Posted by Jim Monteleone on Mon, Jun 07, 2010 @ 01:10 PM
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What do prospects really want when researching a purchase on the web? A big part is a comfort level with the decision they are about to make.
Comfort is a function of information -- because nobody wants to make a bad buying decision. That's why even in today's information-overloaded society, people read long copy when it tells a convincing story. To do so effectively, here are 4 ways to create long copy content that generates leads:
1. Make It Personal -- the beauty of long copy is that it weaves a story that makes you feel that you know the writer. Keep the language conversational, and avoid jargon and corporate-speak at all costs.
2. Use Examples -- it is one thing to talk about how to use a product or service, another to show it being used in a compelling way. Prospects search for "how to" demonstrations and videos on the web, and often reward the provider with their business.
3. Keep It Local -- if you sell nationally, use testimonials from customers in different regions to show prospects that your products don't just work, but work for people like themselves.
4. Make It Safe -- when comparing two products or services of equal value, the one with the better guaranty usually gets the sale. So if your products or services come with guarantees, be sure to talk about them.
In the world of internet marketing, long copy gets results because few people can resist reading just a few more lines of a really good story. It is surprising how much existing content can be repurposed into compelling long-copy stories or videos -- content that attracts prospects like a magnet.
For more information about what makes a website attract prospects and generate leads, download a new Leadsource eBooklet, "How to Turn Your Website Into a Lead Machine".
Posted by Jim Monteleone on Thu, Apr 29, 2010 @ 05:22 PM
To get comfortable with a buying decision, people search for "good content" on the web such as how-to articles, white papers, and informative videos.
But in a down economy, the FUD Factor (fear, uncertainty, doubt) can stop sales cold. Here are some content offers that can be used to give prospects sound reasons to buy now:
Overcoming Fear -- buyers are more likely to make a purchase when they have the option to return it free, and also feel that they have gotten extra value. So to overcome buyer resistance, feature a 30-day free trial, no-interest financing, an extended warranty, or no payments for X months.
Defusing Uncertainty -- the more confidence a prospect has that they are making the right decision, the more likely they are to act. "Try before you buy" helps close the deal with a free or heavily-discounted sample, buy one get one free, introductory rate, or a money-back guaranty.
Erasing Doubt -- because doubt feeds on disbelief, it is important to show prospects why your product will do the job better than the competition. Content that shows a feature-by-feature comparison helps, but nothing beats an impartial third party endorsement. So if you have testimonials -- or your product is highly rated by a trade or consumer organization -- create content that showcases its superior performance and value.
Find out how your website's content compares to your competition -- PLUS get ideas for re-purposing your content to attract more prospects and make your site work harder.
Posted by Jim Monteleone on Mon, Mar 01, 2010 @ 05:08 PM
There's good content, and then there's great content.
One of the most compelling ways to create great content is with a "How To" guide that explains how your service, process or product works.
Good "How To" content not only generates leads, it is a magnet for inbound links -- a great way to boost your Google page rank. It can be a video, a micro-site, or a downloadable document, depending upon the audience.
But regardless of the format, good "How To" content typically offers at least one of the following*:
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Useful Information -- a "How To" video that shows how to select the right checking account, investment counselor, or attorney can take on a life of its own if available on YouTube (as well as your site).
Great content often has a theme that appeals to curiosity, self-interest, or worry. It also uses an engaging promise in the title which, oddly enough, often involves a "How To".
* With apologies to C. Gordon Hoxie ("How to Build an Offer"), legendary New England direct marketer who labored to teach a bunch of young writers the rules of good content, long before it was called that.
Posted by Jim Monteleone on Tue, Feb 16, 2010 @ 04:46 PM
Content marketing is about generating inquiries and leads. But of course, not every inquiry is a lead.
Nothing kills a marketing program faster than giving raw inquiries to salespeople, when they were promised leads.
With this in mind, if an inquiry has at least one of the following criteria, you can confidently pass it to your sales force as a solid lead:
1. The Prospect is Real -- most salespeople find it hugely de-motivating to screen raw marketing inquiries. For this reason, many firms use a sales administrators or a telesales group to find out if a prospect is a potential buyer, has a budget, etc. The surviving inquiries are genuine leads.
2. There is Pain -- unless there is "pain" that can be resolved with your product or service, it's not a lead, and there will be no sale -- never, ever. The greater the pain, the more likely a sale, and the faster it will be made.
3. Time Is Running Out -- when a project or purchase has to be made soon, the nearer to the purchase date, the better the prospect. At this point, it is not a question of "if", but of "when". Typically, a budget is already set -- all that is left is choosing a viable provider.
4. It's a Referral -- with a referral, half of the sale is already made -- the first half where issues like company integrity, product quality, and dependable delivery are established. With a good referral, the sale is really yours to lose. Referrals should always be flagged, and never included with inquiries.
Because content marketing can generate a stream of inquiries, it's important to qualify them to provide only the best to your sales force. In this way, content marketing can do what it does best -- fuel your sales engine.
Posted by Jim Monteleone on Fri, Jan 15, 2010 @ 07:39 PM
If your website were a book, would it be "All Quiet on The Western Front"?
If so, maybe it's time to take a look at why it stopped generating leads, and fix it once and for all. Here are 4 ways to hit the "reset" button on your site, to turn it into the lead generator you always hoped it would be:
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Refill Your Cookie Dish -- solid informational content such as blogs, white papers, and videos give prospects the facts they need to become smarter buyers, and is what they are searching for. It can draw quality traffic to a site like a magnet -- yet most sites offer little or none of it. So if your site is low on the good stuff, its time to refill your cookie dish with content of real informational value.
Cut The Baloney -- if you read your website copy out loud, and it doesn't sound like anything a real live human would say, its time for a major edit. The vocabulary used in many websites -- especially for technology companies -- often grades at the graduate school level. If you want to engage prospects -- and not put them to sleep -- use language that everyone can understand.
Cue The Video -- short, informative videos are an easy way to not just explain a subject, but to show it as well. And when you use your actual subject matter folks as stars of your videos, it puts a human face on your company, and makes people want to go to the next step.
Re-purpose Your Content-- over the years, you have probably made a substantial investment in white papers, data sheets, speeches, slide shows, and other content that is gathering dust in your literature closet. This same content can be re-purposed as direct response content -- videos, podcasts, job stories -- that prospects want to download and read.
When you invigorate your site with direct response content -- solid information that builds trust and drives prospects to take the next step -- you have taken the most important step in turning visitors into leads, and leads into customers.
Posted by Jim Monteleone on Tue, Jan 05, 2010 @ 02:18 PM
You may not know it, but your company is probably sitting on a goldmine of internet marketing content.
Information -- not advertising -- is what people search for on the web when thinking about a purchase. And chances are that a ton of informative content is locked inside of your existing marketing materials -- the same ones that nobody downloads today.
The trick is to re-purpose it into blogs, videos, podcasts, white papers, etc. that provide information to help buyers decide -- without the hard sell.
Companies that offer informative content become trusted providers -- something that all the ad money in the world can't buy. They also stretch their marketing budget by re-purposing existing materials into informative web content.
There are many places to mine quality content within a company - but here are 5 great places to begin:
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Showcase Your People - your subject matter experts are an invaluable source of information that purchasers want to know before deciding what to buy. Brief "how to" interviews can be turned into blogs, videos, and much more.
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Capture Speeches - executives spend days crafting informative speeches, only to have it lost forever. When videoed and transcribed, they are a great source of podcast and video content, and feedstock for blogs, white papers, press releases, and e-books.
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Repurpose White Papers - think about how much valuable technical content is locked inside of your promotional white papers. This can be a huge source of good web content.
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Mine Your Training Materials - this is a major source of "how to" articles. You've figured it out to train your people, why not use it to help prospective customers make better buying decisions?
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Expand Press Releases - with a little bit of magic, a promotional press release can be turned into a blog article that contains useful information for a prospective purchaser, along with links to more "how to" information.
Turning existing marketing materials into direct response content is a great way to build trust with prospective buyers, and leverage your past marketing investment. Companies who do "get found" on the web by the people that matter -- prospects looking to buy now.
Posted by Jim Monteleone on Mon, Dec 28, 2009 @ 05:17 PM
The difference between a website that generates leads and do-nothing brochure-ware comes down to one word - content.
No matter how artful the site, or the number of videos, blogs, case studies, white papers, etc. it has, unless people respond, it's a flop.
The lack of compelling content is why many websites don't work -- there is little or no reason to do anything, so nobody does.
Sites that generate leads are heavy with direct response-based content. It's easy to spot, as it always has three important elements that get interested prospects to self-select:
1. A Strong Offer- with no cheese in the trap, the chances of finding a mouse are pretty slim. David Kobs, a direct marketing legend, said it best: "The offer will usually make more difference in results than the copy that tells your story, the graphics that display your product, or the format you use". A superb collection of offer ideas can be found in his classic list "99 Proven Direct Response Offers".
2. A Logical "Next Step" - sometimes the next step can be placing an order - other times, it is an information download, a free trial, a sample, a coupon, etc. that leads the prospect down the road to the ultimate sale.
3. Multiple Calls To Action - it's imperative to make it easy for the prospect to respond, and provide lots of ways to do so. And it is also important not to confuse the prospect with too many offers. Smart marketers offer only one choice on a landing page - the choice they want the prospect to take.
When direct response content has a solid offer, people want to know more - and will tell you about themselves in exchange for the content they want. So if your website isn't generating enough leads - or any - it could be because of a serious lack of direct response content.