…if you want to increase your sales, that is!
The past few decades have really opened up a wealth of opportunity to make money on the internet. Improved communication and safer money transfers make it easier for both the sellers and the buyers to make purchases online an everyday occurance. In fact, many people have taken to the internet as the PREFERRED way of buying. And that has created never-ending opportunities for the affiliate marketer. The main reason affiliate marketing has become so popular lies on the simple fact that all you have to do is apply for an affiliate program, pay for the program’s fees (if there are any), establish your pre-seller site, and write away.
Simple, isn’t it? Well maybe… there is a little more to it as you will soon discover.
Many affiliate marketers do not achieve the success the expect (that being sales) because of the part where they “write away.” Writing for your affiliate marketing site does not require the skills of a Pulitzer Prize winner, but those of a smart affiliate marketer. Your articles need to have certain qualities that best utilize online resources and, of course, turn prospects into closed sales.
Here are the five types of articles (or content) your affiliate marketing site should have, if you want to increase your sales and make a profit (of course you do!).
REVIEWS
People want information. It is unlikely that a person will visit your site and make a purchase the first time without first doing some research which includes reading content provided by you, the seller.. Its very likely they didn’t even notice the “sales pitches” you have placed all over your site in the first place—the main thing going through their minds is that they have a need for the product or service and if they are online looking they probably need it quickly! When they visit a site with little “benefit” information or content and in your face, hard-core sales pitches it turns them off. Think about the last time you visited a site like that. You probably clicked the little “x” in the corner of your computer screen and said, “NEXT.”
People want to know more about the product. So give your prospects what they want. Give them honest and sincere information on your affiliate marketing site in the form of product/service reviews. Be honest with your reviews. List any cons that might come up in buying the product. And since this is an affiliate marketing program, market your product as well. Do so in a way that “promotes” the product rather than selling it.
BENEFITS
Prospects want to know the features of a product the before they buy. If the features of your products are of interest and appeal to their intellectual side they then want to know more about the “benefits” of using your products and services. Share that in the form of what pain it will alleviate, what problems it will solve, what challenges it will get rid of. Tell them. The better you can describe the benefits, the greater your chance of making a sale.
PRODUCT COMPARISONS
If you are confident of your product’s ability to sell in the marketplace, do product comparisons. Be fair. Do not highlight all the cons of the competition while highlighting your own product’s benefits. Highlight the benefits of the other product, then compare in such a way that your product comes out on top. Be strategic in selecting which benefits of the competitor’s product you are going to highlight.
TESTIMONIALS
Your prospects need to know that real people are using your products. Find people who can attest to the benefits of your products in the real word. Contact customers and ask for their feedback. If it’s good create content around it. And more importantly if its not good, find out what you can do to improve on the services. One way to encourage feedback is with special purchase offers. If your product/service warrants it, you can offer a discount or the “next purchase free.” If appropriate, ask for photos of the products in use. Once you can assure your prospects that your products are good enough for real people, your closing rate will increase.
NEWS BRIEFS
Keep your affiliate marketing site fresh with news briefs. You might want to include promos, developments, and previously unknown information regarding the product (such as “studies show that this product (benefits of the product)” or “Top Marketing groups regard this product as one of the most revolutionary products of the 21st century”). Keep your news briefs concise—do not over-exaggerate or bombard your visitors with too much information. Post them in sound-bites where possible, highligting one or two new benefits of the product. This is also a good time to list awards the product has received as well as other press and media coverage.
When it comes to article content it is best to use what you know will work for your affiliate marketing program, or product. After all, the bottom line is increasing the “bottom line.”
Related articles:
Creating Unique Sites for Affiliate Marketing
Choosing the Best Affiliate Marketplace
How to Monetize Your Website Traffic
How to be an Affiliate Marketing Rockstar
In a future article we will talk about “How Internet Marketers Use Article Marketing to Promote their Affiliate Products“
