How To Use Article Marketing To Lure Prospects Into Your Sales Funnel
Read More: Article Source: http://www.networkmarketingsolved.com/grow-rich-article-marketing/2009/7/26/article-marketing-is-your-net-and-your-blog-is-the-boat.html
by Terri Stallcop
Article Marketing is more powerful if you are posting articles that actually lure people into your website or to your blog. The strategy is to link articles together with relevant keywords so that you form a "net" of terrific content. Think of it as a fishing net. Articles link together to form the fish net and good content lures your target market into the boat, your Flagship website!
Article Marketing Is Your Web of Content, Your NET
Think of it like this... it's a lot like fishing with a net. Your articles lure your prospects into your part of the Net, a web of content that you deliberately weave together for the purpose of marketing something. When article marketing is done right, using attraction marketing, prospects will search for your website.
When your articles capture the attention and interest of potential prospects, your target market, then those articles are qualified as a successful article marketing campaign.
Let's say someone finds one of your articles, at Hubpages, or BetterNetworker :) then they should easily find another related article of yours inside it. They should also be able to find a link to your website in the author section or linked with anchor text to a relevant blog post near the end of the article. Also, remember, we are talking about a lot of articles.
Isolated, stand alone articles are not part of article marketing. One article usually isn't powerful enough to market anything.
Your Website Is the Boat, Your Flagship!
Just linking articles together isn't enough. Fishing with a net isn't much good if the net full of fish never makes it inside the boat.
Why? Because the boat (your blog or website) is the most effective location for your sales funnel.
Since article marketing means you have something somewhere for sale, something of value that your prospect will want to buy, then you must set up shop.
Your Sales Funnel
The very best place to set up shop is to build a shopping mall inside your Flagship website. You see, if we try too hard to sell inside an article, it looks like, sounds like and probably is... hype. We should be using fishing lures, not hooks. Inside your article marketing machine is not a good place to shop.
Marketing brings people into the sales funnel that is located some place else.
Most people online are trying to hook people into buying with a lot of hype inside articles. If, inside your article marketing campaign, you never try to hook your target audience with hype, it will be so refreshing! That's how prospects become highly qualified customers. They will be so delighted with your web of content that they will hangout around your part of the Net. That places them right next to your Flagship website, just waiting to get onboard so they can shop!
About the Author: Terri Stallcop
Company: Internet MLM Now
I'm a Distributor For:: Agel
Industry: Internet
Primary Web Site: http://www.INTERNETmlmNow.com
Article Marketing
Terri,
Your absolutely correct when you speak about article marketing. Its always best practice not to sell hype, but to be true in the revelation of content.
I can remember when you first visited my-site, and I received your comment about my content.
You know Terri that was my momentous moment in appreciation for understanding article marketing.
Always speak from the heart...
Thank you Terri,
Donna Wells
Article Marketing
You've hit the nail on the head Terri with a great article.
Not only is article marketing one of the best ways to get free traffic to your site it also helps for getting incoming links to drive your site to the top of the search engines.
Giving Value Without Restriction
It's all about filling a need, solving a problem or adding to someone's knowledge base. Article marketing can fulfill all of those criteria.
As you brand yourself through excellent content, you attract trust and respect which are 100% what attraction marketing is all about.
Give and you shall receive!
Bingo
People hate to be sold but they love to buy.
People like to know who they are buying from - giving them information helps them make the decision and came back for more
Angela Brooks
www.angelabrook.com
Long term asset
Great article on the value of article marketing.
I see it as a long term asset. Charlie Page, (Directory of Ezines) has content that has been on the Internet for years that continues to bring in new customers.
Drawing attention to your Flagship
Strategic article marketing will draw your audience, your market, through your net of content closer to the flagship, the central marketing site, your blog or website.
Terri, the analogy fits very well and continues to underscore the importance of providing true value to your niche market in all content linking to the core of your marketing. Leave hype out of the equation.
Keeping It Real
People are bombarded with SO much information these days. It becomes hard for them to decipher the true from the false. There are ads everywhere promising this and that. Sometimes they deliver, but often it's hype. Keeping our articles real, plus knowing where to spread our "net" out, will have us gathering the most "fish" into our "boat".
Thanks Terri
Building Your Brand With Article Marketing
Article marketing is the bread and butter of attraction marketing. It's how we get the word out about ourselves and our businesses. Distributing articles is the single best way to build your brand online and become seen as an expert in your field.
When coupled with a strong linking strategy and a social media presence driving traffic to your "home" or "boat" online you are well on your way to success.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this powerful attraction marketing tool, Terri :)
Live Your Dreams!
Shellyb
Article marketing to attract prospects
Terri,
You’re exactly right. Article marketing is a great way to market. But it can’t be full of hype.
It’s so important to provide value to your target market. You want to be the “go to” person for them on the internet . You want to be someone who is there to help them and answer their question.
Beautiful job, Terri.
It's all about the net
I see so many people that have great content, but not linked content. Your analogy is so helpful for those that miss the opportunity of drawing the fish closer to the boat and knowing what to do with them.
Your Business Strategy
Article writing is one part of any business strategy. Used as you suggest Teri, gives one the ability to get people to know, like and trust, so they want to do business together.
Savvy Surfers
Hi Terri,
People surfing the web today have gotten a lot more savvy about the messages being delivered to them. Most people have gotten very good at sniffing out a sales letter disguised as an informative article.
Of course, if your article is part of your net to draw the reader into your sales funnel, you will be trying to sell them something in it. Just don't let it be your product or service. Just try to sell them on the fact that they should come to your site to read other articles, because they will provide as much value, or more, than the one they are reading somewhere else on the web.
Your article here is a great reminder to provide that kind of value, and lay off the sales pitch. Educating your audience will build the relationship and you will gain their trust.
This is how to do it Folks
Hi Terri
Cindy Schulson wrote a very good article here at BN about sales and marketing where she pointed out why people don't buy from someone. They don't buy because they don't know the person that is selling or they don't believe them and most importantly, they probably don't trust them. One of the best solutions for this is writing articles. You become the expert that is known, believed and trusted. Great Article.
Become The Expert With Article Marketing
Terri, Article marketing is one of those skills that once it's learned, pays you back year after year. When an article is posted to somewhere like EzineArticles.com it has exposure to people for years. It always links back to you (and your internet home)and brands you as an expert on your chosen topic.
This is the ultimate fishing expedition(and leverage). Cast the net once with your value-added, content rich articles, sit back on the boat and watch the fish come your way. Terri, I love your imagery and always enjoy reading your work. Thanks.