally lost. But that’s another common form of proof.
How about we cover a few less common ways to add proof and believability to your advertising?
1. Tell Them How It Works
Why is your product able to deliver on its promises? What makes it different?
In internet marketing this may mean you explain all the steps your software program does in the background when they simply push the “Go” button. If you’re sharing how to get pregnant, maybe you explain how specific hormones work…related to what you offer. With any type of information product, you might share a few of the key principles the strategy is based on.
As you can see this is exactly opposite of the strategy where you tell people what something isn’t. If you ever purchased in the business oppportunity field (I know I did enough), you saw lots of ads promising a big benefits and they told you all the things the product wasn’t…but they never told you what it was. It’s an effective selling appraoch, but I quickly learned that ads like that were selling “air” 99% of the time.
We’re doing the opposite and letting people see behind the curtains…telling not only what we can do for them but HOW we can do it.
2. Case Study
A case study is a much more in depth testimonial. Instead of someone giving a quick snippet of how much the product or service helped them, you talk about all the factors involved in the overall transformation.
This means you share specifics about where they were before, how they discovered the product, how it worked for them, and what the specific results were.
This becomes a story by itself for the product.
If you’re selling affiliates products, TRY IT. I dare you. You’ll be shocked at just how much more effective this is than simply saying “Hey, so-and-so has a great product I purchased.”
Write the full story of something you put to use in the product and how it worked for you with as many specific as possible.
Watch the sales flood in.
3. Media Appearances
Have you appeared in any media outlets, either online or off? Has the news done a story on you? Maybe they’ve quoted you?
Publicity has a multiplying effect on you. Not only do you get the exposure and traffic from the appearance itself, but you also get the ability to claim that title, “Appearing on ________.”
If they media featured you, you must be good, right? They don’t always research their subjects in depth like people think, but they definitely become a form of proof for your business.
The publicity could be as simple as submitting articles you’ve written out to the news sources…and then saving the clippings.
4. Identify with their Disbelief
Are some of your promises hard to believe? If so, agree with them. Tell them why you didn’t believe it at first either (if you didn’t).
What was the process of research you went through before you believed it or how was it proven to you personally?
Or you can combine this one in with the case study or several testimonials. Maybe the subject of the case study didn’t believe at first either…until they saw the results.
Be open with your reader or listener. Admit that you went through this same disbelief stage at some point until you made this discovery.
In other words, be REAL with them.
5. Reason Why
I learned this one a long-time ago especially during email specials. If you wanted an email to produce the best results you had to include a big benefit, a form of limited scarcity, and a reason why you were making such an incredible offer.
For example, let’s say you get returns in your business. Everybody gets a few. You can easily hold a scratch-and-dent sale with huge discounts of 25% to 50% or more off on the slighty used merchandise. That’s a reason why you’re making such an offer.
Basically this uses the power of the word, “Because.” You’re making this incredible deal, because….
And I found the “because” didn’t always have to be a great reason. Any holiday is a reason why to run a sale. Your anniversary, your child’s birthday, and an upcoming vacation can all be reasons why. I once did this where my “because” was that I was standing in front of a roomful of people and wanted to demonstrate the power of an email list. I didn’t want to look stupid so I made them an incredible deal I knew many of them would jump on.
The point is that you have a WHY for making the offer.
Does Your Ad Have Enough Proof?
The answer to this question is generally a No. The majority of ads could improve their results by finding more studies, more testimonials, and more ways to back up all their claims.
The above 5 give you a few less common ways to add to your set of tools.
If you’re serious about finding additional ways to improve your conversion, make more sales, and earn more money online, check out the Monthly Mentor Club. You’ll love the one of the special bonuses you get immediately just for giving it a try. Shaune Clarke reveals, “How to Sell More Without Hype, Gimmicks, or Exagerration.”
When I first read a few of his websites, I felt like I knew him, trusted him, and had to have what he offered. It’s almost shocking the way he could influence without making any wild claims or promises. Find out more in Shameless Bribe #6 of the Monthly Mentor Club:
http://www.MonthlyMentorClub.com
Sincerely,
Terry Dean”
This email inspired me to write an article (see below) about having proof on your sales page. I appreciate getting information in the form of bullets, numbers, or tips because not only do I absorb it better that way, it gets my wheels turning on how I could write an article on something similar. I am an information junkie, I like to read. And since I’m a PLR writer and an article marketer, I always think about the possiblities of article topics whenever I read anything.
You’ll notice I didn’t COPY Terry Dean, I took an idea – sales page proof – and crafted my own article.
“Are These Kinds Of Proof On Your Sales Page?
We all know what goes into selling a new product online – an awesome product, lots of traffic, an excellent sales page, and good conversion rates. Having the awesome product is probably the easiest part, while getting good conversion rates may be the hardest. So what will help you convert visitors into buyers?
Proof.
People want to see proof that your product is and does what you promise it will be and do. They want to know other people have used it successfully without complications. They’d also like to see, touch, and try, if possible. If they’re convinced it will solve their problem(s), they’ll head right over to the buy button and purchase the product.
Here, then, are some types of proof that will help prove your product is the one for them:
Testimonials
While the US government has now put some restrictions on what testimonials can say, and need to include a disclaimer noting atypical results, they are still an effective form of proof. Testimonials can be in writing with a photo, video, or audio. What types of testimonials do you like to see? I like the ones that say how the customer put the product to work for them and increased their income by xx dollars, lost xx amount of weight, or cleared up acne in xx days. These are customers who have used the product and found success so it’s likely, or at least possible, other buyers will get good results too.
Video tour
Not only tell them about your product, take them inside. A video look around with maybe a demonstration of how to use the product will show potential customers exactly what they will be getting. If your product is an ebook, show them the table of contents and a page here and there; similar to what Amazon does with their Look Inside! feature. Show off and talk about any bonuses as well.
Case studies
These are a form of a testimonial, but more involved. A case study shows where the person was at before the purchase, how he used the product, how long the results took, and what the results were. People like the specifics, so it might also include a negative or two.
Flash your credentials
Are you a published author, been an expert in the field for over 10 years, been quoted in the newspaper, been interviewed by other experts in the field? Without being a show-off, weave in this kind of proof as to why you’re capable of talking and teaching on this subject.
Free trial period
This is more like advanced proof and goes a long way in comforting a potential buyer’s fear. Sometimes you can get the tire-kickers to buy if you get them behind the wheel for a test drive. Offer a 14 or 30 day trial and encourage them to try it out. Offer assistance during the trial period and remind them at the end of the trial to buy.
To convert readers to buyers, you definitely need to have some proof on your sales page. Consider using video, audio, or written testimonials, case studies, a free trial period, showing your credentials, and doing a video tour of your product. And remember to test to see which type of proof converts the best with your audience.”
So that’s one way I come up with ideas for an article. Pay attention to your emails!
P.S. The article I wrote above is part
of a free PLR articles pack I just finished.
If you’d like to get it, go here.
