Let's Drop The Use Of The "S" Word!!!
Get your mind out of the gutter!!!
As affiliate marketers we should never be focused on selling.
Yes, THAT "S" word...
Affiliate marketers help people...
We help people find the things they want and need online and we help merchants grow their business online by sending them potential customers.
Notice I said potential customers...
This is because it is the job of the merchant to sell to the potential customer we have prepared to buy and sent them.
The worst thing you can do on a blog of website as an affiliate marketer is try to sell anything. It is not a natural part of the affiliate / merchant process.
The whole reason we do keyword research is so the people who are searching for things online can find what we have to offer them.
They want help and we offer them help in the way of information and resources that will solve their problem or give them what they desire.
I think it was Travis that once explained what we do with or sites as a very simple process of relating with our readers.
I know where you are...
Because I was once there...
And this is what I did (affiliate link)
This is the process of content writing to your link.
Now I do not like to deceive my readers so I do not always claim I have been in their shoes so the process may change to be:
I know where you are...
Many people have been there...
And here is what they did...
If you think of this process as you are creating content it will naturally lead the reader where you want them to go (our links obviously)
I know where you are is extremely important because we have a very limited window of opportunity to relate to our readers, grab their attention and make them want to continue reading. Otherwise within seconds they are clicking off to find information elsewhere.
"I have been there or many people have been there" offers reassurance that what they want or need is normal. This build connection on a personal level.
If you can become proficient at the above 2 steps then the "here is what I did or here is what others did" becomes pretty easy. It really boils down to a "call to action" that says "if you click here you WILL find what you want or need".
Of course a huge key to this is making sure you are partnered with a merchant that is very good at what they do and can deliver on the road you have just taken your reader down.
From our end as affiliate marketers people can smell an obvious sales pitch from a virtual mile away. They will click off our sites at the first hint they are being sold a bill of goods.
On the other hand, people fully expect to be sold something at a merchants site. They clicked through to it knowing there was something they wanted or needed being sold.
This can be very tough for new folks that are desperate to make their first bits of money online. You want to spend all your time talking about a product or service and how it is the greatest thing ever created.
Get that "S" word out of your business vocabulary as an affiliate and start helping people.
I think you will find less pressure when writing content and your conversions will go up.
Recent Comments
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Great Post! I am rewriting my post I was going to add to the website I am building. I forgot about not using the "s'" word! Thanks for helping me to remember!
Great post and great points, that`s why I like talking about products that has free trials, they are also my "best sellers". Wasn`t talking about WA but that is a great example too :).
You are so right on target with this post. If you relate to people the same way you like people to relate to you, then you will have the loyalty you want. Have totally let go of all the heavy stuff. I don't think about sales jargon at all. Heck, I'm not a salesman. Now, I just have a good time doing my best to help and inspire folks. Thank you for this great post.
Awesome stuff! Selling is the hardest thing to do in the world because NOBODY likes to be sold too. Have you ever had someone knock at your door and been so annoyed when a salesman tries to sell you a vacuum, knives, or religion. I know I have.
There is a lot of "give" before you can get "take" as a marketer and the key as you said is helping people...relating to people...and ultimately increasing their trust and comfort level with you. If you can't connect with someone, you are not going to get past the "first date' and that is a big problem in the marketing world.
"There is a lot of "give" before you can get "take" as a marketer"
That hits it on the head and is probably the biggest challenge for new folks that are just itching to see that you can make money.
It also has a subtle effect on people. When you give, people feel the need to reciprocate (it is natural human instinct for most). That is why if your neighbour comes over and helps you shovel snow off your driveway you would feel that you need to help them shovel theirs.
Same goes for buying stuff. If you buy someone something or give people something that is "worth" something, they are far more likely to feel as though they need to buy something in return.
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VCery well said! thanks for the insight!~