Yes, I know there’s no ‘k’ in articles but, hopefully, that’s what caught your eye, and misspelling has been a staple advertising ploy for a long time.
But, having brought your reader to your article, how do you make them visit your site and hopefully convert them into paying customers because, let’s face it, that’s what we’re here for?
Well, the problem is that you’re facing a duality of purpose here and expecting your article to fulfil two functions. To get readers to your site and convert them into customers, which is just basically wrong. The only function of the article should be to tempt readers to your site. Your site should then do the selling job on them. Don’t try to sell them your product or service in your article, just hint at the benefits to be gained from visiting your site. Don’t even mention selling because readers don’t want to be taken to a shopping mall, they want to be taken to a resource. Whether the resource is free or chargeable is up to you, but I opt for a mix of the two so that the customer doesn’t feel cheated.
Knowing your product is a given, whether you’re selling soup or starships, but knowing sales is an entirely different kettle of fish, but bear in mind that you’re not selling the product at this point, only the benefits of visiting your site.
The old advertising adage of ‘selling the sizzle, not the sausage’ comes into play here, because what you have to concentrate on is the benefits your readers might gain from visiting your site. You’re constrained a little here by the rules imposed by article sites but, in any case, I doubt that readers would respond well to a blatant demand that they click on your url.
You have to play mind games a little here. Your article should confirm that you are master of your subject, but this should be given in hints rather than outright exposition. There must always be the suggestion that there is more to be gained, more to be learned. And where must they go for that?
This is the tickle. The lure that captures your reader’s interest to the extent that they do what you want – visit your site.
So, in essence, the business which uses online articles as a marketing method must do the following.
1) Imagine a title that pulls the reader into the article.
2) Write an article that gives some information but not all, and suggests that this further information can be reached from the business’s website.
3) Create a website which not only fulfils the expectations raised in step 2, but offers further products and services at a cost.
Only then can you look forward to that magic word ‘profit’ and, let’s face it, that’s what gives you the tickle.
Gurmeet Mattu is a comedy writer with an award winning 25 year writing career. He currently offers free factsheets, critiques and online writing training at www.scriptschool.co.uk
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