Top 7 Mistakes Why Article Marketing Fails To Increase Sales
Top 7 Mistakes Why Article Marketing Fails To Increase Sales
With the explosion of the Internet as key marketing and sales strategies, article marketing when done correctly will increase sales. However after actively participating in this arena since 2005, I have noticed these 10 key mistakes that many sales professionals be they business coaches, sales coaches, insurance agents, financial advisors, accountants, lawyers or medical doctors.
Mistake #1
Article marketing is not integrated and aligned into an education based marketing approach. Unfortunately, some engage in article marketing and still practice products or sales based marketing which is all about interrupting the potential qualified customer (a.k.a. prospect). This is why permission must be granted first before sending any articles.
Mistake #2
There is no marketing plan. Many authors are engaged in spraying and praying their marketing efforts all over the place. When you are a written marketing plan, you will have specific goals for your article marketing efforts. These goals may include: submissions to article directory sites, blogging and monthly electronic newsletters.
Mistake #3
If you have no marketing plan, you probably do not know what to write. Therefore your content lacks value to the reader. Time is a precious resource. Expecting people to read your article just to read it is frankly lubricious. Sales Coaching Tip: Invest the time in researching your target marketing, current trends and market trends.
Mistake #4
Possibly you lack the skill set or expertise to write articles. You hand it off to someone else such as a ghostwriter. Even though your name is on the article, the reader is building a relationship with your ghostwriter and not with you. Sales Coaching Tip: The more you write, the better you think, the better you think, the more you start. Just start writing, you will improve.
Mistake #5
Many authors recycle existing content. Some do it well while most fail at it miserably. When your articles begin to sound the same or sound like last month’s, you have turned off your readers and violated their trust. Remember, they trust you not to waste their time.
Mistake #6
Your content lacks clarity. When your message is weak or foggy because you are unsure as to what your readers want, some readers may feel that you have provided a switch and bait approach to marketing. Again, this does not build trust.
Mistake #7
Your call to action is a selling pitch in disguise. Just because your article was read does not mean you have a relationship with the reader. The best calls to actions are for free offerings. Take the time to build the relationship before making any sales pitch.
Article marketing is a proven strategy to increase sales, direct new visitors to your website, improve traffic and ultimately increase revenue. By avoiding these 7 mistakes, you now have shorten your own learning curve and can realize your goal to increase sales far sooner.
Top 7 Mistakes Why Article Marketing Fails To Increase Sales - To learn more about this author, visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website.
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Article marketing is a specific type of content marketing. The primary marketing goal is to design, develop, deliver and distribute content that attracts, builds interest, creates desire and provides a call to action to your existing pre-defined target market. Additional benefit of this marketing strategy is you begin to build long term relationships or what is none are nurture marketing.
With the explosion of the Internet as key marketing and sales strategies, article marketing when done correctly will increase sales. However after actively participating in this arena since 2005, I have noticed these 10 key mistakes that many sales professionals be they business coaches, sales coaches, insurance agents, financial advisors, accountants, lawyers or medical doctors.
Mistake #1
Article marketing is not integrated and aligned into an education based marketing approach. Unfortunately, some engage in article marketing and still practice products or sales based marketing which is all about interrupting the potential qualified customer (a.k.a. prospect). This is why permission must be granted first before sending any articles.
Mistake #2
There is no marketing plan. Many authors are engaged in spraying and praying their marketing efforts all over the place. When you are a written marketing plan, you will have specific goals for your article marketing efforts. These goals may include: submissions to article directory sites, blogging and monthly electronic newsletters.
Mistake #3
If you have no marketing plan, you probably do not know what to write. Therefore your content lacks value to the reader. Time is a precious resource. Expecting people to read your article just to read it is frankly lubricious. Sales Coaching Tip: Invest the time in researching your target marketing, current trends and market trends.
Mistake #4
Possibly you lack the skill set or expertise to write articles. You hand it off to someone else such as a ghostwriter. Even though your name is on the article, the reader is building a relationship with your ghostwriter and not with you. Sales Coaching Tip: The more you write, the better you think, the better you think, the more you start. Just start writing, you will improve.
Mistake #5
Many authors recycle existing content. Some do it well while most fail at it miserably. When your articles begin to sound the same or sound like last month’s, you have turned off your readers and violated their trust. Remember, they trust you not to waste their time.
Mistake #6
Your content lacks clarity. When your message is weak or foggy because you are unsure as to what your readers want, some readers may feel that you have provided a switch and bait approach to marketing. Again, this does not build trust.
Mistake #7
Your call to action is a selling pitch in disguise. Just because your article was read does not mean you have a relationship with the reader. The best calls to actions are for free offerings. Take the time to build the relationship before making any sales pitch.
Article marketing is a proven strategy to increase sales, direct new visitors to your website, improve traffic and ultimately increase revenue. By avoiding these 7 mistakes, you now have shorten your own learning curve and can realize your goal to increase sales far sooner.
Top 7 Mistakes Why Article Marketing Fails To Increase Sales - To learn more about this author, visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website.
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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