When it comes to making money online most of us have the same goal, to create new customers as quickly and easily as possible.
And it wouldn’t hurt if we could do that without spending a boatload of money!
Lofty goals to be sure — but very attainable if you follow a proven path of action and are diligent.
Today we look at one of the easiest and most reliable ways to create new customers with almost no cost.
I’m talking about CONTENT MARKETING.
If you are not sure what content marketing is, or if it’s right for you, take a moment now to review this article.
It will open in a new window so you can come right back here when you finish.
Click here to open “What Is Content Marketing?” in a new window.
Whether you call it content marketing or article marketing or curation, providing helpful content before asking for the sale is powerful.
I believe it’s the most powerful way to create new customers that exists online.
Now that’s saying something from a guy who owns one of the premier online resources for paid advertising, the Directory of Ezines.
But I still maintain that content marketing is the #1 method of marketing online, and one you should begin to employ today if you are not already using it.
There are five reasons I believe that content marketing is the best way to create new customers. I will share them below.
But, before we do that, there is something else you need to know.
Content marketing ALSO creates better customers!
Please understand that I believe all people are created equal and have equal value. By “better” I simply mean more satisfied.
Why would the customers who come from content marketing sources be “better” than customers who come from cold sources?
THEY KNOW YOUR VOICE
When you do content marketing you are writing articles, curating or in some other way providing helpful free information.
Because your potential new customer gets to consume the content you create before they are asked to buy, they can get to know you better.
And when they get to know you they are going to like what they see. They will trust you.
And when they trust you they will not only buy from you but they will also refer their friends to your site.
Now that’s a win-win situation!
Want massive amounts of high quality content without writing a word yourself?
I coach clients to use high-quality PLR for their content.
But there’s a trick to doing it right …
You take a PLR REPORT and use the chapters as article content!
If you want to learn how I do that, click the image to the right.
THEY TRUST YOU
Did you know there is only one way to build true trust?
I’m not talking about the fake “you can trust me” feeling that comes from all the “testimonials” online.
Or the photoshopped screenshots of yet another Clickbank account going from $0 to $7000 per day.
I’m talking about REAL trust.
The only way to build real trust, in my view, is to do something for someone else without expecting anything in return.
Yep, the good old Golden Rule.
When you do content marketing, you are giving before you expect to receive. It’s entirely possible for a person to come to your blog and read all the great content and simply leave without taking any action.
And that’s okay because you served that person from your heart and your experience.
The most powerful form of content marketing? Articles, webinars, individual contact and more that never makes a sales pitch.
It only gives.
THEY HAVE TAKEN THE FIRST STEP
When you give before you receive with content marketing you let the buyer take the first step.
This is important.
No one wants to be pushed. No one wants to be cornered or pressured or hassled.
When people see what they want, they will buy and buy in record numbers.
But you have to let them come to the party, not shove them through the door.
And you do that by giving away the very best content you can without asking for anything in return.
In other words, content marketing!
THEY ARE PRE-SOLD
Years ago Site Sell became famous for the concept of pre-selling. Ken Evoy was a genius (still is) and any early adopter of content marketing.
Today sites like Copyblogger have advanced the cause of pre-selling with content to the tune of millions a year in sales of their products.
Quick – can you name what Copyblogger sells?
If you couldn’t don’t worry. That is by design.
Brian Clark, and the rest of the Copyblogger team, would much rather you instantly think of great free content when you think of Copyblogger.
They know you will buy what they offer when you need it, and probably buy it from them, because you are pre-sold by their content.
It sure worked on me. I’ve been a happy Copyblogger customer for years.
THEY HAVE SELF-SELECTED
Want to know the key to selling things? It’s no secret but it’s powerful.
Here it is in a nutshell.
People buy what they WANT to buy.
So simple it sounds silly, right? But it’s true. You and me and everyone else buys what we want to buy.
Not need, want.
If we bought only the things we need we would all have lots of life insurance, a massive savings account and no debt. But we don’t do that.
Instead we buy more clothes that we can wear and endless products that make us feel good.
No judgement intended … it’s only human.
So the secret is to get people to want to buy from you, right?
In other words, make them want it.
Wrong.
Here’s the thing: you really can’t MAKE anyone want to do anything.
What you can do is this – you can …
- Explain the benefits they will receive if they do what you want them to do and let them make the decision.
- Persuade them that taking action now is in their best interest.
- Help them feel secure knowing that others have taken the same action and it worked well for them.
- Reassure them that you have shifted the burden of risk from them to you with a strong guarantee.
- Offer them plenty of free information to prove you know what you are doing.
You can do all these things, and more. But you can’t force them to do anything really.
Really simple – really effective.
And so much easier on you.
Why easier?
Because now you can focus on serving others instead of trying to force someone to do something you want them to do.
Zig Ziglar was right …
You really can get everything you want if you just help enough other people get what they want.
If you take away only one thing from this article, let it be this.
The people who want to buy from you will buy from you without you twisting their arm.
In fact, that person will be the best customer you’ve ever had because they have self-selected.
Which is just a fancy term for saying you let them make the choice instead of trying to pressure, trick or cajole them into buying.
So there you have it, five reasons why content marketing creates customers more easily, and creates better customers as well.
I hope you are doing content marketing today.
If you are not, consider curation as your first step. It’s the easiest way to begin content marketing, and I have several helpful articles right here on the blog to help you.
When you begin to build your content marketing empire you will find that you get more done in less time, and you create happy repeat customers who actually like you and want to hear more from you.
And when you have that, well … you have a beautiful thing indeed!
