Market with Substance: Articles Marketing Strategies
Posted by Beth Hrusch on Tue, Nov 17, 2009
Maybe the
single biggest challenge to successful articles marketing is establishing an authentic voice online. Though online content is usually considered more suspect than offline resources, two good ways of reducing readers' suspicions include the smart use of language and personalization.
Authenticity in your Articles Marketing
People can usually spot a disingenuous voice or transparent sales pitch, which is why you should avoid the hint of either in your article marketing. Here's how:
- Avoid using too much insider jargon or corporate speak. This isn't just because some people might not be familiar with the lingo. Even people who are usually don't talk that way if they don't absolutely have to.
- People don't want to read something that sounds like it was written by a robot or is trying too hard to sell something. (Such articles often are written by robots.)
- Write to your audience. You wouldn't use LOL's and smileys in the New England Journal of Medicine. So avoid SAT-level vocab with the Tiger Beat crowd.
The Power of Personal
Introducing a tasteful and thoughtful level of personalization into your articles is not only welcome but often effective for your articles marketing. A few techniques:
- Tell a story that's universally relatable without being trite or over-told.
- Add a few specific details to make the experience sound as real as possible: sights, sounds, smells and other sensory details are often best here.
- Don't assume that everybody has the same interpretation of your story. Tie the tale into your broader point as clearly and directly as possible. After all, that's why you're telling the story, right?
- End with something like: "Have you had a similar experience? If so, leave a comment!"
...which reminds me: Have you had success with personal stories in your article marketing? Comment!